Catholic Action Report May 2013

After researching this a bit, I discovered that St. Ignatius himself used to send people forth on mission with the injunction “ite, omnia incendite et inflammate” – “Go, set the whole world on fire and in flame.” He did this especially for those going forth on foreign mission, such as Francis Xavier when he departed for Asia.

Catholic Action is the participation of the organized Catholic laity in the apostolate of the hierarchy, for the purpose of winning or of bringing back souls to Christ. The Catholic religion in action, the result of a living faith, It implies, therefore, personal sanctification, although not directly aimed at it. From this personal sanctification arise works for the salvation of our neighbor, works that make lay apostles of members of Catholic Action.

Catholic Action requires that Catholics should possess solid piety, a sound knowledge of the Catholic Faith, and unquestioning obedience to the Pope and the hierarchy. The love of God that fills the heart of a faithful Catholic will impel him to join in the work of converting the world to Christ; it will urge him to contribute his help in all the ways he can in the lay state. “So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Who is in heaven.” ( Matthew 5:16 )

In the old days when Christianity was new in a pagan world, the laity labored with the Apostles in making Christ known and loved. Today the need for the laity’s help is as urgent as at the beginning. Much that was truly Christian has succumbed
to modern atheism; the kingdom of Christ is now divided. There are not enough priests; and even if there were, many places, such as mines, offices, and factories would not be easy for a priest to enter in, to win souls to Christ.

One place may demand the teaching of catechism; another, the support of the parochial school; another, the defense of the Church’s rights against unjust and unlawful impositions of civil officials; another, vigilance over the press and the moving pictures; another, the education of the working classes. In many places, all or most of these necessities, with others, ought to be met. This is why an organization of well-trained laity is imperative.

The issues of today are mounting and pushing hard against our morals and truly testing our faith.

FDA’s approval of the According to the new FDA decision, Plan B One-Step will now be labeled to reflect that proof of age is required to purchase it, and it cannot be sold where age cannot be verified. The packaging will include a product code
that prompts the cashier to ask and verify the age of the customer. Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, reacted to the FDA decision saying, “Plan B is a dangerous abortion-inducing drug. Girls who aren’t even old enough to drive themselves to the pharmacy are now being given free access to a megadose of a pill that ranks as a Group I carcinogen by the World Health Organization, and has been known to cause blood clots, heart attacks or strokes, and triple the risk of ectopic pregnancy – all without a doctor’s supervision or parental notification. Once again, the health of young women is being sacrificed on the altar of ‘choice.” Anna Higgins, Family Research Council’s Director of the Center for Human Dignity, noted: “This decision shows an alarming lack of concern for the safety of young girls, the fundamental rights of parents, and concerns of the medical community.”

“This decision undermines the right of parents to make important health decisions for their young daughters,” Higgins explained. “Parents have every right to be involved in any health decisions that affect their children. No parent wants his or her daughter exposed to a potentially dangerous medication without their consent. Instead of allowing unfettered access to potentially dangerous drugs to teens, parent-teen communication regarding the medical and moral issues involved with sexual behavior should be encouraged.” New York Catholic Conference called the ruling a “recipe for disaster.”

The trial of abortionist Kermit Gosnell. Unlicensed medical student at Gosnell clinic provided diagnoses, prescribed medication and signed medical charts…the list of illegal activity goes on! Gosnell was found Guilty of Murder. This case is now over but, the murder continues in many other abortion clinics. We need to march for life! Not just in January but, each and every day; we need to speak about the evil of abortion and be the voice of those that have been silenced. How can a world that continues to fight for human rights have complete disregard for the most vulnerable and innocent? There can be no cause for human rights without starting from the seed of life, the human growth that we as humans would never forfeit. There can be no cause for any animal or any non-human life without there first being a cause and a love for all HUMAN LIFE. Life; from dawn to dusk.

Project St Patrick is an important asset of our order. As I have stated many times that our Catholic faith is the corner stone of who we are. If our faith teaches us that God is all consuming and the sole creator of all things and it does, then we are Catholic first. Our State President Sean Pender has brought to the fore front of his first term the importance of our Catholic identity. I am most grateful for that as well we all should be. President Pender and his Convention
committee has themed “Honoring Life and Promoting Vocations”

During the pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the Church once again promoted and defended its core teachings, and the results are promising: the Church is growing by leaps and bounds in Africa and Asia; a generation of “John Paul II
priests” has been ordained; orders of nuns loyal to the Magisterium, have waiting lists; and trendy bishops of the Seventies have mostly been replaced with orthodox ones. But the effort to re-instill the doctrine that God, not man, is the measure of all things is far from complete. It will take years of patience and hard work to undo two generations of damage.

No doubt Pope Francis will carry on the work of his two predecessors and would agree with Monsignor Knox’s observation that as Catholics, “we shall have to face, more and more, the glare of the world’s hostility. For that reason, we must rally closer than ever round our bishops, our clergy, our churches, our schools; we must be active Catholics, instructed Catholics, if need be combative Catholics, to meet the demands of the new age.”

The Church is Catholic, or universal, making known God’s ways of salvation to all peoples, ruling all in equity. And the
Church, as St. John states, is Apostolic – founded on the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. We’ve had enough of exhortations to
be silent! Cry out with a hundred thousand tongues. I see that the world is rotten because of silence. — St. Catherine of Siena

“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” – St. Augustine

Go mbeannaí Dia duit

JMK
St Oileabhéar Pluincéad