My Pro-Life Life

From Fr. John Hollowell back in 2012. Amen.

Given by Fr. Kevin Drew of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, for the 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time, February 16th, 2020.      Do you remember last January I preached about Briana the cow? The nightly news last January 22, (the date in 1973 when abortion was legalized) ran a story of how the pregnant Briana made a daring escape off a truck just minutes before it arrived at the slaughterhouse. A beaming anchorwoman reported how Briana and her new baby were safe in an animal shelter, as if it was some kind of home for unwed pregnant cows.  This was what you call a feel-good story; a refreshing respite from all the bad news that makes up most of a nightly newscast. Of course, the story was not based on any kind of reality. For as I preached, Briana the cow didn’t jump off the truck to escape the slaughterhouse. For Briana had no clue she was going to the slaughterhouse. Because she’s a cow.  When you entered church to...

Transcript (which I got from Fr. Z with his emphases, who got it from Lifesite News):      Thank you very much and thank you, Jeanne. It is my profound honor to be the  first president in history to attend the March for Life . [applause] We are here for a very simple reason: to defend the right of every child, born and unborn, to fulfill their  God-given potential . [applause]      For 47 years, Americans of all backgrounds have traveled from across the country to stand for life.      And today as President of the United States, I am truly proud to stand with you. [applause]      I want to welcome tens of thousands – this is a tremendous turnout – tens of thousands of high school and college students who took long bus rides to be here in our nation’s capital. And to make you feel even better, there are tens of thousands of people outside that we passed on the way in. If anybody would like to give up their spot, we...

     This isn't my usual kind of music, but I love this song, the credit song from Unplanned . The lyrics are below. I'm looking at a masterpiece, I'm staring at work of art, I'm listening to a symphony In every beat of your tiny heart. You used to be a choice to make, But now I think you've chosen me, 'Cause I see ten fingers, ten toes, Two eyes, and I know this is meant to be. O, I don't believe in accidents. Miracles, they don't just happen by chance. As long as my God holds the world in His hands I know that there's no such thing as unplanned. Broken turns to beautiful, I see it right before my eyes, And every single breath you breathe Is destiny Love has brought to life. I thought it was my story's end, But now the future's all I see. Instead of asking who you might have been I'm wondering who you're gonna be. O, I don't believe in accidents... Every life des...

     I saw Unplanned for the first time last night. It's not a movie to make you comfortable, and I loved it. The acting is just a bit cheesy at some points, but don't let that keep you from seeing it, or distract you while watching it.     Prior to seeing Unplanned , I had seen Changing Sides , a documentary about Abby Johnson's conversion. It is excellent, as well, and increased my enjoyment of Unplanned . Changing Sides  is available from Ignatius Press, or on Formed.org  ($10 a month for a subscription, unless you're a member of a parish with a subscription, in which case it's free).      Watch it, please.

I was impressed by these paragraphs from my pharmacology textbook:      Pregnant and breast-feeding women may have both chronic diseases and acute problems that require drug therapy. In pregnancy the drug is really going to two people, so how the drug may affect the growing fetus is a consideration. The benefit of any drug to a pregnant patient must be carefully weighted against the possible (or potential) risk to the fetus. It is important for pregnant women to avoid as many drugs as possible, especially those drugs with teratogenic  potential (i.e., likely to cause malformations or damage in the embryo or fetus).       [...]      Factors such as what drug the mother takes, how much is taken, and the age of the fetus when the drug is taken are related to different types of malformations. Taking a drug during the first 2 weeks after conception (before implantation) results in an all-or-nothing affect. The ovum either dies of e...

Given by Fr. Kevin Drew of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri: On November 14 th , 1940, five-hundred and fifteen small twin-engine German bombers dropped 500 tons of explosive on the industrial city of Coventry, England. Two thirds of the city were damaged. There was such a high level of destruction that the German propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels later coined the term “coventried” when describing similar destruction in other enemy towns. “Coventried.”  The Coventry Cathedral, a soaring beautiful gothic cathedral built in the 14 th century was fire- bombed and destroyed that night in 1940. The next month, on Christmas the BBC ended a radio program by having people sing in the bombed-out ruins of the cathedral. The broadcast made popular once again an old lullaby with sad lyrics and a haunting melody known as the Coventry Carol. It was written back in the 1500’s as part of a nativity play, when England was still Catholic; before the tyrant King Henry VIII confi...