Why, on this Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, when the Catholic Church across the United States joins in a collective cry for the dignity of all life, does Bishop Zurek insist on reserving the diocesan Respect Life Mass for this coming Saturday, prohibiting any other activity❓ Should not every parish in the diocese be encouraged to offer a Respect Life Mass today, emphasizing the Church’s unified prayer for the unborn❓ Is his focus on reverencing the unborn or “Deacons, Priests and especially” himself as per his observation at the National Eucharistic Conference last summer❓ “Looking around at them #with anger,” I ask, what message is truly being sent❓
Gospel
Jesus entered the synagogue.
There was a man there who had a withered hand.
They watched Jesus closely
to see if he would cure him on the sabbath
so that they might accuse him.
He said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up here before us.”
Then he said to the Pharisees,
“Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
But they remained silent.
Looking around at them with anger
and grieved at their hardness of heart,
Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
He stretched it out and his hand was restored.
The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel
with the Herodians against him to put him to death.
Lectio Divina Reflection on “Looking around at them with anger“
The call to prayer for the legal protection of unborn children resonates deeply, connecting our shared faith with the responsibility to uphold human dignity. Yet, with all the emphasis placed on a single Respect Life Mass this coming Saturday, I wonder if we are missing an opportunity to unite our entire diocese today in prayer and action. Should not this day itself, set aside for this solemn intention, be one filled with Masses in every parish, lifting up the voices of the faithful for the most vulnerable among us❓
With the wisdom of Pope Francis in Laudato Si’, we are reminded that everything is interconnected—the cry of the unborn cannot be separated from the cry of the poor or the cry of creation. When Bishop Zurek prohibits other activities to ensure attendance at a single diocesan event, I feel a disconnect with the broader call to action. Are we fostering unity with the faithful or inadvertently prioritizing form over substance❓
the Churches from now on to make choices consistent with what is stated in it. The local
Churches and groupings of Churches are now called upon to implement, in their different
contexts, the authoritative proposals contained in the Document through the processes of
discernment and decision-making provided for by law and by the Document itself.
I think about how parishes across the country today are holding Masses, praying for the unborn, and how each small gathering adds to a nationwide movement of faith and hope. With each parish contributing in its own way, the tapestry of our Church becomes richer. Why, then, does our diocese centralize everything into one event later in the week, rather than empowering parishes to participate fully in this sacred day❓
0:42
to date with a bunch of February daises
1:34
with whom you live and Reign One God
2:40
everything that has to do with vocations
3:58
connected me with Father Bush and so I
5:48
this predicament is to help them with
8:42
getting married within the next 3 to six
8:55
involved with Totus Tuus we didn’t get
9:21
co-coordinator with Mallorie Heinen who
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happen with prayer and depending on God
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usual and have 14 Parishes uh with Totus
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needs to be done and pray for moms with
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touch with Deacon Daryl Dixon
14:35
dance with music from DJ shap and Darian
14:40
a game with prizes and a drawing for a
14:43
door prizes now in conjunction with the
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auction get in touch with Dr Jack
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get in touch with Larry gray
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up at 6 with Mass and vow renewal for
19:47
auction and a drawing with numerous
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activity started 6 with a holy hour of
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in touch with event chair Jayla Wilhelm
My Livestock Guardian Dogs remind me how care and attention are multiplied when shared. With each small act of kindness and stewardship, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Shouldn’t the Respect Life Masses follow this principle, distributed across the diocese to allow each community to contribute, rather than gathered into one centralized display❓
As I ponder these thoughts, I ask myself whether this approach truly serves the unborn, or whether it serves to spotlight a singular event at the cost of grassroots prayer and participation. If Christ looked around at us today, would He see our efforts as unified and humble, or would He ask, “Why are you missing the heart of the matter❓” I can only wonder,…
When we fail to acknowledge as part of reality the worth of a poor person, a human embryo, a person with disabilities – to offer just a few examples – it becomes difficult to hear the cry of nature itself; everything is connected.
FROM PARAGRAPH 117 of ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME
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