WARNING READ WITH CAUTION...THIS POST MAY CAUSE YOU TO CHANGE YOUR THINKING!

If you are looking for a fun post today, do yourself a favor, go to someone else's blog.

What you are about to read here is long, serious, controversial, and heartfelt.

Proceed with caution!

You have been warned!

Still here?

Okay, you asked for it.

Here Goes:

For almost 40 years of my life I was told I was an accident. My conception was the result of a bad fitting diaphragm. I know I must have learned about those in health class in public high school, but, I truly would not recognize one if I saw it. I believe it is a little cup like apparatus, but I could be wrong.

To add to the fact that I was "an accident," I was also born with several physical deformities, some of which (the ones in my heart) I did not even find out about until I was 38 years old. Currently, I am on 3 different heart meds and must be tested several times a year...in the future I may need corrective heart surgery...but, for now, the meds seem to be doing the job.

I was an "accident" to my mother; but, as I have told her time and time again, an "on-purpose" to God...a SURPRISE...a GIFT from heaven!



That is me, in the picture above, circa 1963.

Very possibly, if my accidental conception had occurred in the last thirty or so years in Wichita, Kansas, and Dr. Tiller was my mother's doctor, I would not be alive today. With ultrasound technology, he probably would have seen the missing ankle and toes, and partial foot; possibly recognized sooner the malformations of my heart and valves and would have suggested that my life would be difficult...that I was not viable.

I won't lie to you, my life hasn't been easy. As you can see, I wore a big metal brace on my right leg. I had one for day and one for night. They grew as I grew. Unfortunately, wearing that brace 24/7 was akin to binding my foot and leg and so, by the time I was ten years old there was about a 3-4 inch difference in leg length.

I was looking at old home movies the other night, and the limp I had as a child was almost unbearable to watch.

So, at ten years old I had major surgery on my left leg. The knee was removed and replaced upside down, and stapled back in so as to stunt the growth in that leg in the hopes, that the right leg would eventually catch up. To this day I have long scars on either side of my left knee (my mother called them railroad tracks). Today, I have less than an inch difference in leg length. I still need to buy two vastly different size shoes and have a lift put on the right shoe; I still walk with a limp.

As I grow older, I have more pain and difficulty; but, I have not worn a metal brace since I was 14 years old!!

When it was time to enter first grade, I had to meet with the pastor before being admitted. I realized much later, that he was probably trying to determine if the brace on my leg somehow constricted my brain. Since that was not the case, I was admitted and have always done well in academia.

My father's motto was: "If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing well."

That lesson has served me for 48 years.

When the weather would get humid, the screws on either side of the brace would squeak when I walked. Sometimes, the big bolts on either side of the ankle would rub against my skin and cause painful welts. In the summer especially, perspiration would become trapped under the leather band that held the brace in place just under my knee, and I would develop a painful rash.

Between the brace and the large difference in leg length, I made quite a distinctive sound when I limped around elementary school. The kids would say: "Clickety clack, clickety clack, when you hear that you know it's Malack."

It's almost funny now, but back then, I wanted more than anything else in the world to be like those other kids. I was probably the only child in history who would have given anything in the world to get to go to gym, and wear those ugly green gym uniforms, rather than sit in the office or work in the library!

Because we wore uniform jumpers, and even when school was not in session my mother loved to put me in frilly dresses, my brace was almost always exposed. Grown people would stare at me ALL THE TIME. My mother would tell me they were ignorant and to ignore them.

As a child, I wanted nothing more than to throw that darn brace away and wake up one morning with a magically healed leg and foot (the miracles at Lourdes, held such promise for me), a closet filled with beautiful one size shoes (instead of those Herman Munster shoes, as I referred to them), beautiful long silky blond hair, and a great singing voice!

YEA...SO...MY...CHILDHOOD...WASN'T...PERFECT.

WAS YOURS?

Was YOUR figure perfect?

YOUR hair just right?

YOUR face clear of pimples?

Of course not!

So, who is to say BEFORE a child is born that his or her life is not worth living?

NOT me, NOT you, NOT a doctor, NOT ANYONE!!

So, how do we fix it?

Do we fix it by plastering, all over the Internet and outside abortion clinics, pictures of dead, decapitated babies (whose skulls have been crushed)?

Do we fix it by picketing abortion clinics and holding candlelight vigils outside, while we call to the woman entering and harass her as she is making probably the hardest decision of her whole entire life?

NO, I DON'T THINK SO!

BY THAT POINT, IT IS TOO LATE!!

When those horrible pictures come out...some of the same pictures I might add, that so many detractors of Dr. Tiller decry...Respect Life people appear as ghouls!

When women are called to from the street as they enter a LEGAL CLINIC, Respect Life people appear uncaring and harassing!

I have had many a woman come to my office over the years, and cry her heart out to me because she felt she had no one, and nowhere to turn when she had found herself pregnant, years earlier; and, ultimately with heavy heart, knowing she was excommunicating herself from her Church, nonetheless, decided on abortion.

I have had moms whose teenage daughters became pregnant, come and tell me that other teenage girls, after they found out the pregnancy was going to term, crushed out their lit cigarettes on the daughter's extended belly, all the while telling her to get an abortion. It's no big deal, they have had more than one!

TEENS AND PRE-TEENS ARE SAYING THIS!!

SEX IS NO BIG DEAL TO THEM!!

LIFE IS NO BIG DEAL TO THEM!!!

REACTION IS NOT THE ANSWER!

EDUCATION, COMPASSION, EDUCATION(Yes, I know I wrote that twice), PRIVATELY FUNDED ALTERNATIVES, COMPASSION, EDUCATION, and PRIVATELY FUNDED ALTERNATIVES ARE THE ANSWERS!!

Thirteen days ago, I wrote in this very space:

We have forgotten that a zygote, an embryo, a fetus, or any other scientific name you would prefer to use rather than BABY, carries with it this definition: a living organism, i.e. LIFE, growing under a woman's heart!

UNDER HER HEART!!!

If every little girl was taught from the earliest age, that babies grow under her heart maybe, just maybe, attitudes would change.

The time is NOW!

The NEED is GREAT!

Respect Life people: WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?

I can only do so much with the one hour a week, from September through April, my catechists and I get with the boys and girls!

We need YOU to fund alternatives that WE can talk about!

We need YOU to come up with curriculum, under the auspices of the Magisterium that WE can teach...not only in the parish and parochial schools, but also to be used as special assemblies and workshops in the public schools!

We need YOU to PRAY for every little girl in the world that she may grow up to value the priceless GIFT that God gives when HE gives us LIFE!!

WE NEED IT NOW!

WHAT are WE waiting for???

"FATHER, FORGIVE THEM THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO"

Wow!

On the Feast of Pentecost, a feast dedicated to the gifts of the Holy Spirit sent to the First Apostles from the risen and ascended Christ, gifts that include wisdom, understanding, and right judgment, a child of God, serving as an usher in his Lutheran church, was gunned down in cold blood!

GUNNED DOWN IN COLD BLOOD!!!!

Read that sentence again, slowly and purposefully:

A CHILD OF GOD WAS GUNNED DOWN IN COLD BLOOD!!!

And, this was done in a place meant to be one of peace, fellowship, and community...HIS CHURCH.

There is NO excuse for this...NO valid explanation...NO rationale.

Another child of God, today decided he was not satisfied with simply being a CHILD of God...he too, wanted to BE God.

And, the result now is that two families, the faith community, the Wichita, Kansas community, the Pro-Choice community, the Pro-Life community, and our entire country have been thrown into devastation and turmoil.

There is much blame to go around for ALL. Many tears will and should be shed by ALL over this unspeakable act.

I have written in this space before that "We will NEVER win the fight against abortion if our motives and our methods are not PURE."

WHEN WILL WE LEARN??

"WHO CARES ABOUT THE SAINTS?"

Today, I received a flyer in the mail about a new DVD based on Father James Martin's bestselling book: "My Life With the Saints."

The DVD is called: "Who Cares About The Saints?" It consists of 12 episodes on the lives of: The Blessed Mother, Joseph, Peter, Francis of Assisi, Joan of Arc, Ignatius Loyola, Bernadette Soubirous, Therese of Liseux, Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Mother Teresa, and Pope John XXIII.

I went to the website and found Father James Martin, SJ.

Affable, humorous, warm and inviting, Father Martin and Loyola Productions have made a DVD that will be a wonderful addition to any parish, school, or home video collection.

I ordered my copy this afternoon.







If you enjoyed these snippets from the DVD visit WHO CARES ABOUT THE SAINTS?

ALWAYS REMEMBER...NEVER FORGET...OUR FREEDOM DOES NOT COME WITHOUT COST!

Today is Memorial Day. This weekend traditionally marks the beginning of summer. As you enjoy the beach, picnics, barbecues, reunions with friends and relatives, etc., please do not forget the original purpose of this day: to remember and pray for the brave men and women who have fought and died in unspeakable atrocity to keep us safe here at home.

Whatever your beliefs about war, those men and women called to service by our government need and deserve our prayers and respect. Please take a moment, today at 3PM to say a special prayer for those who have died so we can live free. Take another moment to pray for our soldiers putting their lives on the line right now. Pray that they may all return home to their families and friends safely and in one piece. Lastly, pray for peace in our time, so our children may never know firsthand the atrocities of war.



To my own Uncle Lou,
I never knew you. Long before I was born, on 25 June 1944 you died a hero in France. Buried there by our government, you did not come home to rest until 1948. What a journey you had in life and too, in death. I pray for you this day and all your fallen comrades, then and now, who gave their all so we may live free.

"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

"SMILE, SMILE, SMILE...YOU'LL FORGET ABOUT ALL YOUR TRIALS!"

Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. ~Mother Teresa

Rev. Bosco Peters (@Liturgy on Twitter) alerted us all to this wonderful short film called Validation.

Go on, SMILE, you may never know what it means to the person on the other side of it!



Peace begins with a smile. ~Mother Teresa

MY MORNING PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Your humble servant comes before you imperfect in spirit, mind, and body.
Yet, I am ready, willing, and, with the power of your grace, able to do your will.

Fill me up, Lord, pressed down and overflowing.
Use me, Lord, to glorify your name and lead your people home to you,
today, tomorrow and as long as I shall live.

This I ask through your Son our Lord, Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.

Amen.

IS IT A "NEED" OR MERELY A "WANT?" IT REALLY MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE!

This week, I have found myself saying over and over again: "If we would just set our priorities straight, and properly distinguish between what we NEED and what we simply WANT, the world would be a better place!!"

Over the last couple of weekends 90 boys and girls received First Holy Communion. Next weekend 5 more boys and girls in our Spanish community will receive for the first time as well.

The pastor requests that the congregation refrain from taking pictures during the mass. We have a photographer who takes a picture of each child as father elevates the host in front of them. Usually, this goes very smoothly and after the pictures are taken, I crop them and bring them to our local wholesale club where I purchase 3 5x7 pictures of each child. These are presented to the families with the certificates and crosses at the parish celebration we hold for the children the weekend after first communions.

Unfortunately, this year, the photographer had equipment problems. Our pastor and the photographer were very accommodating, and new pictures were taken of the children affected by the malfunction, at the parish celebration mass. After mass, when everyone went downstairs for coffee and cake, and to pick up the pictures and certificates, I found out that one child's pictures were missing.

I told the mom, who was very upset, that I had all the pictures on the disk the photographer had given me and, we could look through that during the week to find her child. She wanted to do it then and there Saturday evening. The problem was I don't have the software in my office to work on the pictures. That is something I do in my spare time at home. Hence, the disk was not at church with me.

Mom was not a happy camper, to say the least.

I brought the disk in on Monday, and on Tuesday morning mom came in to the secretary, but, unfortunately, there was no picture of her child on the disk. When I got into the office, there was a voicemail message from a very annoyed mom saying she "NEEDED" the picture of her son!?

I really do understand mom's frustration; however, we NEED God, we NEED sustenance, we NEED relationship, we NEED love, we NEED a roof over our head, we NEED a job to sustain ourselves...we DO NOT NEED PICTURES.

Mom WANTS a picture...I understand the desire; but, NEED is a strong term used indiscriminately in our day to day life.

Today, I did come up with a solution with dad, and with the pastor's help we will recreate the original scene and mom will get a picture. No problem really, and such a small thing to get so worked up over.

Now, last night I held our End of the Year Catechist meeting. Again, I was reminded of how we skew "NEED" and "WANT" in our day to day lives.

I teach the Level 8 Confirmation class. It has been this way for 8 years and, I have no plan of changing it any time soon. I enjoy working with the boys and girls and, more importantly I know that I get through to them.

So, in preparation for last night's meeting, I put together the Level 8 calendar and syllabus. Because, our celebration of Confirmation will be held in March, I arranged with our Music Minister for a music rehearsal at one of our last classes. I also have a CD of the music we use in the celebration that I play each week as the boys and girls gather to help familiarize them with the music.

Mostly, however, I teach the boys and girls about the virtues, the Acts of Mercy, respect life issues, social justice issues, and chastity. Level 8 is a well rounded faith experience for our young people complete with guest speakers, retreat, and my favorite experience: The Hunger Banquet.

After I had distributed the calendar, one of the catechists walked over to another and began a hushed exchange. Soon, she turned to me and said: "We just changed your schedule!"

My reply was, "No, You Did Not!"

The catechist explained that we would be singing with the boys and girls each week so that on the day of Confirmation they would know the songs.

(REALLY, WE WOULD?!? Quite a declaration from a person who will be facilitating Level 8 for the very first time...has no clue as to how the program is organized...and, oh yes...IS NOT THE DRE!!)

I told her and her compatriot that we would NOT. That class is 45 minutes long, and I have much to impart to the boys and girls in that limited amount of time.

Again, what is NEEDED and what is WANTED are two very different things.

Part of the problem, is time; part of the problem is that the boys and girls are not interested in singing...are not members of their school chorus...and, most importantly are at an age where they do not want to appear foolish in front of their peers.

I understand this; apparently, my catechist has forgotten how difficult it is to be in eighth grade.

The other part of the problem is the same as the problem I see with weddings: I am preparing the boys and girls for a life of confirmed faith NOT a one hour celebration where they smile, or in this case sing "purty" and get big bucks at the party afterward!!

While I too, might WANT to hear the boys and girls sing as if they were in High School Musical XXVIII, we do NOT NEED for them to perfectly lift their voices in song.

What we NEED is for them to lift their lives in service as committed, confirmed Catholic young people!

That will not be accomplished by replacing sound faith formation with singing lessons.

The difference between "NEED" and "WANT" is really very simple; and yet, it is an unclear understanding of this difference that colors our vision of our world, each other, and our faith!

So, how are YOU doing today?

Are YOU struggling to attain your NEEDS?

Or, could YOU make your life easier with a reevaluation of your WANTS?

It really is THAT SIMPLE!!

"COME HOLY SPIRIT, FILL THE HEARTS OF YOUR FAITHFUL AND KINDLE IN THEM THE FIRE OF YOUR LOVE..."

This Thursday, we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension. On the fortieth day after Easter, we remember Jesus being taken up to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51, and Acts 1:2,9).

Before He went, Jesus told the disciples that He would send The Holy Spirit to guide them on their appointed mission. Jesus instructed the disciples to devote themselves to prayer.

After Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples went, from what Tradition tells us is Mount Olivet, back to Jerusalem and the Upper Room. It is there that they waited and prayed for nine days, until The Holy Spirit descended upon them with the gifts they needed to carry out the work for which Jesus had chosen them. It is from these nine days in the Upper Room that the popular devotion of novena arose.

A novena is nine days of public or private prayer requesting special graces. This Friday, many of us will follow in the prayer-steps of the first disciples and begin the Novena to The Holy Spirit in anticipation of the Feast of Pentecost.

Won't YOU join us?
NOVENA TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

WHY "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES" HAD ME FEELING DESPERATE LAST NIGHT

Last night on "Desperate Housewives," Lynette Scavo thought she may be having a recurrence of cancer. We watched her make an appointment with her doctor, and then we saw her in the doctor's office awaiting the results of her tests.

When the doctor came in, and told her they had found something, she was distraught.

The following exchange took place:

Lynette: "The cancer is back, isn't it?"

Doctor: "No, the cancer isn't back. You are pregnant."

Lynette (even more distraught now): "I'm pregnant?! Are you sure the cancer isn't back?"

This exchange pointed out to me once again how warped our society has truly become.

We have forgotten that a zygote, an embryo, a fetus, or any other scientific name you would prefer to use rather than BABY, carries with it this definition: a living organism, i.e. LIFE, growing under a woman's heart!

UNDER HER HEART!!!

If every little girl was taught from the earliest age, that babies grow under her heart maybe, just maybe, attitudes would change.

Maybe, abortion on demand would become a thing of the past.

Maybe, abusive mothers would become extinct.

Maybe, screenwriters would not write words that suggest cancer is preferable to pregnancy.

Maybe, respect for life in ALL its forms from conception to natural death, would be a way of life in our world, and not just a seemingly impossible dream!

MAYBE...JUST MAYBE.

A MORALITY LESSON AT THE LOCAL WHOLESALE CLUB

On Sunday afternoon, I went to our local wholesale club. I needed to order a sheet cake for the celebration we are having Saturday for all our First Communicants. The boys and girls come back for 5PM Mass, father gives them a special blessing, and they receive a cross and their certificates. Because we have our First Communion celebrations in separate masses, it is a way for the entire parish family to celebrate with the children. Mass will be packed!

While I was at the wholesale club on Sunday, I picked up a few things for my family. The parish pays for my club membership. Ninety percent of the purchases I make are parish related, so the club card has a tax exempt feature. Sunday, I did not have any purchases for the parish so I told the cashier that the items were not tax exempt. He was training but I watched him push the button.

The cashier proceeded to ring up my items and then gave me the total. I wrote a check and when I received my receipt began to walk away. The cashier told me I needed to sign the tax exempt form. I reminded him that my order was NOT tax exempt and that I could not sign. He told the trainer that I did say at the start that the items were not tax exempt; and, that he pushed the button.

I told the trainer that I could not sign. That we would have to void the sale and begin again. That I must pay sales tax. The trainer called a manager over. The manager asked if it would be okay if he cancelled the two items that were taxable and ring them up separately. That sounded reasonable, until he told me to sign the tax exempt form!

I explained that I could not sign the tax exempt form because the purchases were not tax exempt...they were personal. He told me the only way to fix the problem was for me to sign the form. I refused. I told him that if I signed the form I would be signing my name to a lie...that my name is my bond...and I would not do that.

The manager became incensed at me. He told me the way to solve the problem was to sign. I told him that he would have to find another way...VOID the sale and begin again. He again told me to sign. Of course, by now the line behind me was very long. People were craning their necks to watch and listen to our exchange.

I told the manager that he was asking me to do something immoral by signing that form. He was incredulous. He told me it was not immoral to sign the form. He muttered something about sex having nothing to do with signing that form. I explained that saying my purchases were tax exempt, when in fact they were not, was lying; and, lying is a sin. That abusing the privilege I was given with that card by purchasing personal items and not paying tax, was a sin. And, that SIN IS IMMORAL.

The manager angrily pushed some buttons...gave me back the check I had given the cashier...and, angrily told me that I should tell them at work that they should take the exempt feature off my card! I explained that I mostly use the card for exempt purchases, and that NO they would not be taking that feature off the card. He stomped away in a fit of anger.

I feel very badly for him. He is still clueless that immorality is not limited to sexual improprieties but is sin in all it's varied forms.

As for the new cashier...after, my order was re-rung and a new check issued, I told him to remember me...that I was probably the only person he would ever meet in his new job that would insist he charge them MORE! And, that's really very sad!

I received the following e-mail this evening on this very topic. My question is simply this:

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you."

The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."

One man, named Tom, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.

After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Tom kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Tom didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by -- still nothing in Tom's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Tom didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - he so wanted the seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Tom told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Tom felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.

He took his empty pot to the board room. When Tom arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Tom put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Tom just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Tom at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Tom was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"

When Tom got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed -Tom told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Tom. He looked at Tom, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Tom!"

Tom couldn't believe it. Tom couldn't even grow his seed. "How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Tom, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Tom was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment.

* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective.

* If you plant hard work, you will reap success.

* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.

* If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest.


What are you reaping, today?

What would you like to reap?

To get it what do you have to sow?

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

POPE BENEDICT XVI ADDRESSING CROWD IN JERUSALEM

May We See Peace In The Middle East During Our Lifetime,
We Pray To The Lord...

Lord, Hear Our Prayer.