From a Convert's Heart

Discovered a new favorite blogger today...thanks Maryann.  Such great wisdom about conversion stories.  The road is truly narrow that lead's to God's door. Daily vigilance and perseverance in prayer are key to getting there.  PLUS (and I always pay attention to these pluses)--I have never heard of the venerable Matt Talbot...a great Irish alcoholic saint.  This is the 2nd time in as many days where his name has been thrown onto my path. There are no coincidences...the saints find us. 


Enjoy...  Abbey-Roads in case you want to follow  http://abbey-roads.blogspot.com/2011/06/something-about-conversion-stories.html


When you find unchanging peace on your way, then fear; because you are far from the right path by which the righteous go with suffering feet. - St. Isaac the Syrian

Conversion stories are edifying and oftentimes amazing.  Sensational sinners repent and come into the Church and the world stands in awe before the grace and mercy of God.  Frequently they demonstrate the efficacy of prayer and sacrifice, the sacraments, to effect such conversions.  Christ tells us in the Gospel heaven itself erupts in joy over just one sinner who repents.
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We must not be too ready to trust young men who have great devotion; we must wait till their wings are grown, and then see what sort of a flight they make. - St. Philip Neri

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In our times, the idea of conversion sometimes carries with it an expectation of honors - like the Prodigal Son's homecoming - celebrated with parties and gifts and even celebrity.  I sometimes get the impression that some Catholics have adopted the Protestant attitude of born-again Christians as regards the grace of conversion.  Many think you do it once and you are saved for life - and there is some sort of immediate reward, as least something as pleasant as a good 'approval rating'.  Especially when they write a blog or a book about it.  That can be a lot to live up to.
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A virtuous life consists in mortifying vices, sins, bad thoughts, and evil affections, and in exercising ourselves in the acquisition of holy virtues. - St. Philip Neri

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The reality is that conversion is an ongoing process wherein one never is immune from backsliding or relapse - especially when one's sin was habitual and sensual - Philip Neri said sins of sensuality and avarice are particularly hard to cure.  The Gospel tells us, 'how narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life', and that is just the road, the way that leads to life.  Thus one never arrives at some point in one's journey where one can say, "I'm healed and okay now.  I've arrived.  I will not fall back."  For many of us the struggle never ends.  Through the action of grace we may go 'from strength to strength' but we are always dependent upon God's grace and mercy, and we must deny ourselves each day and take up our cross to follow Christ, who was hassled and harried, scoffed at and despised and all of that stuff we think we know about him.
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We must never trust ourselves, for it is the devil’s way first to get us to feel secure, and then to make us fall. - St. Philip Neri

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Moral conversions which involve recovery from substance abuse or sexual addiction are not only hard fought, they can be very difficult to verify.  For example, the penitent St. Margaret Cortona was refused entrance into the Third Order of St. Francis for three years while the friars tested her virtue - and then suspicion of her virtue never ceased to plague her.  Another example, in our day, rarely if ever are moral cures recognized or accepted in the process for the canonization of saints.  This is no more evident than in the cause for Matt Talbot.  Numerous claims of moral cures and conversions (from addiction) are attributed to Talbot, yet none have been accepted as miraculous.  Perhaps a few could be accepted now if it could be established that a person persevered without relapse until death, but I don't know if any such case has been postulated so far.
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All sins are highly displeasing to God, but above all sensuality and avarice, which are very difficult to cure. - St. Philip Neri

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My point is that the devil delights in pulling us back into sin - the more dramatic the conversion, the bigger the convert, the greater the effort to snare him back - to make him 'return to his vomit' so that his 'last sin may be worse than the first'.  I sometimes think that is why the Lord permits some of us to keep falling into our former sins, so that we may become more and more humble, and by repenting, glorify his mercy that never gives up on us, 'for he knows we are but dust', weak and inconstant - our only constancy being our need for his mercy, for our conversion and our salvation is so unstable.  We need patience to do God's will.  Patience involves suffering.  And perseverance.
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He who cannot put up with the loss of his honour, can never make any advance in spiritual things. - St. Philip Neri

An Important Day for Pro-Life Legislation June 14...

The Arizona Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments tomorrow in Planned Parenthood Arizona v. Horne, a case the abortion business filed which challenges key aspects of the 2009 Abortion Consent Act.

The law is a pro-life measure Governor Jan Brewer signed which protects the health and safety of women and their preborn children and has proven to reduce abortions in other states by giving women information they don’t normally receive from an abortion center telling them of the risks associated with and alternatives to abortion. Planned Parenthood sued the state soon after its signing and a Superior Court judge blocked the law from taking effect while the case moves forward.

“If Planned Parenthood really cared about women’s rights, they’d support laws that allow women to make fully informed choices instead of going to court to tear them down,” said Aden. “The protection of women should not be on hold while the nation’s largest abortion purveyor ties things up in court.”

Read entire article at this link:  AZ Hearing on Abortion Law

Please offer prayers tomorrow for these initiatives.  Especially let us pray for the abortionists and their employees--that they may have a conversion of heart to see the sanctity and dignity of all human life from conception to natural death. 

Being an older (& wiser) student

Okay, I've been a bit remiss with my postings as of late.  We can trace this delinquent behavior to a pesky midterm exam I've been studying for.  It's hard to be an "older" student--and I use that term very loosely.  I prefer the term non-traditional though it does not usually describe me very well in other categories.

I do like being a student now though.  I take my studies much more seriously.  I avoid all of the nasty bad habits of my former youth such as "cramming, cheating, all-nighters, no-doze, bribing the prof, cluelessly picking "b" on multiple choice guess tests, oversleeping, writing on my arm, and forgetting all content 10 minutes after the exam because...who cares anyways?"

So when my proctor opened up the packet and plucked out 2 blue books (remember those?) I sort of had a flash back to those hellish days of yore.  Believe it or not, I have a recurring nightmare that I never earned my degree from Michigan State because of missing an exam.  Which led me down a little road of regret as I thought about all of the time I've wasted in my undergraduate "career".  I don't think I'm alone in this area.  I talk to a lot of grown ups who also had no clue what they wanted to be in college and recognized later that they wasted a lot of time and resources as no-preffers and professional or amateur party-animals.  Is this wasted time?  Well, yes....but no. Some of us need to run out of road before we hop on another. Rather than wallow in the sea of regret, I'd prefer to concentrate on what the college experience opened up for me...25+ years later.

*The value of prioritized vocations (I am a mom and a wife first...student follows these)
*A thirst for knowledge and the ability to critically analyze a subject
*A desire to focus on fields of study that are better suited to my passions
*A heartfelt commitment to take my real studies seriously
*I am suspect of any need to rush or hurry
*Awe and wonder in the epiphanies of learning
*A sincere gratitude to Almighty God for having any cognitive capacities left!

I'm so glad to be a 40-something college student. It makes me appreciate beautiful expressions of Truth like the below excerpt from my professor's text, of all places...

"The heart really should not be seen as something essentially inferior to intellect and will; the heart has its own fully spiritual forms and ought to be recogized as a dimension or a faculty of the human person in every way the equal of intellect and will"  (Dr. John Crosby, Franciscan University of Steubenville)

Top 10 Pro Choice Misconceptions (and how to refute them)

Ten Responses to Pro-Abortion Politicians

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

If you've ever written to a pro-abortion politician about the right to life, you've probably received a form letter that utilizes one of several worn-out arguments. Let's review how we answer them.

1. "I respect your views, but I have to represent all the people." Our response: That's what we're trying to say to you. If you neglect the unborn, you are not representing all the people. Roe vs. Wade excludes them from protection; we demand that they be included. A public servant cannot legitimately ignore an entire segment of the public that is being destroyed.

2. "I'm personally opposed to abortion, but can't impose my views on others." Our response: This is not a matter of views, but of violence. The law is supposed to protect human life despite the views of those who would destroy it.

3. "The government should not be involved in such a personal decision as abortion." Our response: The government got "too involved" in abortion when it claimed to have the authority to deprive some human beings of their right to life. The Declaration of Independence asserts that government exists to secure the rights already bestowed by the Creator. Moreover, when somebody's "choice" destroys somebody else's life, that choice is no longer merely a personal, private matter.

4. "Legislators should not be practicing medicine." Our response: We're not asking you to practice medicine, but to prevent the abuse of medicine. The practice of medicine is regulated by all kinds of laws that protect the lives of patients. All we ask is that the unborn be included in that protection.

5. "Abortion is the law of the land." Our response: The "law of the land" can be changed, just as it was changed regarding slavery and segregation. Leadership means seeing the injustices that others miss, and inspiring people to utilize the methods the law permits to make necessary changes.

6. "I support women's rights and health." Our response: That is precisely why you should examine the evidence, which is more plentiful than ever, that abortion is destructive of women's health, and listen to the growing voices of those who have been harmed by abortion. That is also why you should examine how the abortion industry, through unregulated and dangerous clinics, continues to deceive and exploit women.

7. "Abortion is just one of many issues; I embrace a consistent ethic of life." Our response: The foundation of a house is only one of many parts of the house, but it is essential in order to build the other parts. That is why the Catholic bishops have repeatedly asserted that among the many interrelated issues within a consistent ethic, abortion deserves "urgent attention and priority " (Pastoral Plan, 2001).

8. "My office does not involve any decision-making about abortion." Our response: Your position on abortion says a lot about your character and worldview. If you cannot stand up for the smallest of children, how will you stand up for the rest of us?

9. "Let's just agree to disagree." Our response: We have the greatest respect for those who disagree with us. But when victims are oppressed, we don't sit back and "agree to disagree" with the oppressor. Rather, we intervene to save the victim. Abortion is not about beliefs; it's about bloodshed. Those who need protection need it despite the disagreement of others.

10. Finally, always use the best response to all the arguments: I vote!

Eggsploitation - very weird science

The infertility industry in the US has grown into a multi billion dollar industry. What is its main commodity?

Human Eggs.

Center for Arizona Policy is hosting the documentary an informative panel discussion after the viewing featuring folks from CAP, Bioethics Defense Fund and Alliance Defense Fund.

This is something you won't want to miss.

RSVP and details available at the attached link

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/A-critical-message-for-all-young--college-age-women.html?soid=1011047932616&aid=J2Zd0eaeEyY