Fasting and Feminism

The USCCB has asked the faithful to spend a day of fasting and prayer focusing on the dismal HHS Contraception Mandate which denies our religious freedom. I don't know about you, but I hate fasting. I do believe that it is my least favorite penance, but I do fully comprehend that graces that come with it. And even though I don't like it, I do it anyway. It brings us closer to God and it makes me even more thankful for everything that we have.

Last Saturday I was flipping through the channels and I came across a documentary on Gloria Steinem. It was actually an interesting documentary. I never heard of her before and it really showed me how the radical 1960's -1970's 'feminism' came into play. I put the word feminism in quotes because that radical movement is no where close to what real feminism is, so I will continue to put it in quotes when I refer to faux 'feminism'.

Steinem was a journalist, and one of her first stories when she started to come on to the scene was to go behind the scenes of the new Playboy franchise to document the life of a Playboy bunny. Now, I will say one thing: she was right about the fact that companies like Playboy degrade and exploit women purely for male pleasure. However, she took this very basic thought and just ran wild with it.
To her and her comrades, women had to become like men in order to be successful. She was one of the key 'feminist' figures who fought for contraceptive and abortion laws. Therefore, in order to be women of worth, we have to deny our natural reproductive system and look at motherhood as a thing to be avoided at all costs.

Jean Brennan, who was influenced by the radical 'feminist' movement and has now spoken out against it, said that this movement had a very dangerous agenda that pitted women against their own husbands and children. She called the movement very self-centered. Which it was, and in some ways, still is.
What is the rally cry for the Pro-Choice movement? My body, my choice. None of them take into consideration the body or choice of the child growing in the womb.

The original feminists were actually Pro-Life! Did you know that?



Susan B. Anthony said, "No matter what the motive, love of ease, or a desire to save from suffering the unborn innocent, the woman is awfully guilty who commits the deed. It will burden her conscience in life, it will burden her soul in death; But oh, thrice guilty is he who drove her to the desperation which impelled her to the crime!"

Alice Paul said, "Abortion is the ultimate exploitation of women."

Virginia Woodhull said, "Every woman knows that if she were free, she would never bear an unwished-for child, nor think of murdering one before its birth."

The 'feminist' movement from the 60's and 70's only want to suppress real womanhood and turn women into men. We should embrace our femininity in all of it's glorious aspects. Instead of suppressing our fertility, we should embrace it and work with it! That is why I love Natural Family Planning. I am working with my natural system to plan my family with my husband. I am a woman and I am 100% happy with who I am. Naturally!  





Anxiety!

Ugh...the pain of waiting. I know that they say that patience is a virtue, but when it comes to finding out if you're pregnant with your first child I say that patience is in short supply. At least in my case. In the meantime I have basically been reading everything that I can find on the internet about pregnancy and early pregnancy symptoms. Yet, it seems to me the early pregnancy symptoms are a lot like PMS. I am praying that God will grant me patience, but still, this is all that I can think about.

Lots of things are running through my mind: names, baby supplies, what colour should I paint the nursery walls, can I take headache medicine, I've given up alcohol for Lent, it may be another 9 months before I can have wine again, maternity clothes, doctors, etc. Funny thing, when I went to the grocery store last night to pick up some yogurt (because I think I should increase my calcium intake) someone left coupons for baby wipes at the self-checkout coupon printer. Is that some sort of sign? Needless to say I did take the coupon just in case.

So, if anyone reads my blog, could you please pray that God will grant me patience during the 2ww (2 week wait)? It would be greatly appreciated.
I'll be off to Bible Study tonight to hopefully take my mind off of things and focus me more on God.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis!

Possibly Pregnant?

Ok, I know that it is waaaaayyyyy too early to tell. The hubby and I have been actively avoiding pregnancy until after I graduate, which is May 5th. For some reason he has always been afraid that I would not finish graduate school if we got pregnant, and he wants to make sure I finish. Well, now we are only a little more than a month away of me finishing school. He shocks me the other day, knowing full well that I am at peak fertility, and he is completely ok with it. He doesn't mind if we get pregnant. So, it seems that we've come to the point that we are going to stop actively avoiding pregnancy.

Like I said, this came as a shock to me. Now I am almost paranoid and I am taking every gurgling and twinge my body makes as a sign of pregnancy. It is way too early to start testing. My period shouldn't start for about 13 days, that means I shouldn't even use the early pregnancy tests for about another 10 days. Ugh...the next few days are going to be excruciating!!!!!!!

Bible Study

I went to my first Bible Study last night. I've been wanting to go for a long time, but it coincides with one of my graduate classes. Since it's spring break, I took the opportunity to go experience it. I'm so happy that I did. It was a great experience! The group is geared towards young adults, but it is advanced enough for adults as well. I think that it is great that the leader of this group, Brandon, focuses on trying to reach out to the younger generation since their evangelization is integral to the future of the church.

There were only 11 of us there, so that meant it was a nice intimate experience. We focused John 3: 14-21. Of course everyone knows John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life." (NAB) But the verses that stuck out to me was actually verses 20-21, "For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God."

How many times have we seen people who are admonished in their sin become defensive then turn away? No one likes to be told that they are doing wrong, but we are all sinners and we need to recognize that. We also need to recognize that if we truly turn our lives to God, we will recognize our sins and weaknesses then take turns to correct them. As opposed to those who are not fully turned to God find no fault with their actions or they try to justify them in various ways. We cannot justify sin.

I am reminded of Father Robert Barron who, in his documentary Catholicism, describes saints as those who are turned to the light. Take someone who is driving their car toward the sun, they can see all the dirt and smears reflected on the surface of their windshield and they take note to clean it so that they can see. However, someone who is driving their car away from the sun will not see the dirt and smears and think their vision is fine.

If we are turned to God we cannot help but see our flaws. And we are flawed. Even the saints were flawed. But this difference is if we recognize our flaws and take action to correct them. I know that I have issues with sin. I think my biggest fault is judging others. Sometimes the things that go through my mind shock even me! I keep praying that God will teach me humility so that I may stop being so judgemental.

The World Keeps Turning

Yes, I have been very quiet these past four months on the blogosphere, but I have been very busy elsewhere. Classes are keeping me busy this final semester and I will be eternally thankful when May 5th comes around (That's graduation day!). I've also been very active in the world of Facebook and writing letters to various people and organizations.

I am not going to write this blog post about the HHS mandate. EVERYONE in the Catholic world knows about it and it has been the main topic ever since January 20th. My views are obvious; I am vehemently against it, and I have been writing to everyone I can think of expressing my opinion in this matter. I have also been vigorously defending my views and the Catholic faith on the social networks. I believe that the topic has been exhausted and I have nothing new to add to the debate. At least at this point in time.

These past few months have actually been a little disheartening. Listening to people bash my faith has almost made me lose heart. And the fact that there are so many people out there who identify as Catholic yet don't understand why the Church teaches what she teaches proves beyond a doubt that we are reaping the results of a self-inflicted wound. Granted, I did not go to CCD when I was a kid because I attended Catholic school, but the teachings about things like contraception and homosexuality need to be pressed more in Catholic education. Priests need to address it from the pulpit, CCD teachers need to talk about it in Confirmation classes, seminars need to be offered to educate the Catholic population, and it must be a requirement in Pre-Cana classes. The reason why 85% of Catholics (Don't let the faux White House statistics fool you) don't find anything wrong with contraception is because they have not been fully taught and they are falling prey to society's secular views.

I have had to stand firm in my faith these past view months and openly express my beliefs to show the world that there are strong Catholic women who practice their faith. We cannot be silent any more. The secular world wants the faithful to worship in private and not bring their faith to the public sphere. Listen to the wording the Obama Administration uses: Freedom of worship. They're saying 'Yeah, you can worship however you want, just don't practice your faith publically'.

This is where I had to make a stand. I've gotten into some long debates, some civil, some not, and I've lost some friends over it. But, when someone refuses to hear the Word, sometimes you have to shake the dust from your sandals and move on.

I became so disheartened that I actually decided to give up Facebook for Lent. I was spending too much time online that I felt I was neglecting my prayer life. My husband did not agree with my giving up Facebook because he thought that my evangelizing the culture was a good things, and that I was doing God's work. However, our Deacon agreed with me and said that taking this time for prayer and reflection would be beneficial.

I'll admit, giving up Facebook has been harder than I thought. I never realized that it is how I keep up with my family and friends as well as how I keep up with the news. Yes, I actually get most of my news from Facebook! I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

I am using the extra time to catch up on school work, and do things like read the Bible, pray, and learn more about my faith. That is what Lent is about: penance and prayer. But, when Sunday's come around I am back on Facebook catching up with friends and making sure everyone knows where I stand on issues. Gotta love Sunday's!