"Behold the turtle, it only moves forward when it sticks its neck out." -Jason
These words were spoken by my husband on our phone call this morning. The original quote was from James Bryant Conant. This morning, I took Andrew on a walk by the Potomac River. I was talking to Jason while pushing the stroller when I stumbled upon a turtle in the middle of the path. We were discussing the logistics of the afternoon; one child has a doctors appointment, one child has cross country practice and the other child will be catching a nap in his carseat. Having three children, we certainly stick our neck out so that we can move forward and make progress on this path of life. This past summer, we had reunions on my side of the family and on Jason's side. It was delightful to see the cousins play together and to watch my children spend time with their long distance relatives from Colorado, Montana and Michigan. During these reunions, I was reminded of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity is a community of persons. Family reunions are also a community of persons. Community has been a huge factor in our lives lately. Our community has certainly stuck its neck out for us when we needed it. Last week, Andrew celebrated his first birthday. I was able to reflect at what we had gone through in those 12 months. He was hospitalized at two NICU's, he pulled through abdominal surgery where part of his colon was removed when he was 15 days old, and I was hospitalized for gastroparesis attacks for over three months. Not to mention, both of my parents also had major operations. It was a tough, tough year. But we stuck our neck out, held our head high, and spent a lot of time on our knees with prayer on our lips and in our hearts. There is no way that we could have survived without the prayer and support of our community. And we are all the stronger for it. When I go through life changing moments such as these, I always want to shout from the rooftops how great my God is. During the trying times, God has strengthened my marriage and has been by our side. Words cannot express the amount of times that I have felt Jesus' unyielding presence. I always feel Him closer through times of suffering. Today is the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. September 11, 2001 was a horrid time for our country. The first responders and military certainly stuck their necks out to save as many lives as possible. I was stationed overseas at an Air Base in Germany when the attacks happened. I will never forget the sirens indicating that we needed to be in full protective gear. We were quickly assembled in a common room and names were called for those who would deploy that night. You could have heard a pin drop. It was eery. We were worried about our family, friends and beloved country. Many of us couldn't get ahold of our families. Fortunately, I was able to call my parents before I left the Air Base. We now live in a post-9/11 world. My children will never know what life was like before 9/11. But our country triumphed. Love was the answer. Instead of cowering in fear, our country stood in strength and solidarity. Our country brought God to the forefront. Over the past 18 years, it feels as if God is transitioning to the backseat... again. He is no longer in the forefront. This is evident by abortions, the sale of aborted baby parts, mass shootings in schools and public areas, and even praising evil in hit pop music. Let's stick our necks out like the turtle and bring God back to the forefront. Let's never forget that we are God's sons and daughters; that we are a family. May we always stand in strength and solidarity, with God as our General leading us towards the victory of truth and life. I will leave you with part of the first reading for today. "Brothers and sisters: If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Thank of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory." 1 Col. 3:1-11 Be like the turtle. Stick your neck out and progress forward. Stick your neck out and praise God. Seek Him, love Him, thank Him. "You have made known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness and joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever." -Psalm 16:11
This is one of my favorite verses from Sacred Scripture. It is a verse that motivates me to blog, speak and otherwise, evangelize. I have found the key to life. I know what the secret to life is. It is love. Love of God and love of neighbor. Love of community and love for life. Because I know the secret to a happy life, I feel compelled to share it with everyone. That is why I do what I do. People have started asking me what it is like to have a child with Down Syndrome. Let's unpack Psalm 16:11 for my answer. One of my favorite activities is hiking. My favorite place to hike is Garden of the Gods Park in Colorado Springs, CO. This park is full of beautiful, and rare, red rock formations and the trails are lined with red dirt. When I look at the word "path" in Psalm 16:11, I think about the various hiking trails that one can stumble upon. There are concrete, asphalt, gravel, white dirt, brown dirt and red dirt trails. The red dirt trails are very cool, special, rare, unique and bring a fresh breath of life and joy. Having a child with Down Syndrome is like stumbling upon a red dirt trail. People with Down Syndrome are known for their love, joy and honesty. In Andrew's short 8 months of life, I already see these qualities in him. He loves to smile at people and stares into another's eyes as if he is peering into your soul. He has brought immeasurable joy and lasting happiness to our family and charms all who meet him. One of my friends, also a mother to a child with Down Syndrome, astutely noted that she imagines people with Down Syndrome are probably what God intended for us to be like before the fall of Adam and Eve. I couldn't agree more. Every child has value and purpose. Every life is meaningful and is a journey on a different path of life that takes us down various trails. When we allow God to walk with us on our trail, He will be beside us, carrying us through the most difficult parts. Our God will never abandon us and we will always be able to find His joy when we remember to look for it. Our family has had some trying times these past 8 months with a lot of health challenges, but our faith has remained strong and God has carried us through. I know that we will have more challenges ahead. (After all, doesn't everyone have challenges?) But, I know that we will meet every challenge head on and emerge stronger for it. As the school year winds down and the summer months heat up, don't forget to take God on your excursions with you as you journey down your own paths of life. This has been an insane school year! In September, I went in for a routine pregnancy checkup with my OBGYN. She noticed something was off and sent me to the perinatologist. Sure enough, my fluid level was low and the placenta was dying. As such, I was rushed to an emergency c-section. When Andrew was just 15 days old, he had surgery for Hirschsprung's Disease. Andrew spent 30 days in two different NICU's. Watching our newborn son be transferred in an ambulance from one hospital to another and then watching him be wheeled back for surgery... it was a very scary time.
Around the same day that Andrew was born, my dad was helping my uncle build a deck in Colorado Springs while my mom took a flight out to Virginia to be with us. My dad had a pain in his knee and heard a popping sound. Sure enough, my dad had a staph infection in his knee. Four surgeries and nearly nine months later, he is doing MUCH better. From October-January, I was extremely sick with GI issues and was admitted to the hospital more times than I care to remember. I spent part of Spring Break at the Mayo Clinic. In March, Andrew was hospitalized for a couple of weeks for breathing complications due to the flu. A week ago, my mom had heart surgery. Needless to say, this has been a VERY stressful time for our family of five. Unfortunately, we do not have grandparents, aunts or uncles less than 6 hours away from us. I am not posting all of this because we need sympathy. Quite the opposite. I am posting this to help bring encouragement to others. You see, my husband and I are much closer and stronger because of the difficult times that we have been through. Marriage is a joyful and difficult sacrament to be a part of. It is joyful because you always have someone by your side for all of the hills and valleys that you journey through in life. Marriage can be difficult because it requires two different people with different personalities to learn to live as one. I am so unbelievably grateful for my husband who has stood at my bedside when I have been too sick to lift my head off of the pillow. When I was too weak to advocate for myself in the hospital, Jason took up the fight. My husband stayed home with three kids while working a very demanding job so that I could go and take care of my parents when they needed me there. Because we don't have family in town, Jason and I have learned to depend on each other for everything. We're becoming quite the experts at this. Next week, Jason and I will celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary and I couldn't imagine a better person to share my life with! In the last 9 months, there have been at least 8 hospitalizations in my family. Through all of this trying time, we have prayed more fervently and offered up our suffering for the good of others. Every time I have been in the hospital (which is A LOT) I have had the opportunity to have a Christ-centered discussion with someone from the hospital staff- be it a doctor, nurse, or maintenance person. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I have to believe that God uses the sufferings of the faithful to benefit others spiritual journey. Alexander and Abby are 8 years old and 6 years old. During the past school year, they have seen their newborn baby brother in the hospital hooked up to a bunch of needles and wires. They have also taken mommy to the hospital and picked her up far too many times to only see her remain sick and weak at home. Through all of this, I am so proud of them for remaining steadfast in hope and resiliency. They have said countless prayers for the health of their baby brother and mommy. Alexander was even recognized at school as Student of the Month for displaying the virtue of Hope during this trying time. During my illness, I tried to teach my children that suffering has a purpose. I pray that they learn from my experience and will know that they can always fully rely on God and have hope in him, even during the most difficult moments in life. St. Teresa of Avila said, "One must not think that a person who is suffering is not praying. He is offering up his sufferings to God." She goes on to say, "we find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials." Based on these words, I have to take it as a compliment from God that he trusts my family to bear witness to others through our sufferings. If we didn't bear witness to God's greater glory, then what would be the point of suffering? We are called to be Christ-like. If Christ suffered, then we must also suffer. Christ suffered and died so that others may live. If we don't offer up our sufferings for others, then what's the point? It would all become "wasted suffering" as St. John Paul II said. I leave you with this last quote from Fr. Joseph Rampino, a priest in the Diocese of Arlington. "The hope of the Resurrection reminds us that when we offer ourselves on our own crosses, we are not simply going to our deaths, but are passing through the moment of pain and sacrifice on the way to our true glory. If we remain close to Jesus, offering our lives with his, we will also share his new life, and, as he promised the apostles, we 'will sit on thrones,' ruling peacefully in the kingdom of our Father forever." (Luke 22:30) A few days ago, my mom had heart surgery. My mom did extremely well. She is the poster child for a successful heart surgery. While my dad and I were waiting for her surgery to begin and end, I started thinking about what my mothers heart means to me.
Yes, my mothers heart is a major organ that keeps her alive. But her heart goes way beyond that. We often say that someone has “heart.” This means that someone who has “heart” will never lose faith or strength. Someone with a “pure heart” is a person who is sincere and honest, living without evil intent. My mom is all these things and more. My mom spent her career as a civil servant, first as a scientist, then as the City Attorney. Beyond her career, she serves others. From my brother, Sean: "As her children, we witnessed her self sacrifice of meals, clothing, and shoes so that we may pursue the passions of our hearts. I witnessed this through my love of snowboarding, seeing mom limit her intakes to afford my lessons and lift tickets. She even let keep a puppy that I bred, realizing this was a life changing decision for her child, despite the extra expense and effort to herself." One of my favorite memories of my mother is when I was honorably discharged from the Air Force. My last duty station was at Langley AFB in Virginia. We packed up my little Nissan and took a very circular route back home to Colorado. We stopped in Pennsylvania, Indianapolis, Kansas City and other tour stops. It took at least a week to get back home (with the air conditioning quitting in the middle in Kansas in the middle of summer.) This time with my mom was critical in helping transform from military to civilian life. My mom is the third of nine children. As such, she learned from a very early age that God and family come first. My parents passed this on to my brother and me; the priority of God and family now permeates in another generation while my brother and I raise our own children with our spouses. (My parents are proud to have six grandchildren.) Parents have a duty and a responsibility to raise their children to love God and to follow His commandments. Together with my dad, my mom has fulfilled this responsibility. Grandma and Grandpa are more than happy to pass the faith onto their grandchildren. My mom has always been a pillar in the community. Be it in the City, her parish or her own family, others know that they can depend on my moms honesty, sincerity loyalty and heart. I am proud to call her my mom. This Mother’s Day, let us reflect on the love of our mothers while giving thanks to God for them. While we appreciate our mothers on Earth, let’s not forget about our mother in Heaven. Without Mary saying “yes” to the archangel and “yes” to God’s plans for her, we wouldn’t have Jesus. Mary is the epitome of having “heart.” I am beyond proud to say that my mom is every following Mary's steps and always says "yes" to God. Happy Mother's Day, Mom! Love, Erin and Sean I have been doing some deep spring cleaning lately. I’m not always in a “cleaning mood,” but I know that it’s something that needs to be done, so I do it; and I involve the family in my spring cleaning, much to my husband and children’s chagrin. On Holy Saturday, the day before Easter, Salvation Army came and picked up close to 30 filled bags from our house for donation. (PSA: In many areas, Salvation Army will come to your house to pick up your donation so you don’t have to haul it yourself!) Before Salvation Army came, I had been collecting the bags in a corner of my bedroom. I moved all the bags to the curb to await their pickup and marveled at the now empty spot in the corner of the master bedroom. Immediately, I thought of how this was a visual of what the Sacrament of Reconcilliation does for your soul.
The week prior, my husband and I took the children to Saturday Vigil Mass a little early so that we could partake in the Sacrament of Reconcilliation. Currently, 3 out the 5 family members are old enough for this Sacrament. My husband and I are firm believers that when children watch their mommy and daddy walk into the confessional, that they will follow in their parents footsteps. Remember that as parents, one of our primary responsibilities is to raise children to participate fully in the Church. As Catholics, we are required to receive the Sacrament of Reconcilliation at least once a year. (CCC 1457) But why do this only annually? I feel as though I could go to Confession every day. (True confession, I don’t go that often.) In my opinion, confession is like a mini-Spiritual Direction session. When I am absolved of my sins, my soul is cleaned out and the cobwebs are dusted off, just like the corner of my master bedroom. It is essential that we, the children of God, partake in Christ’s infinite mercy. Confession and reconciliation make us, and keep us, accountable of our sins. Accountability and responsibility are an important key to life; avoiding accountability and responsibility is essentially evil. We are called to live upright and to represent Christ as His disciples at all times. We cannot possibly represent Christ if we can’t turn to Him, admit that we did wrong, and bask in His ocean of mercy. Many are afraid of going to Confession and admitting their sins to a priest. I have two points to make about this. One, the priest is a minister of Christ’s peace; after making an ardent examination of conscience, your confession truly goes to Christ. Two, recall the words that Christ spoke, “Be Not Afraid.” Do you know how many times this phrase (or form of) is mentioned in Holy Scripture? 365 times. How many days are in a year? I don’t think that this is coincidence. My friend, don’t ever be afraid of seeking Christ’s infinite, boundless mercy. Bask in it. Seek it out. Seek Him and He will find you. One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. These words are known as the Four Marks of the Church. This post will examine each of the marks in detail. These marks are stated in the Nicene Creed and are the characteristics of the Church.
One "Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God. The Lord is one!" -Deuteronomy 6:4 St. Cyprian once said, "God is one and Christ is one: there is one Church and one chair founded, by the Lord's authority, on Peter." The Church MUST be one, for its whole purpose is to unite the world around the one God. Another way to examine the mark of "one" is to examine the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity is three persons united in one God. God is one in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Recall St. Patrick's method for teaching the Holy Trinity using a shamrock. There are three leaves, but only one stem. Therefore, God is one. Jesus' great, high priestly prayer was thus: "...that they may all be one; even as You, Father are in Me, and I in You, that they may also be in Us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me." -John 17:21-23 Holy "We believe in the Holy Church because the Church is in Christ and Christ is in the Church." -St. Peter Chrysologus The Church is holy because Jesus Christ, the head of the Church is holy. The Church reveals and brings the holiness of Christ to the world through liturgy and sacraments, the witness of saints and martyrs, the proclamation of Scripture, adherence to Sacred Tradition and more. God reveals Himself to us through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. From this revelation flows the foundation of our Church. Because this revelation is sacred, the Church is also sacred and thus is holy. "Christ came into the world to save sinners." -1 Timothy 1:15 Catholic "because of the hope laid up for you in Heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth." -1 Cor. 5-6 The word "Catholic" stems from the Greek word, "kata holos" which means "according to the whole." The Catholic Church is universal- that means that the Church is meant for everyone and is predestined to reach everyone throughout the world. One of my favorite things about the Catholic Church is that she is universal. This means that the Church is united and the same, no matter what part of the world you are in. When I was stationed overseas in the Air Force, I would attend Mass in different countries; I heard the Mass proclaimed in German, French, Italian, etc. My homesick heart found comfort knowing that I was hearing the same liturgy as my family back in Colorado. Additionally, even though I barely understood the foreign languages, I could easily follow along with the Mass because it was the same format as the Mass back home. The Church is universal- it is united and it is one all across the world. When Pilate put the sign on the Cross that read, "Jesus, King of the Jews," he put it in the three major languages of the day. It's ironic that the man who condemned Jesus was an evangelizer by proclaiming Jesus Christ as King in multiple languages so that it could be understood by as many people as possible. Pilate confirmed the Catholic Church's universality when he did this. Apostolic "Jesus answered them, 'Did I not choose you, the twelve?'" -John 6:70 The following passage is known as The Great Commission and is my favorite passage in the Bible. "And Jesus came up to them and spoke to them, saying 'All authority has been given to me in Heaven and on Earth. Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of age." -Matthew 28:18-20 Apostolic Succession means that the Church stems from the teachings of the Apostles who taught the world what Christ taught them. It is important because it is the basis for the Bishops of the Church today who derive their office and authority from the Apostles themselves. The Apostles handed on what they had been told by Christ by preaching, personal example and observances of Christ. This is what is known as Sacred Tradition. "He who hears you, hears me." -Luke 10:16 New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo has passed a bill in his state to allow of late term abortions - that is, abortion after 24 weeks. Cuomo affirms that these late term abortions can only be carried out if the mother's health or life are at risk. This leaves too much gray area for abortion practitioners to "justify" an abortion. In Virginia, Governor Ralph Northam and Delegate Tran are pushing for late term abortions up to and including during the time of labor. Abortion at any stage is the tragic murder of an innocent child; but an abortion during labor is ghoulish and stomach churning. In New York, the bill implies that medical help is not necessary for a baby who survives a botched abortion. This means that if a child survives the torture of being poisoned or torn limb from limb, then he/she will likely not receive the medical help that they so desperately need. Virginia is trying to pass legislation similar to that of New York. Many people who are pro-choice agree that allowing a child to die during labor or after a botched abortion is unthinkable. Yet, these governors are very pro-abortion. They are not only embracing the culture of death, they are promoting it and celebrating it.
Protecting the sanctity and dignity of life from conception to natural death is a fundamental belief and principle of the Catholic faith. Cuomo claims to be a practicing Catholic, yet he throws our fundamental belief and principle in our face by celebrating the legalization in New York to allow an innocent child to die. Many people have called for his excommunication from the Church. Excommunication can only be imposed if the Code of Canon Law is clearly violated. I am not a Canon Law expert. While I personally believe that Cuomo should be excommunicated, I leave that decision with Cardinal Timothy Dolan. I trust the Cardinal's expertise and good judgment in this matter. Last weekend, my husband and I bundled up our three children and took them to a "Stop Abortion Extremism #ResistInfanticide" Rally in Lorton, VA. Alexander and Abby stood in front of the podium for an hour in chilly temperatures holding up their handmade signs. One sign quoted Mother Teresa, "It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish." The other sign read, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you," Jeremiah 1:5. You can see Abby in her bright pink coat and Alexander is standing next to her in a blue coat on this video. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/02/02/watch-live-pro-life-activists-rally-to-stop-virginia-abortion-extremism/ More importantly, you can view the entire Rally and listen to the powerful speeches. Our nation is embracing a culture of death. It is sad that we must explain to Alexander and Abby what an abortion is. Abby responds with sadness and Alexander questions, "how would they (the abortion practitioners) like it if someone killed them?" I believe that we will see Roe v. Wade overturned in the near future. I also believe that Governors, such as those from New York and Virginia, see that Roe v. Wade could be overturned and are exercising state's rights. In the face of darkness, though, there is a light. In the video, you can see many children gathered around the speakers podium. These children are the future and we are witnessing a pro-life generation growing before our very eyes. We even have a pro-life president who made historic comments in his State of the Union address calling for Congress to pass legislation that would end late term abortions. Yes, abortion at any stage is horrific. But as Voltaire said, "the best is the enemy of the good." An interpretation of this quote, is "don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Let's chunk the pro-life battle and celebrate that we have a president who is calling for an end to late term abortion. Love him or hate him, President Trump has been a president who has fought for the pro-life cause. Both during his State of the Union and at the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump has affirmed that "all children, both born and unborn, are made in the holy image of God." Let us renew our commitment to fight for the protection of all life, and for the dignity of all persons. Let us fight with the passion of St. Joan of Arc to promote and defend the dignity and the right to life. May we never tire of this battle. The Invitation The Gospel reading from Luke 14:15-24 is about the master of the house inviting many to dinner, but his invitation was refused over and over again because the invited guests had other things to do. As such, the Master sent his servant to many parts of the land where he could invite the lame, the crippled, the beggar. It is these "lowly" people who accepted the masters invitation and tasted the fine meal. Pope Francis remarks on this saying that God will not open our hearts if we refuse him. Why? Because "he respects our hearts," the Pope says. It is true, God gave us free will and respect our decisions, even if that decision neglects Him who gave us life. Don't get me wrong, God wants us; but he loves us so much that he respects us.
I haven't blogged in a while. I gave birth to my third child. Andrew Paul was born three weeks early, has Down Syndrome and spent 23 days in the NICU. Having been named for Christ's first and last Apostles, Baby Andrew is now a thriving 4 month old! St. Andrew and St. Paul were both evangelists; they drew others to Christ. My husband and I knew prenatally that our baby would be born with Down Syndrome. We were advised many times to terminate the pregnancy. We declined the invitation from Satan to kill our child and accepted the invitation from Christ to love our child. We turned our hearts against the Evil One and opened them in ways we never thought possible to the Almighty Risen Savior. People with Down Syndrome are always loving and joyful. I first met a child with Down Syndrome when I was a teenager. The young child came up and gave my dad a big hug in the back of church. My dad looked and me and said, "You know Erin, people with Down Syndrome really are angels on Earth." As a mother to a child with Down Syndrome, I am so glad that this was my first encounter and that my dad reacted in such a loving and welcoming manner. I was able to draw on that experience when I found out during pregnancy that Andrew would have Down Syndrome. My dad showed me his openness of heart by accepting Christ's invitation and extending our Saviors love. Baby Andrew is named for St. Andrew and St. Paul. St. Andrew was the first Apostle and introduced his brother, St. Peter to Christ. St. Paul wrote most of the New Testament and was thus a major evangelizer. My prayer for Andrew is that he will use his infectious, happy personality to draw others to Christ. People with Down Syndrome have very open hearts and genuinely express great love. This love comes from Christ and it is easy to see why they are considered to be angels who walk the earth. May our love of Christ always reverberate in the way that we raise our children. May it be central to our hopes and dreams for the generations that come after us. Don't be so busy in life that you refuse acts of charity that are a nudge from the Holy Spirit. Always accept Christ's invitation to love and care for others. As I studied Economics in undergrad, I fell in love with the question “why.” This question allows for us to dig deeper into various revelations in life. As a mom and a teacher, I love it when children ask “why.” It shows me their curiosity and as adults, we have an obligation to embrace their curiosity, not shun it. When I study Theology, it is because I want to know why we do what we do in our faith so that I can better answer others questions when they ask why we do something as Catholics. But there is a line that I refuse to cross.
I will not ask God “why.” I will not ask Him “why this” or “why that.” Given the sufferings that I have seen or borne, I have never felt a need to ask God “why.” From witnessing death and tragedy in the Air Force as a result of 9/11, to having loved ones pass away very quickly and unexpectedly, to nearly succumbing to this life a mere four years ago, and now being 7 months pregnant with a baby who has been diagnosed prenatally with Down Syndrome- I have never felt compelled to question our Almighty Risen Savior. Why, you may ask? It all comes down to faith and trust. Who am I, little me, to question the God who created the Earth in seven days, parted the Red Sea, rose people from the dead and who has blessed me with a loving and supportive family with beautiful, intelligent children and an amazing awe-inspiring husband. I don’t feel the need to question the God who has continually provided me with many great and small miracles and has allowed me to witness the miracles in others lives. In the study of Catholicism, we study the marriage of faith and reason. As children of God, we have been given the gift of intelligence. This intelligence, or reason, drives our faith, and in return, our faith feeds into our sense of reason. We use this reason to prove the existence of our faith in God. Reason is logic. Therefore, it is logical to put 110% trust in God who has tirelessly made known to us the depth of His love and mercy. I just doesn’t make sense to ask God “why,” especially when it comes to suffering. Doesn’t it make more sense to offer up our sufferings for the souls in Purgatory, for the forgiveness of sins and for the conversion of sinners? Offering up our sufferings for others takes the focus off of you and gives you a reason or purpose for suffering. It makes suffering worthwhile and purposeful. Choices... they run our lives every day. According to multiple sources on the internet, the average person makes around 35,000 choices a day. What time to wake up, what to eat, what to wear, which kid to dress first, backing into a parking spot or driving in front first, to accept the call or to decline it. Each day we face choices and we must acknowledge the consequences of each and every choice. Let’s discuss that call that we must decide to accept or decline. I’m talking about what God calls you to. A few months ago, my husband and I learned that we were pregnant with baby #3! Around two months ago, we learned that with 99% accuracy, our baby has Down Syndrome. We have met with countless doctors. All of them have advised us to terminate the pregnancy. Being the staunch, Pro-Life activists that we are, we declined (and sometimes lectured) each doctor that advised termination. It’s our choice and we choose life. I will be 20 weeks pregnant this week and the baby is kicking/punching/rolling more and more every day. My husband, my 7 year old son and 5 year old daughter love to feel the baby move! We will always choose life, despite the scary news and the uncertainty that will come with having a child who has Down Syndrome. Up until this point I have been in denial and filled with fear of the unknown. I always tell my children that fear is the Devil’s greatest tool because it means that you have lost your trust in God. I have finally decided to take my own advice. Instead of fear, I choose love. Instead of sadness, I choose joy. Instead of despair, I choose trust. Instead of myself, I choose God. Yes, choices do have consequences. We chose life for our children. We will be more than happy to welcome a joyful and loving child into this world who has Down Syndrome- that is, after all, what these children are known for; joy and love. Not all consequences are bad. Some consequences are the enlightenment that only the Holy Spirit can provide. This is a consequence that my family and I are are more than willing to accept. God’s got this. ”Pray and do not lose heart.” -Luke 18:1 |
Archives
December 2023
|