Resting in the Strength of God

As I write this, the count for people diagnosed with the Coronavirus in the US is past 45,000 people, and globally it’s over 367,000 – and God is still in control, we need to remember that. There are so many people on social media making end times proclamations, but we know from Matthew 24:35 “But of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”. Is that time close? Who knows- but here’s why it’s ok not to know- because we should already be preparing ourselves for the day when we meet Jesus face to face, whether that is because He is coming back soon, or whether it is our time to die. The Coronavirus is just a wake up call to the fact that each and every one of us will die- Memento Mori again!

What we can do:

  1. Relax, and give our troubles to God. Whether that is physical illness, financial troubles, loneliness or relationship strife, God is there to listen. The prayer that will never let any of us down is “Not my will, but Yours be done”.
  2. Pray- for healing on this earth, and for people to turn from sin to the One who created them.
  3. Participate in worship services- the beauty of technology is that even though we can’t go to mass we can still commune with the Lord and participate in church via video.
  4. Stay in close touch with family and friends, particularly those who are alone or in trouble.
  5. Continue to be generous- whether with individuals in need, or organizations that need help- there is no shortage of places where a donation of money or other goods would be appreciated.
  6. Be a little kinder to those who are near you- extending some grace (which may involve biting your tongue) will pay huge dividends. Tip delivery people more if you can afford to. Thank the person who is checking out the groceries for being there.
  7. Don’t watch the news 24/7. It’s good to be informed but don’t obsess. If you are home and have more time on your hands take up a hobby- write a book, draw a picture, sing a song. Watch a happy movie!
  8. If you are one of the people in an essential job that is keeping this world going- THANK YOU!! But also be kind to yourself and ret when you can. Ask for help where it can be given. So many people want to be helpful but don’t know how.
  9. If you are suffering, align your suffering to Jesus’ on the cross and offer the pain up for the poor souls in purgatory. It will not be wasted! Our Lord suffered so much for our sins, we can also suffer and draw closer to Him as a result.

We will get past this. Unfortunately we will lose people – this life is short, and we will all die. This is the perfect time to pull together and sacrifice our wants for the betterment of our communities. We can do this- and we will come out the other side a stronger society. God is carrying us, we just need to rest in His strength when we find our own is waning.

Eyes Fixed on Jesus!

Keeping our eyes affixed to Jesus is what we are supposed to do always- but sometimes life makes that a bit easier to do than at other times. One of the real benefits of life’s challenges- whether health issues, economic woes or emotional instability – is that it points us to the One who is never changing, and who quite literally controls the Universe. Our God is an awesome God- and that fact sometimes gets drowned out when life, and our plans, are going along the way we want.

Recognizing the fragility of our lives, happens to everyone eventually- that is the reality of our mortality. This Coronavirus may be the first time that the entire world has had an event that essentially impacts all of us at the same time since a World War- schools are out in New York City but also in Abu Dhabi. Small businesses are at risk the world over. Hospital staff are strained to breaking across the globe. It is rare for the human family to have a shared experience. Let’s make the best of this and come out better on the other side as a result.

There is plenty written on how to entertain your kids at home or how to support your local businesses, and also how to stay healthy. All of those things are important. I would suggest that even more important is the opportunity to be shaped by this experience in a positive way and to grow in faith.

  1. Pray before your feet hit the floor- asking God’s grace on your family, your city, your country and the world.
  2. Pray when you wash your hands- hopefully many times a day. An “Our Father” or a “Hail Mary” is about as long as you need to be soaping your hands- and can be offered for protection from the virus.
  3. Although many churches are closed there is mass on tv- and well worth watching daily! In addition there are Stations of the Cross on tv, and of course the rosary. If you don’t already have the practice of saying the rosary daily, now is a great time to cultivate it!
  4. Many churches are open for prayer- I went with my son today and it was such a comfort to be there in God’s house and feeling the warmth of His love. I realize that God is everywhere but it is very special to be there where the Blessed Sacrament is.
  5. Bored? Read the Bible. Mother Angelica reruns are on YouTube as is a lot of EWTN programming. There are so many uplifting things to watch on TV, don’t succumb to filling your mind with garbage.
  6. Before you go to bed, pray again, for our priests, our medical personnel, the garbage men and grocery store workers. Pray for everyone who still has to go to work every day but has the added stress of kids out of school, financial worries and concerns about elderly and ailing family members. Pray for those who are ill with any disease, and for those who are dying so that they may embrace the love of Jesus before their passing.

We are never powerless, and prayer and fasting that are offered in love to our Lord are never in vain. Many of us are inconvenienced but not suffering, but for those who are suffering we can offer that pain to Jesus, as a prayer. We can give our sacrifices for the souls in purgatory and for the sanctification of our own souls. We need to remember that no matter what befalls us, we can have a spirit of thanksgiving for all of God’s many blessings!

It’s all a Blessing

Here in New York City, the mood is more tense than usual as the news keeps coming in about more cases of Coronavirus, more school closings, more people quarantined etc. It isn’t just in New York that this is a sobering time- the whole world is affected, and on top of it the markets are tanking. I realize that I am an eternal optimist, but I do think there are some good and useful things about this trying time:

  1. Churches, at least where I live, are more full than I have ever seen them. It is good to see that when there is need, people turn to God. In this world of abundance it is very easy for people to feel like they don’t need God in their lives. Maybe this is a wakeup call to the contrary!
  2. Someone asked me today if I thought it was an accident that the world is suffering so much right now, and it is Lent. I don’t believe in accidents, and anyway most of the world is suffering all of the time- however I do think that having a crisis does bring Lent even more into focus, and it gives us a great opportunity to align our suffering with Jesus’
  3. In preparation for potentially being quarantined, we did some deep cleaning and stocked up on food to weather the storm. We should have done that a long time ago- because who knows what disaster, natural or otherwise, is on the horizon. So that this forced us to be ready – for something- can’t be bad. Although that is a worldly rather than an eternal blessing, I’ll take it!

Romans 8:28 says:

We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

That means that even the Coronavirus will work for good for those who love God. What an awesome promise! We know we will suffer on this earth (as someone recently said “note the cross at the front of the Church!”)- but all of what we experience, whether suffering or joy, will work for our good, because we love Him. What a good, good Father we have!

Love is a Verb

Much has been written about how love is not a feeling but rather a decision to act in a certain way towards someone. This is in response to the sentimental notion that we see in movies or advertising about the constant “butterflies in the stomach” sort of romantic love. Those of us who have been married for years know that the business of real love starts really after the infatuation ends- when you get to see your partner, warts and all, and choose to love them entirely in the reality of who they are.

I was thinking about this the other day, and how it relates to our love for God. Obviously God has no warts, so in that sense the analogy doesn’t hold. But I was more thinking about it from the perspective that there is an emotional aspect that can occur in relationships of love- but our emotions are fickle things. Being in a constant state of elation over all that God has done for us, at least for me, isn’t reality. However being in a constant state of gratitude- which is a decision to focus on the saving grace of Jesus, is possible and is also the right response to being forgiven and promised eternity in heaven.

To love God is to be obedient to what He has asked of us. So even if I am not feeling the emotional response, to me that means that I should double down on going to church, being in prayer, reading scripture and other theologically focused books, and finding time to fellowship with other believers- and of course serving the poor and the sick. To sin is to say “I know what you want God, and I don’t care. I want to do what I want to do.” Father Mike Schmitz on the Ascension network recently had a video talking about that which was excellent. Sin is the opposite of loving God, and it damages our relationship with Him.

Lent is such a great time to really focus on loving God and living in obedience. It is contrary to what the world tells us to do- which is all about “if it feels good do it” and essentially worshipping ourselves as the most important entity in the world. That only breeds sadness and despair- but focusing on our creator is the path to deep and abiding fulfillment.

Preparing for Lent

Lent is such a wonderful gift – a time really set aside to help us focus on conforming our lives to what God is calling us to be. Yes, it should be this way the entire year, but this run up to Easter when we prepare our hearts and minds to once again be able to say “Alleluia, He is Risen!” is very special. I feel like it is always hard to narrow down what to do for Lent- so I end up reading a lot of articles and watching videos with suggestions- but nothing beats praying about what God is really calling me to do. Here are my thoughts for this year:

  1. Daily mass – as many wise people have said before, once you know that Jesus us present in the Eucharist, the question isn’t “why do you go to mass every day?”, the real question is “why wouldn’t you?”. With the best of intentions (which we all know is what the road to hell is paved with)- I never seem to make it every day. This Lent, my commitment to myself is to get there at least 5 days a week- with the goal to get there every day.
  2. Keeping my mind and mouth in check – my Lenten commitment is to not say or think anything unkind about anyone. I have at times been able to not say anything unkind about people but I let my mind roam free- and as we know, thinking evil is doing evil. This includes eliminating back handed insults, passive aggressive comments, snarky thoughts or anything else that is unkind.
  3. Stations of the cross- last year I went to Stations of the Cross twice during Lent and it was beautiful. I loved it. I went in my beautiful home church, and I also went with friends to St Patrick’s Cathedral here in New York City. Both were stirring. This year I commit to going once a week. I am really looking forward to it.
  4. Giving- I heard a story the other day- a man had befriended a homeless couple. They were young – it wasn’t clear to the man whether they were siblings or married- but there they were living on the streets of Midtown Manhattan. He would often buy them breakfast. One day he was late coming to work and he saw the young man coming out of the diner – someone else had apparently given them money for breakfast- and the young man was walking towards a much older homeless man- and giving him the food to eat. The young man had so little but was still willing to give it away. Giving out of our own need- how often do we do that? We do focus on philanthropy in my family, but the giving that is sacrificial is more the giving of time than of money (which does not mean that we should give less financially!). This Lent I am committing to volunteering my time once a week- I have a few places (with the homeless and with the elderly in particular) that I focus on- and I look forward to including some of my family members with me.

As a bonus, I got a great idea from a cousin of mine who is a wonderful example of a pious and joyful Catholic woman. She sends her grandkids popsicle sticks with different daily Lenten suggestions, like “say grace before every meal”, or “pray for your teachers”. I am considering how to incorporate this for my teen – maybe as a sticky note on the bathroom mirror with a new suggestion each day!

I wish everyone a Lent that brings you closer to Christ – after all, what could be more important?

Ordained to get your spouse to heaven!

When it comes to getting to heaven we know that we will one day face Jesus face to face and we will give an accounting of our lives. Beyond how our actions impacted ourselves on this earth, we will also be held accountable for the people we lead to Christ – or lead astray. This is a sobering thought. Further, if we have been called to be married, we have an obligation to help our spouse to grow in holiness. Think about that the next time you are inclined to be irritated about something that your husband or wife did that you didn’t like. It is so easy to think about the temporal nature of what people do, and it may be easy to justify an irritated reaction (people are in fact sometimes irritating)- but that is not what is best for them or for our own salvation. This all reminds me of Phil 2:12 where we are told to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling”- in other words we need to take seriously what God has called us to do.

In fact, with all of our interactions, we have an opportunity to grow in holiness ourselves and to plant seeds to help the other person grow in holiness. Often it is easier to do when we aren’t close to someone, but harder to do when we feel we can “be ourselves”. If being yourself means being less kind, or less charitable, that is a flag that there is work to be done.

When we get married very few of us think about it as the vocation that it is. We think about love (hopefully!) and going through life with a partner – which it all is. But when we are married in the Church, Jesus is part of the commitment, and it goes way beyond the worldly view of marriage. It is really all about living in service to God. I know a lot of people get all twisted up by the verses in Ephesians about wifely obedience etc:

21* Be subordinate to one anotherq out of reverence for Christ.*22Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.r23For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body.s24As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything.25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for hert26to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word,u27that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.v28So [also] husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.29For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church,30because we are members of his body.w

In reality both husbands and wives are directed to a very high calling in this section- and one that will ultimately lead to an increase in holiness if really taken seriously. When we start parsing this in terms of modern standards of so-called “equality” we hear people asking why it is that women should be subordinate to their husbands without reading the whole thing, and seeing that what is asked of men is equally difficult and absolutely edifying to their wife. Demands for equality that result in “sameness” of men and women are contrary to God’s design. When we are demanding for ourselves we become selfish and look at the world through what I want, when God asks us to empty ourselves- as He did for us- and be selfless. “Forgetful of myself” is one of my favorite lines in a prayer I like to say- how can we all be more forgetful or ourselves?

Looking at our call to be married with the same seriousness that a person would be called to be a priest or a nun is important. We all have a role to play in this life that has been ordained by God. If we are called to be married it is a call to assist us- and our spouse- grow in holiness. Let’s make sure we are focused on getting to heaven. but equally focused on getting our spouses there too!

The Pope and the CEO- a book review in time for Lent

If you are looking for a book that is both inspiring and challenging, and also a real encouragement, I strongly recommend “The Pope and the CEO”, but Andreas Widmer. I was given this book a few months back and it sat on my shelf- I didn’t really know what it was about – and I picked it up a few days ago when I needed something new to read-and I could NOT put it down.

Andreas Widmer was a Swiss Guard when he was a young man, in the service of St. Pope John Paul II. From there he went on to have a very successful (with some serious ups and downs in it!) business career. The book is about the lessons he learned from working with and seeing Pope John Paul II in a very up close and personal way, and his own attempts to distill that wisdom and apply it to his own life. It is a beautiful lens on a beloved Pope, and also a great little instruction book!

As we are heading into Lent and I have been thinking a lot more about what to do for Lent, this book really prompted some thinking on that. Humility is really the key, and it is spelled out so clearly in this book- how humble a man St. Pope John Paul was. There is an incredibly beautiful story in the book about a time when Pope John Paul encountered a man who had been a priest and had fallen away and become a beggar. The Pope asked the beggar to join him for dinner and at some point in the evening asked the other two guests to leave them alone. Pope John Paul immediately asked the fallen priest to hear his- the Pope’s-confession. Shocked, the man said, “I am no longer a priest, I am a beggar.” Pope John Paul told the man, “We are all beggars, and once a priest always a priest”. So the man heard his confession and then dropped to his knees and asked the Holy Father to hear his own confession. The result of this interaction was that the man was reinstated as a priest and Pope John Paul made him a liaison to the homeless population in Rome to help others who had fallen into that state of despair.

Andreas Widmer reminds of us St Benedicts 12 Steps to Humility, which I think is one of the things I will return to this book for time and again. As a reminder the steps are:

  1. Revere the simple rules (Stop at red lights, meet deadlines, do what you say you are going to do)
  2. Reject your personal desires (Fast when a little hungry, avoid impulse buying)
  3. Obey those in positions of authority (Pay your taxes, honor your parents, treat your boss with respect)
  4. Endure affliction (turn the other cheek when you have been insulted, when you are snubbed- smile!)
  5. Confess your weakness (Admit when you are wrong, go to confession)
  6. Practice contentment (be happy with what you have, don’t chase the next upgrade on technology or a new house)
  7. Learn self reproach (when things go wrong make the first question “what could I have done better”- don’t look to blame others and be honest with yourself about your own shortcomings)
  8. Obey the common rule (abide by organizational policy- don’t just follow the letter of the law, follow the spirit)
  9. Understand that silence is golden. (Listen more than you speak)
  10. Meditate on humility (read the Gospels. study the lives of the saints and consider how they were humble. how can you imitate them?)
  11. Speak simply (have a kind word for everyone, speak gently)
  12. Be humble in appearance (dress simply, cultivate simple hobbies and tastes)

For me, this has been a great place to begin in thinking about Lent. If you are looking for a good book – and particularly one that focuses on the Theology of Work, you will find it in “The Pope and the CEO”. Happy reading!

The Gift of Decreasing Energy

I often think – if I only had more energy, there are so many more things I would like to do. I am probably not alone in thinking that way, but here is what is wrong with that thought process:

  1. God has given me all that I need to love and serve Him the way I am supposed to at this point in my life. More energy not needed, and in fact perhaps the distraction of “doing more” could be an impediment that would take away from focusing more on Him.
  2. If God wanted to grant me more energy, I would have it already. Perhaps the places I would be spending my time are in things He knows aren’t edifying.
  3. If my inability to do more is a result of my own inability to prioritize, the problem isn’t about energy, it is about not putting the really important things first.
  4. When I am too tired to rush around and do stuff, I am often spending quiet quality time with family, or in prayer – which is undoubtedly a good place to spend it.
  5. Maybe there are ways to have more energy, but also the suffering that goes with being tired may be an opportunity to grow in holiness- rather than railing against it, it is possible to embrace it, and offer it for souls in purgatory.

I am reading a wonderful book called “The Pope and the CEO”, by Andreas Widmer. Mr. Widmer was a Swiss Guard in the service of St. Pope John II- and he later became a successful business man. One of the things he remarks on is how the Pope when he was young had seemingly boundless energy, but as he got older, this changed. Rather than seeing this as a bad thing, the Pope spent many more hours in prayer with the Lord. What a wonderful way to prepare for eternity!

It seems to me that as we get older and find that we don’t have the stamina we once did, rather than wishing for more energy, I should be wishing to get closer to God- after all, that is really the reason we are all here! No activity that I can add to my “to do” list is in any way going to be more important than spending more time in relationship with my Creator. Being forced to slow down allows for more opportunities to read scripture, go to mass, and pray. What a gift!

The Joy of Life!

If you ever wondered if it would be a good use of your time to attend the March for Life, I can only say that it was an incredibly uplifting experience- and I highly recommend it. I sometimes wonder whether large groups of people coming together actually makes a difference, and in this case it certainly was soul nourishing in a way that is hard to describe- but I will try!

I was fortunate to meet with some of the Sisters of Life, an Order of Nuns that are devoted to, among other things, helping women in crisis pregnancies and also in post-abortion healing. What is so striking about these young women (all of the ones I met were brimming with youth!) was their joy. Most of the world expends so much energy on trying to acquire stuff, or status, or physical beauty- but these ladies were all practically glowing with what can only be described as love. It was intoxicating! Their stories of the women they work with were so inspiring, and one that really stuck with me was a woman who said “when I told my friends that I was pregnant they all wanted to be supportive – so they said ‘it is your choice’ whether I abort my baby or not. But that is not what I needed to hear. I needed to hear ‘you can do this! God will make a way!'” And the Sisters helped her to see that way. I could have stayed with them all day just soaking in the happiness!

I had the great good fortune to go to the Heritage Foundation to hear a discussion on Health Care Policy. Much of it was encouraging -to hear what people (some of whom were in attendance) are doing on the ground to ensure that doctors and hospital staff can follow their conscience in the delivery of health care services, and that women and families get the care that they need. Two things that I learned that were disturbing:

  1. Apparently in the “Medicare for All” bills that are being promoted by most of the Democratic presidential candidates, there is no exclusion for Doctors to opt out of abortion or Euthanasia, and all hospitals would have to offer these services or be shut down, effectively closing Catholic hospitals. This would be a major loss for the world- as Catholic hospitals provide a huge amount of services in the US to everyone. It is important to have health care policies that address the gaps in service today- but forcing people to act against their conscience does not need to be a part of it.
  2. Polls indicate that the tide is turning in a positive way towards the pro-life movement when it comes to abortion. That is very good news. The bad news is that the general population seems to be ok with euthanasia. That is definitely bad news given that most likely we will all get old, or ill- or otherwise not fit into societies definition of what a “useful person” is. We should all take notice and defend life- from conception to natural death. The life we are protecting may be our own or our loved ones!

The vigil mass at the Basilica in the evening before the March was extraordinary. The mass was at 5:30pm but by 1:30 most of the seats were taken. Every side alter was filled and the entire basement was packed. There were thousands of people there, many of them young people. Seeing high school girls in veils or boys kneeling to receive communion literally brought tears to my eyes. The mass was two hours long but it flew by. The presence of the Holy Spirit was so tangible! I left after the mass but the vigil went on throughout the night and into the morning and I wished that I had the stamina to be there with all of those teens and twenty-somethings to celebrate!

The morning of the March began with mass at St Patricks which was also beautiful, and then back to the hotel where a group of us said the rosary before embarking out to the March. The estimated number of people was 500,000 marching, but it was orderly and peaceful- just really crowded! There were a few protesters (I saw maybe 25 pink-hatted gals with the “my body my choice” message, two men with the “I hate Donald Trump- and therefore all of you” message, and one fellow who had a “Catholics are idol worshippers” message) – but the marchers prayed for all of them and the mood was about love and forgiveness and healing, not at all about hate or accusations. Having people that I love that would fall into each of the protesting categories helped me to see that they genuinely believe in what they are doing too, and hate never changed anyone’s mind about anything. God changes hearts, but it is up to us to pray for them and to witness to the truth.

There were two themes that are perhaps I hadn’t thought enough about going into the march. One was that there are so many people there with a focus on supporting women who have had abortions. Not to in any way blame, but to help them to find healing. The other thing is that it is a march to celebrate life- not just at conception but through the full journey. So there were many people there with disabilities, joyfully participating, or people there to emphasize the value of the lives of people who are disenfranchised, impoverished, or on the margins of society. The March for Life is to really focus people on the valuable gift from God that is each and every one of our lives. It was so special- and I can’t wait to attend again next year!

Marching for Healing

I am not usually one to join public rallies- yet I will be getting on a train to Washington, D.C. early tomorrow morning to join the March for Life on Friday. Why pick this time to become a joiner? There are a host of reasons:

  1. I am marching to honor my father. He was a wonderful dad who passed away when I was 24 years old. He was a pretty permissive parent- in many ways a product of the ’60’s and ’70’s. But the one area that he was unwavering on was that of abortion. When I was a (pretty wild) teen, he said to me- “If you ever find yourself pregnant, just come to me and we will work it out. I would love to have the “pitter-patter” of little footsteps in the house again. But if you have an abortion, you will have killed my grandchild, and I can’t live with that.” I was so blessed to have parents that took this view- not blaming but appealing to higher values. I have many friends who had abortions either at the insistence of their parents, or to avoid being disowned by their parents should they discover their child was pregnant. I have encouraged my sons to do the same if they were to have a girlfriend who became pregnant- or any friend for that matter who needed help. A message of acceptance and forgiveness- and hope!- for women and men who find themselves with an unplanned pregnancy on their hands is so important. I march to encourage parents and adults to guide teens and others in difficult circumstances to choose life.
  2. I have 3 living children, and two children in heaven who I am eager to see face to face when the time comes. With both of the babies that I lost, the doctors tried very hard to convince me to abort. In the first case they thought his medical condition was incompatible with life (while they were wrong about that, he was born prematurely and didn’t survive). With my second loss, my obstetrician was sure I wouldn’t survive the pregnancy and refused to be my doctor for any service other than an abortion. So I found a nice orthodox Jewish doctor who didn’t believe in abortion, and we worked at this together. The baby did die, and I did not. While I grieved for both losses, I felt that I did all I could – so I was at peace. I know that had I followed the doctors advice the result would have been the same- the babies would be dead- but I would spend the rest of my life with the weight of guilt on me. I march to encourage doctors to not put pressure on patients to make decisions that will have far reaching negative ramifications for the rest of their lives.
  3. I believe that the Catholic Church’s unwavering support for life – from conception to natural death, is a beacon of hope for the entire world. While this march is about putting an end to abortion, I also think it is equally about raising awareness of the sanctity of all life- people who are oppressed, poor, disabled, elderly- everyone. The reason that the Catholic Church has the most hospitals in the world, has the most schools in the world, provides charity through Catholic Charities more than most other charitable organizations, is that the focus is on the value of all life. While not all Catholics agree on all social policy- and that is ok- the one area that the Church is firm and unwavering on is it’s stance against abortion. As a devout Catholic I march in solidarity with the Church.
  4. I strongly believe that abortion is the civil rights issue of our day. Living in New York City – the abortion capital of the United States, it is heart breaking that more black children are aborted than born. We are killing our future. We need to stop. In other countries the issue is the desire for boys that is causing girls to be killed in utero. This can’t be positive for the future of our world. I march that parents will prayerfully consider the value of their child, recognizing that there are sacrifices that will come with raising a child in difficult circumstances, or in giving up a baby for adoption.
  5. The women I know who have had abortions are wonderful people, mothers and friends. They are people I love – and I want them to know that there is healing, not blame. Whether it was parents forcing them to have an abortion, a situation that seemed untenable to them financially or emotionally, or the fear of raising a child with disabilities, or a doctor or partner that pressured them- whatever the reason, there is forgiveness. Our God is filled with Mercy as well as Justice- but he is there in Reconciliation to hear the broken hearts and to respond in Love. I march for my friends and their babies in heaven – and for healing.

Please pray for all of us at the march for safety and for expressing views on this difficult topic with grace and love.