Your Pastoral Coach

Jan Lindsay is Saving the Unborn and Living Her Purpose

I read this story about Jan Lindsey in the St. Anthony Messenger Magazine. By listening to God's will, by recognizing her skills and talents, and by completely trusting in God's providence she is living her purpose and helping save the lives of hundreds of babies. She has founded several shelters for pregnant homeless women to help them with their decision to continue their pregnancies. Studies have shown that financial fears are the main issue prompting women to commit abortions. I was excited in reading her story because as a coach this is a great example of a person making an impact in the world by using her strengths for the benefit of humanity. I was also happy that through Mary's Shelters she was protecting innocent lives and also fully trusting in Divine Providence.

"IF YOU THINK GOD isn’t working miracles, then you don’t know about Mary’s Shelter!” Jan Lindsay, 24 years into the miracles of these pro-life residences, still sounds amazed when she recounts their history."

Technorati Tags: Catholic, Culture of Life, Life Purpose

The Pope Challenges The World With Truth

Early indications are that "truth" is going to be a theme for Pope Benedict XVI. I'm looking forward to challenging encyclicals and homilies from such an intellectually gifted man. Yet, some truths challenge, not because of their complexity, but because of their simplicity and authority with which they are told and lived. "Pope: God sees embryos as ‘complete’ humans" was the headline of MSNBC and many papers and blogs. The shock! The nerve! How can the pope say this? By the way, the quotations marks around complete are not the pope's. I have been thinking about this since yesterday. Why is this news?

Why Must we Keep on Killing?

“Our witness to respect for life shines most brightly when we
demand respect for each and every human life, including the lives of
those who fail to show that respect for others. The antidote to violence
is love, not more violence.”
—USCCB, Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge
to American Catholics (Washington, DC: USCCB,
1998)

The last few state executions have really bothered me. After all these years tonight I finally watched the movie "Dead Man Walking" with tears in my eyes. I feel exhausted. We have now executed 1,000 people since 1976 and I get tired of so much killing. Some of these people may have been innocent, but that is not even what bothers me. Even if they committed terrible crimes, we can't use that to justify killing people. Sinful or not, we still need to honor the sanctity and dignity of their lives. We can't exactly control the killings by terrorists and by criminals, but we can control state sponsored killing.

We need to have the integrity to live our culture of life in all realms. I join Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and the US Bishops in calling for an end to the death penalty. They believe the death penalty is unjustified and unnecessary in our times and circumstances. We now have better means to protect society from a grave threat to human life.

"The new evangelization calls for followers of Christ who are unconditionally pro-life: who
will proclaim, celebrate and serve the Gospel of life in every situation. A sign of hope is the
increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in
the case of someone who has done great evil. . . . I renew the appeal I made . . . for a con-
sensus to end the death penalty, which is both cruel and unnecessary."

Pope John Paul II

Technorati Tags: Catholic, Culture of Life, Justice

Banning Torture and Living Christian Life Values

I'm very proud and happy that Senator John McCain has pushed, and pushed for the United States to raise the bar on how it should treat its detainees. He has shown a great example in servant-leadership, demonstrating courage and integrity.

"On a 308 to 122 vote, members of the House supported specific language proposed by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) that would prohibit "cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment" of anyone in the custody of the U.S. government. "

This is important for me for two reasons. First, to not treat prisoners humanely would be to not respect the sanctity and dignity of life. Second, it is a dangerous and slippery slope. It is difficult for us as a country to maintain the high moral ground and credibility necessary to denounce human rights violations worldwide if we can't pass the same test.

I'm not sure if Christian life values motivate him, but at least he is living them...

May God bless people of all walks of life that face social pressures in order to live their lives with integrity, love, and justice.

Technorati Tags: Culture of Life, Servant-Leadership