An Exorcist tells his story ...

The local and global responses to the Corona virus are interesting, in that, here we have an invisible but real threat seen by its effects. Large efforts and vast resources are being deployed to counter this.

I believe Christians and the church particularly can learn a great deal from this fervor and realization of danger in our midst. For, we too, face an invisible enemy whose effects are more far reaching than a flu virus. Can anything other than the full message and application of the authority Jesus extended to it, counter and protect humanity from such an enemy?

At a time in history when humanity is being assaulted simultaneously on multiple front lines, there seems to be a muted or bewildered response. Clauswitzian fog before the eyes of many leads to rationalizing instead of bold action taken in faith. Whereas every diocese is required to have its own exorcist for example, those in need of one might have to travel half way around Europe to find one nowadays, we are no longer equipped for the times. Fr Amorth in his book “An Exorcist tells his story” mentions what a Bishop (who had not appointed an exorcist in his diocese) said that he ‘did not want to make an enemy of the devil’ perhaps forgetting his predecessors when they said ..“Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” 18 He (Jesus) replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven (Luke10; 17-18)

But it goes beyond this. Wishy-washy preaching turns the good news into the good advice, the demands of holiness and a fierce devotion to a baseline of mediocrity and complacency. There is a need to look back and see that what worked for the saints in the centuries gone by, was not sophisticated reasoning but simply telling the truth about God, about our need for Him and the salvation He offers, how desperately He is reaching out to us in love to ransom us and shield us from the clutches of the evil that surrounds us. We must take it seriously.

The legions of the enemy camp take their work very seriously, have undivided hearts as they assault the world with their deceptions of abortion, gender ideology, atheism and a host of other ways to destroy souls; our response cannot be to offer a peace treaty of tolerance and fear but on the contrary to see it for what it is and push back with the full force of the truths of the Gospel, for the healing of souls and the liberation of those who fall into the power of the devil.

What will it take for people to even believe anymore? Does satan have to have his own TV show before we become alert and aware!

Unplanned

An orthodox monk concluded, ‘in every age, and above all in this present deeply uneasy, tired and restless age, nothing is more essential than repentance’.

In the spring a movie is set to be released called “Unplanned”. It’s the story of Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood abortion clinic Director. It was only when she assisted at an abortion  herself that the light dawned on her.

She was pregnant herself at the time and was watching the ultrasound monitor that was being used to guide the abortionist. As the implements of abortion were inserted into the womb of the mother; the baby could be seen scrambling away, seeking safe haven... running for its life. But to no avail, it was crushed and suctioned out of the womb. She was horrified and quit soon after. (She has since become a Catholic and runs a charity that helps abortion workers exit the industry.)

This will be a very special movie. From the beginning of filming there are already conversions taking place. The actress playing the part of Abby told her mother about the role she was playing and was met with a flood of tears. Her mother had been pregnant with her at a young age and had gone for an abortion; backing out only minutes before it was to take place; perhaps She was saved to play this special role.

It’s an independent film from the makers of “God’s not dead” so hopefully it will be screened widely.

America seems to be turning a corner when it comes to abortion, with the partial defunding of planned parenthood and other positive policy changes following the scandals of sales of body parts from aborted babies; let’s hope Ireland will learn more quickly the horror it has unleashed on itself and repent and turn back before the nation loses its soul altogether.

Healer of Souls

This week the relic of the Incorrupt heart of St (Padre) Pio was at Manila Cathedral on its way around the country.  Crowds, too numerous to count braved the weather in long queues to venerate the relic.

He is very much loved; a saint for our times as he was such a contradiction to the ways of the world.  It seems that his incredible gift of being able to read souls was matched only by his capacity to suffer; with both the stigmata and enduring the constant attacks of the devil. Perhaps that was the price of such a gift in that he had to suffer in order to set his penitents free from bondage, to obtain for them the gift of conversion.

One wonderful story, told by a lady who confessed to him, was about a hidden sin she had. She went to confession to him and after she had finished he asked if she had anything else she wanted to tell. She said ‘no’ and he asked her to return the next day. She confessed other sins and was asked if there was anything else ; again she responded ‘no’ and was asked to return the next day. On the last day, he mentioned the date and time when she had an abortion, and then he told her what her aborted son would have been had he lived, the destiny that was lost when his life had been extinguished. That revelation showed her the gravity of the sin and she was repentant and reconciled with God.

St. Pio reveals to us the gentleness and mercy of a God so much offended but always willing to forgive at the slightest opening of a repentant heart.

The wonderful thing about our saints though is that their mission does not end in death, it is ramped up a notch; the miracles abound all the more when they are born into heaven.

Prayer changes hearts and minds

My name is Lee and I am a single mother. Four years ago, one year after high school graduation, I discovered I was pregnant. I had always been very much against abortion and had even volunteered at a local crisis pregnancy centre. However, finding myself in this situation, I panicked. Without telling my family members, I decided to have an abortion my reasons being completely selfish. I scheduled an appointment for an abortion, which was a two-day process. The first day consisted of tests and counselling, the second day was the actual "termination of the pregnancy". This appointment was very easy to obtain. I needed no parental approval or medical forms. All they asked of me was two separate money orders

The night before the first appointment, I became very uneasy about my decision. By morning I had completely changed my mind. I found out later that on that same night my mother (who had become suspicious of what I was doing) was intensely praying for protection in my womb! 

After this, I was seriously considering adoption. At five months pregnant I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ, and shortly thereafter the Lord made it clear to me that I was to become a mother. Two months later, on February 14, 1992, I gave birth to two beautiful, healthy twin boys. Being a mother has caused a dramatic change in my life. 

I have now thrown aside my sinful lifestyle for the glory of walking with the Lord. I am constantly aware of areas in my life that need changing in order to be an example of Christ to my children. I love being a mother, and I am so thankful to God that he used such precious gifts in order to bring me to my knees. God is sovereign!! Jer. 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope.

‘The Measure of his Sacrifice’

In this centenary year of the RAF the ringtone on my cell phone is the roar of a Spitfire’s Rolls Royce Merlin engine as it flies by. Its era is before my time but there is much to gain from a look at that period of history. In particular it reminds me of an extract from a letter written by a young pilot to his mother; left in the care of his CO in case he failed to return from a mission. His bomber went down over Belgium as they supported the evacuation of Dunkirk and bought time for the men on the beach. In it he writes “the universe is so vast and so ageless that the life of one man can only be justified by the measure of his sacrifice”. He was 23. 

I wonder how far you would have to walk to meet a young man (or an old one) of such quality; with that kind of wisdom and clarity of thought. Other lines in his letter revealed how he saw the Germans as ‘the greatest organized challenge to Christianity and civilization’ and felt honoured to be part of the RAF and to ‘throw my full weight into the scale’. 

He found his part in the ‘larger story’. He knew he was made for something more than this life; that our life in the flesh is where we prepare for the eternal spiritual life, here we must forge our legacy and our future by sacrificial love. 

What he, and the many other defenders of those traditional values, died for has now been largely swept away. That Christian civilisation that the Nazi’s failed to destroy, successive governments have undermined as public opinion was swayed and the Christian witness was muted. 

Recent anti-Christian developments include the insistence on Catholic adoption agencies to allow gay couples to adopt children or close down altogether and now I understand that praying and counselling outside abortion clinics may be prohibited by law soon. Now the enemy is no longer a hostile nation but a godless generation. 

Many thought it wise to compromise or collaborate with Hitler, as was seen in France with the Vichy government, and perhaps there are those who try to do likewise here with the new regime too, compromising beliefs for a quiet life without confrontation. 

But our only course can be to stand firm and fight on against these and the future attacks on the heart of Christian civilisation which is the family. Christians who don’t compromise or collaborate will find themselves in conflict with these new ‘values’ that we have allowed to gain traction. 

What legacy will we leave, what will be the measure of this Catholic generation’s sacrifice? Perhaps another old soldier can lend his counsel from beyond the grave “Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in... Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” (Churchill) 

(reference :- Flight Officer Rosewarne's letter)

Sarah Smith: Abortion Survivor

My mother's choice was my death sentence. My mother Betty had an abortion in November 1970. A few weeks after that, she was sitting at home reading when the book on her stomach began to bounce up and down. That's when she knew she was still pregnant ..with ME!

"I'm so sorry, Betty," the doctor told her when she went back to him. "you were carrying twins!"

Although a second abortion was suggested, my mother refused and instead brought me to term. I was born with bilateral congenital dislocated hips, a condition for which I've had dozens of operations. It hasn't stopped me from pursuing my medical studies, though, or from speaking out wherever I can for the right to life.

My mother Betty and I speak publicly throughout the country and throughout the world. Most recently, we spoke in Rome and met Pope John Paul II.

I have forgiven my parents for trying to abort me, and I forgive the abortionist who killed my twin brother and who almost killed me. I often think of my brother, Andrew James, whom nobody can replace.

I believe that the way of truth, love, and God's grace is the only way to deal with the abortion tragedy. I would like to call all people to stand with me to defend the right to life of all persons. There are many alternatives to abortion. Nobody needs to sacrifice her child, no matter what anyone says.

Though I'm not a Catholic, I have worked closely with Priests for Life and have had speaking engagements and TV appearances with Fr. Frank Pavone. My mother and I and a former abortion provider Joy Davis recently met together in the same room for a TV interview as part of Fr. Pavone's TV series, "

If you would like to schedule Sarah to speak at your event or conference, please send an E-Mail to Pro-life America. You may also telephone Pro-life America at 310-373-0743.

‘Who is Missing and what have we lost?’

The stalwarts of the prolife movement continue the fight for life on many frontlines these days and yet we still don’t see the big picture.

I heard a discussion the other day which made me jump; it was not focussed on the numbers aborted or the horrifying array of methods or the blindness and callous hearts of the people involved. It asked the question ‘who is missing from our world?’ 

In every age and nation, God has always provided what (and who) was needed at any given moment in history. Whilst everyone has their own unique role, the destiny of some is far reaching in their impact. Scientists like Alexander Fleming who discovered Penicillin, social reformers like Florence Nightingale who formalised the nursing profession, or statesmen like Churchill holding back the tide of Nazism and of course our own Saviour.

There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that during a discussion between Hilary Clinton and Mother Teresa, the former asked why she thought there had been no female President of the United States; to which Mother Teresa responded “she was probably aborted”.  

Perhaps many of today’s problems remain unsolved, like cancer, AIDS, wars, etc. not because the solutions were not sent to earth but because the ones to provide them ended up in a bucket in an abortion clinic instead of fulfilling their destiny.

Whether we realise it or not, our societies are impoverished to an ever increasing extent; we have no way of evaluating it but we are all unknowingly suffering the consequences of it.

As Ireland stands on the precipice, with its abortion referendum looming, I hope the people will remember those who gave them the gift of life, the sacrifices they made for them, the love extended to them and vote to 'protect' the next generation, many of whom may otherwise not see the light of day.

Melanie forgives her mother ..a story from Australia

Now in her early twenties, Melanie grew up not knowing why she was always angry with her mother and at times didnt want to live. She left her home in Malaysia and came to Australia to attend university but never found happiness.

Eventually she asked her mother why she felt this way and what her mother said shocked Melanie to her soul; Because of problems in her marriage Melanie's mother wanted to abort her when she found out she was pregnant. Melanie said they both cried when she told her, but her feelings of rejection and worthlessness grew to a painful degree from that time.

During the final rally at a Christian Congress, a lady called Cheryle  had shared a vision of a baby in a mother's womb with the placenta being removed and the child being set free. Cheryle said that God was healing someone from the womb. Moved by what she heard Melanie finally asked for prayer when the call was made. As soon as the prayer began I felt a powerful love touching my heart and I knew it was God. She said. I had never known love before and it completely overwhelmed me. Melanie said that Gods embrace had given her the ability to forgive her mother completely. Failing to hold back tears, she told her story for the first time as Cheryle comforted her. 

Melanie was set free by Gods grace and was able to offer mercy to her mother. After the Congress Melanie contacted her mother and told her for the first time that she loved her. When her mother heard Melanie's forgiveness and words of love, her mother broke down in sorrow. As Melanie shared what God had done for her and how much she loved her mother no matter what she had tried to do, over twenty years of guilt vanished from her mother's heart in a flood of tears. By Gods grace and unfathomable mercy Melanie's mother found a new daughter and Melanie found a new mother that day as the grace of forgiveness flowed with healing love. Both are now healed and reconciled.

Extract from a Letter from Fr Gerard Wilberforce, a priest from Plymouth Diocese.

I am writing as the great great grandson of William Wilberforce, who campaigned vigorously for the ending of the transatlantic slave trade in 1807, which ultimately paved the way for the abolition of slavery itself throughout the entire British Empire in 1833.

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I am often asked what would be the campaigns Wilberforce would be fighting if he were alive in 21st century Britain. I believe that there would be a number of different issues - among them human trafficking and the scourge of drugs. But almost certainly at the top of the list, would be the issue of abortion.

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There are great similarities between the status of the foetus and the status of African slaves two centuries ago.

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Slaves were considered a commodity to do with whatever the vested interests of the day decided. Today, in our desire to play God in our embryology experimentation, with all its' unfulfilled promises of miracle cures, and our decision to abort unwanted children, we are no better that those slave traders who put their interests and world view higher than they placed the sanctity and value of human life.

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Most people at the time didn't believe the evil of slavery could ever be defeated, as so much of the economy at the time was dependent on the trade. It's easy for us to think that is the case today with abortion, but I believe William Wilberforce would not take such a view.Whilst our hearts go out to those who have chosen abortion, there should now be much greater emphasis on the alternatives that exist.

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Many of us would like to see far more support those who have made such a significant and difficult decision - but whilst we recognise the trauma many women have gone through, we also have a duty to 'Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves' (Proverbs 31).The Psalmist says 'My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.'

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With abortions in the UK reaching 600 a day, it seems to me that the 'secret place', is one of the most dangerous places to be in modern day Britain. As with my great ancestor, the battle took many years, even decades. But now, with the passage of time we look back in horror at how we devalued human life. I truly believe we will look back in years to come, repent and ask forgiveness for what we let happen to the unborn child. There is something deeply depressing about a society in which abortion is so easy, yet alternatives such as adoption are made to appear so difficult.

Souha’s most beautiful confession.

A group came from the Middle East to spend a few days in Medjugorje, wanting to make a holy pilgrimage. Among them was Souha, a married woman whose husband is a doctor. She came without him because he was working.

Souha had a secret that left her without peace. Soon after her arrival, she went to see a priest from her group and confided to him that she had an abortion. The child that she was expecting was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome, and she and her husband did not want him. They decided together to have him removed from the womb and had an abortion performed. Her heart was still restless however and Souha asked the priest, “It’s not a sin, is it?” The priest answered, “But yes, my daughter, it is a sin! A grave sin! You must go to confession!”

Souha was not convinced and she shut herself within her denial. Yet she asked the Blessed Mother for a sign to know whether she should confess this act.

In the evening, at the apparition of the Gospa on the hill with Ivan, Souha was with her group. As soon as the Blessed Mother arrived, Souha unexpectedly bent over with her nose on the ground. She remained like this for a while and when she came back up after the apparition, her friends saw her crying. She told them, “Please call a priest, I must go to confession right away!”

I do not know what happened to her during the apparition, her friends respected her secret, but Our Mother acted.In tears, Souha made the most beautiful confession of her life. Yes, she touched the horror of sin and it made her cry. She accepted God’s mercy towards her. Her inner peace was at last restored. Now she is free! What a contrast on her face! What light! She witnesses to her friends that she feels a deep joy, as never before in her life.

In Medjugorje, some pilgrims groups have a fine tradition. The guide suggests that each pilgrim receives the responsibility of praying for a particular person of the group during the whole pilgrimage. Thus the first or second night, each one must draw from a little basket the name of another pilgrim. That evening, out of the 150 people in the group, who received the name of Souha and the call to pray for her? A young woman with Down’s syndrome!

That same night, Souha’s husband called, and after hearing his wife’s story, tells her, “You know, I am calling you because I find it strange that you are over there praying to God, while I am here performing abortions. It is not right!  Today, I have decided not to that anymore.” He also was crying over the phone. The whole day, he had the feeling that something was happening to his wife and he was ready to take this giant step professionally. Souha could not believe her ears.

This happened last August. Now Souha, her husband and their children are living differently, they put God in the first place. They practice the sacraments and go to Mass almost everyday. They give testimonies. After this memorable pilgrimage, they were wondering how to make reparation for such a past when they suddenly received a call from an orphanage needing help. Sisters were asking them to care for an orphaned child. They saw this as the answer from God, they were grateful to Him and decided to do everything in their power for the child.

And what has become of the aborted baby? In Medjugorje, Mary says of these unborn children, “They are with me”. This child is certainly praying for his parents and for all his little companions who, today, are programmed never to see the sun.

I am asking myself the question: did the baby really have Down’s syndrome? For I see more and more examples of wrong diagnostics: many mothers decide to keep their child whatever the handicap, and often, the child is born perfectly normal. Bizarre! To be meditated!

 But God is wonderful! For this family, He changed evil into good. Now hundreds of children (perhaps even thousands) will never be aborted by this doctor who now fights for life.

 “Dear children, tonight I invite you to pray in a special way for the unborn children. Pray especially for the mothers who kill their children. Dear children, I am sad because so many children are killed. Pray that there are no more such mothers in the world.” (To the Medj. Prayer group, 3 03 90)

Time to Listen

One young woman came to us recently after going into hospital 3 times to have her baby aborted. Each time she would spend the day dreading the thought of what was before her. She would deliberately arrive 2 or 3 hours late at the hospital desperately hoping that her appointment would be cancelled. She would be prepared for the operation in a state of total panic. She would even come out in a nervous rash.

Like so many other women she was totally confused and without moral support when she discovered that she was pregnant. All but one of the medical personnel that she spoke to put forward abortion as the only solution. The hospital counsellor seemed to be trying to ‘sell’ the abortion to her, portraying motherhood as a silly romanticised notion.

Somehow, each time this woman found the strength to walk out at the last moment (once, literally seconds before being anaesthetised). Each time, the hospital staff ‘kindly’ booked another date for her abortion to go ahead. Finally, through the efforts of a good Christian soul, Good Counsel Network was put in touch with her. After having a chat with us (We spoke for 8 hours and she said "Nobody else had the time to listen") she is delighted to be keeping her baby, which is what she was crying out to do all along!