Catholic Fire

Today is the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which recalls Mary's visit with her cousin Elizabeth. This event is also the second joyful mystery of the rosary -- the first being the Annunciation. Elizabeth had been barren all her life, but in the Annunciation, Mary learned that her cousin was miraculously expecting a child in her old age. Upon hearing this good news, Mary fervently desired to share in Elizabeth's joy and serve her during the last part of her pregnancy. So she went "with haste" to visit Elizabeth Both women rejoiced over their good fortune. What wonderful and exciting news they both had to share! I know what it is like to experience the heartbreak of infertility and can only imagine what a joy it would be to experience pregnancy and to share that bond with another woman. God wants all women to experience the beauty and joy of motherhood, even if they are unable to biologically have children. He wants some of us to adopt child...

Dawn Johnsen, nominee to head the White House Office of Legal Counsel, faces criticism from a pro-life group for her opposition to the federal partial-birth abortion ban and her comments characterizing pregnant mothers as “inevitable losers in the contraceptive lottery” and comparing pregnancy to slavery or being hit by a drunk driver. The Senate Judiciary Committee on March 19 approved Johnsen’s nomination by 11 to 7 for a full vote on the Senate floor. (CNA article) Across the country, Susan B. Anthony List members expressed outrage at Johnsen’s nomination, sending over 26,000 letters of opposition to their U.S. Senators. Johnsen was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 19th by a vote of 11-7. While Johnsen served as the legal counsel for National Abortion & Reproductive Rights Action League (now NARAL Pro-Choice America), she authored numerous legal opinions rejecting any and all restrictions on abortion. Some notable quotes from Johnsen’s amicus curiae brief in ...

AP: New job for laid-off moms: stay-at-home motherhood

by Dana Summers ... See more at Jill Stanek.

This video is dedicated to all the moms out there who make such a difference in the lives of so many. Via Sacred Heart at Love to be Catholic.

This week's Carnival is being hosted by Steven at Book Reviews and More. Steven has done a superb job with images (such as the one at the left) and the theme to create a beautiful Carnival post. Here are just a few of the great posts you'll find there: Denise Hunnell presents The Most Confusing Sacrament--This Was A Surprise! posted at Catholic Matriarch in my Domestic Church aka Catholic Mom . Aggie Catholics (aka Mary's Aggies) writes about In-Vitro Fertilization and Catholics she ponders about the morality of in-vitro fertilization and Catholic teaching. Sarah in a post As We Enter Your First Spring from just another day of Catholic pondering shares a letter to her 6-month-old daughter to try and capture the wonder of seeing the new world through her daughter's eyes. Be sure to go to Steven's blog and check out all the posts -- you'll be glad you did!

How to live marriage in a way that brings maximal happiness to both husband and wife and in turn to the children. A Catholic physician talks to engaged couples by William G. White Warning: Adult Material; not for children St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that in all we do, we seek happiness. The primary source of earthly happiness for human beings—more than work, hobbies, sports, politics or any other interest—is those who are most dear to us. For most people, these dear ones are our family members: husbands, wives, children, parents, etc. Therefore, the way we live our family lives is essential to our happiness. The prevalence of broken homes suggests that many families have not found a way to live happily together. Today we will discuss how to live marriage in a way that brings maximal happiness to both husband and wife and in turn to the children. We will address specifically those ways in which the husband and wife communicate with each other in their intimate relations. But first, a prefa...

is up and this week it is hosted by Sarah, at Just Another Day of Catholic Pondering , who is celebrating her third anniversary of becoming a mother on the feast day of Mary, the Mother of God. So indulge in some Latte or pour yourself another cup of tea and settle in for some good reads. Enjoy!

"Whereas few men are called upon to become priests, all women, without exception, are called upon to be mothers...In her book, The Eternal Woman, Gertrude von le Fort writes: 'To be a mother, to feel maternally, means to turn especially to the helpless, to incline lovingly and helpfully to every small and weak thing upon this earth.' The diabolical work that has taken place since the legalization of abortion is that it has destroyed, in those tragic women who have allowed their child to be murdered, their sense for the sacredness of maternity. Abortion not only murders the innocent; it spiritually murders women. Those who devote their loving attention to these victims of our decadent society know that the wound created in their souls is so deep that only God's grace can heal it. The very soul of the woman is meant to be maternal. Once this sublime calling has been trampled upon, such women become 'unsexed'; they are 'sick unto death.' Maternity is a s...

"That special power of loving that belongs to a woman is seen most clearly when she becomes a mother. Motherhood is the gift of God to women...Yet we can destroy this gift of motherhood, especially by the evil of abortion .... No job, no plans, no possessions, no idea of 'freedom' can take the place of love." ~ Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

I have added a new image to my sidebar - St. Gianna Beretta Molla - whom I pray to daily for an end to abortion. For those of you who are unfamiliar with her, Gianna Beretta Molla was an Italian doctor, wife, and mother who refused to have either an abortion or hysterectomy when she was pregnant with her fourth child. Doctors had discovered in the second month of her pregnancy a fibroma tumor in her uterus. As a doctor, Gianna knew the consequences of not fully treating the fibroma. She chose the life of her child over her own. On the morning of April 21, 1962, a healthy baby girl was born, Gianna Emanuela. Her mother died of septic peritonitis a week after the birth. Gianna was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 24, 1994, during the international year of the family and was canonized on May 16, 2004. ~ This description is courtesy of the St. Giana Beretta Molla Guild. What is her special gift to the culture of life? "The Church celebrates her new saint at a cultural moment w...