Facts on Abortion

Are you aware that.....
54 countries or 61% of world population legalized abortions.
In 1987 alone, about 31 million legal abortions were reported
while another 22 millions were made in cladestine, figuring to
53 millions of helpless unborn murdered worldwide, or a ratio
of 1 for every lifetime of a woman.


54 countries allow abortion, which is about 61 percent of the world population. 97 countries, about 39 percent of the population, have abortion laws that make it illegal according to the pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Law and Policy in New York.

The Alan Guttmacher Institute reports approximately 22 million legal abortions were reported in 1987.

It is estimated that between four and nine million were not reported, totaling of 26-31 million legal abortions in 1987 alone.

There were a total of 10-22 million "clandestine" abortions, bringing the total worldwide figure to 36 and 53 million abortions.
France - Legalized
Britain - Legalized
Switzerland - Legalized
Denmark - legalized
Hungary - Legalized
Romania - Legalized
Poland - Illegal
Italy - Legalized
Colombia - Illegal
Peru - Illegal
Mexico - Illegal
Russia - Legalized
United States - Legalized
China -Legalized
Australia - Legalized
Brazil - Illegal

WORLDWIDE

Number of abortions per year: Approximately 46 Million
Number of abortions per day: Approximately 126,000

Where abortions occur:
78% of all abortions are obtained in developing countries and 22% occur in developed countries.

Legality of abortion:
About 26 million women obtain legal abortions each year, while an additional 20 million abortions are obtained in countries where it is restricted or prohibited by law.

Abortion averages:
Worldwide, the lifetime average is about 1 abortion per woman.

© Copyright 1999-2000, The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (www.agi-usa.org)

UNITED STATES

Number of abortions per year: 1.37 Million (1996)
Number of abortions per day: Approximately 3,700

Who's having abortions (age)?
52% of women obtaining abortions in the U.S. are younger than 25: Women aged 20-24 obtain 32% of all abortions; Teenagers obtain 20% and girls under 15 account for 1.2%.

Who's having abortions (race)?
While white women obtain 60% of all abortions, their abortion rate is well below that of minority women. Black women are more than 3 times as likely as white women to have an abortion, and Hispanic women are roughly 2 times as likely.

Who's having abortions (marital status)?
64.4% of all abortions are performed on never-married women; Married women account for 18.4% of all abortions and divorced women obtain 9.4%.

Who's having abortions (religion)?
Women identifying themselves as Protestants obtain 37.4% of all abortions in the U.S.; Catholic women account for 31.3%, Jewish women account for 1.3%, and women with no religious affiliation obtain 23.7% of all abortions. 18% of all abortions are performed on women who identify themselves as "Born-again/Evangelical".

Who's having abortions (income)?
Women with family incomes less than $15,000 obtain 28.7% of all abortions; Women with family incomes between $15,000 and $29,999 obtain 19.5%; Women with family incomes between $30,000 and $59,999 obtain 38.0%; Women with family incomes over $60,000 obtain 13.8%.

Why women have abortions
1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient).

At what gestational ages are abortions performed:
52% of all abortions occur before the 9th week of pregnancy, 25% happen between the 9th & 10th week, 12% happen between the 11th and 12th week, 6% happen between the 13th & 15th week, 4% happen between the 16th & 20th week, and 1% of all abortions (16,450/yr.) happen after the 20th week of pregnancy.

Likelihood of abortion:
An estimated 43% of all women will have at least 1 abortion by the time they are 45 years old. 47% of all abortions are performed on women who have had at least one previous abortion.

Abortion coverage:
48% of all abortion facilities provide services after the 12th week of pregnancy. 9 in 10 managed care plans routinely cover abortion or provide limited coverage. About 14% of all abortions in the United States are paid for with public funds, virtually all of which are state funds. 16 states (CA, CT, HI, ED, IL, MA , MD, MD, MN, MT, NJ, NM, NY, OR, VT, WA and WV) pay for abortions for some poor women.

The Beatitudes: Pathways of Living in True Joy and Peace

The Beatitudes: Pathways of Living in True Joy and Peace
Reflections and Queries for Sharing
By Virginia Schurman



“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled”

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

“Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted”

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

“Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth”

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy”

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”




The teachings of Jesus called the Beatitudes, recorded in the gospels of Matthew (5:1-10) and Luke (6:20-23), are an invitation to a way of living that brings true happiness and both inward and outward peace. The beatitudes call us to a radically new way of being when we center our lives on God, and we become transformed. The beatitudes call us to true happiness and the deepest of joy as we find our true identity in our relationship with God and true peace both inwardly and outwardly.

Beatitude” is Latin for “an abundant happiness”. In his lesson on the Beatitudes, Jesus calls us to an abundant happiness that makes us complete and whole, in which we find our true selves, the person that God intends us to be. God leads us to a transformation of ourselves, gives us the ability to see what needs to be transformed and to find God’s help in that transformation. They lead us to a peace and joy to be experienced here and now: in knowing Christ’s Living Presence. Just as He did over 2000 years ago in Galilee, the Living Christ brings joy as He seeks us through and accompanies us in our pain. He brings a joy which sorrow and loss and pain and grief are powerless to touch, a happiness that shines through our tears. This is a joy that nothing in life or death can take away, because nothing in life or death can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39). As Jesus said, “no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22).

Each Beatitude begins with the word “blessed.” The Greek word translated as “blessed” means “extremely fortunate, well off, and truly happy” because one is favored by God. To live the Beatitudes is to be centered on God and God’s desires for our life. They invite us to live in a true inward peace that leads to a desire to be outward peacemakers, to bring reconciliation, to seek out opportunities for mercy and compassion, to pursue justice and righteousness as a hunger and thirst. We live the Beatitudes where we are right now, one day at a time, one leading at a time, and one action at a time. We live them realizing that we are imperfect, that we make mistakes, and need forgiveness. We live them with confidence in Jesus’ promise of a joy and peace that only God can give.

The eight Beatitudes in Matthew can be arranged into two categories. The first reflect a longing for a deeper relationship with God (blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn). The second group reveal the transformation of our lives as fruits of that relationship (blessed are the pure of heart, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers, the persecuted). The first group brings us into closer relationship with God which results in the transformation of our lives described in the second group.

The beatitudes leading to longing for a deeper relationship with God

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled”
(Matthew 5:6)

In the days in which Jesus lived and taught, it was common for people to be literally dying of hunger and thirst. They lived where both food and water were scare. Jesus asks in this Beatitude whether we want a deeper relationship with God as much as a starving person wants food, or as much as one dying of thirst wants water. Jesus’ message echoes the experiences of the Psalmist: “As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1). The soul longs for spiritual food and finds it in Christ’s presence.

When Jesus uses the word “righteousness,” He refers to living in accordance with God’s desires for us, in right relationship with God and with others. How much do we hunger and thirst to initiate and sustain righteous relationships in all aspects of our daily lives?

Queries for reflection and sharing on this Beatitude:

1. For what do I most hunger and thirst? How much do I long for a closer relationship with God?
2. What draws me closer to God? Away from God?
3. How does the Holy Spirit call me to become more centered and in right relationship with God and with others?


“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
(Matthew 5:1)

This beatitude can be paraphrased as “I need help, I can’t do it alone.” Jesus calls us to realize our own spiritual helplessness and to put our whole trust in God.” Being poor in spirit leads us to humbleness before God.

We become poor in spirit when everything we rely on falls apart. For some, it is losing loved ones, for others, failure of a cherished dream or ambition, loss of a job, loss of faith in others or ourselves, prolonged periods of dryness in our spiritual life, illness, or other experiences.

In these painful times, in this poverty of spirit, we learn to redefine our attachments. We learn not to rely on the usual things that our culture relies on to define one’s identity: wealth, status, possessions, and even other people. All of these can be taken from us, and we learn that God alone is the only enduring one. We find our true self in our relationship with God.

Jesus says that the poor in spirit are received into the kingdom (or rule or reign) of heaven, where all of creation is once again in right relationship with God and with each other. Jesus teaches that the kingdom of heaven is within (Luke 17:21), as we grow in relationship to the Inward Christ. We learn that our needs and concerns are important, but so are the needs and concerns of others. We learn how to love others with a true compassion. We are more open to seeing God at work in the creation and in others. We learn how to live in ways that our life becomes more unified. We learn that the only real peace comes from our relationship with God and in living in God’s realm.

In this beatitude, Jesus echoes the promises of the Psalms: “I sought the Lord and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Look to Him and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble” (Psalm 34:4-6).

Queries for reflection and sharing:

1. What has been my experience of becoming poor in spirit? How has that helped or hindered me in my relationship with God?
2. What helps me to rely more and more on the Holy Spirit and to center my life on God?
3. What helps me to become more a part of God’s realm (God’s way of being and doing) in my daily life? in my home life? at work?, in my community?, in the Meeting?, in the wider world?


“Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted”
(Matthew 5:4)

There is an Arab proverb paraphrased as “All sunshine makes a desert.” A desert is a place where no fruit can grow. There are many things that sorrow can do. It can bring us to a total reliance on God that would not have been possible in the “good” times. Sorrow can make us more compassionate toward others, since we have walked in their shoes and know their pain and sorrow first hand. Sorrow can show us the essential kindness of others who reach out to us in our need. Sorrow can show us the comfort and compassion of Christ, who walks with us in our sorrow and is a compassionate and understanding companion because He has experienced deep sorrow Himself in his earthly life. In sorrow, we are driven to the deep places of life and a new strength and beauty can enter our soul.

Those who sorrow and mourn include those grieving over the death of a loved one, those who are in physical pain, and those who have a disabling condition such as a chronic disease. Those who mourn include the hungry, the homeless, the persecuted, those without hope, and those suffering from depression or mental illness. It includes those who feel their own shortcomings and their lack of love for God and for others.

Jesus promises that each of us will be comforted by the presence of the Living Christ, who walks with us in our pain. We are also led through our experiences of pain to become comforters to others. The word that Jesus uses for “comfort” also means, “to encourage, to excite, to urge.” We become truly compassionate through our experiences of pain. We are enabled to be God’s helpers and to reach out in love to others because we know their pain first hand. Comfort is promised by the Psalmist “My soul languishes for your salvation; I hope in your word.” (Psalm 119:82)

Queries for reflection and sharing:

1. How has mourning in all its manifestations brought me closer to God and others?
2. In what ways have suffering and difficulties brought new openings in my spiritual life?

The Beatitudes showing us the ways in which our relationship with God transforms us and our lives


“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
(Matthew 5:8)

Jesus used the word “heart” as we would “mind” or “will.” In the days of Jesus’ earthly life, the heart was considered the source of an individual’s thoughts, desires, and actions. The person was whatever his or her heart was. In the Hebrew Bible, only Yahweh could truly know one’s heart. The Psalmist wrote, “Those with clean hands and a pure heart will ascend the hill of the Lord.” (Psalm 24:3-5) and “Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure of heart” (Psalm 73:1)

In Jesus, we see what it is like to be pure in heart. He took on human nature and modeled a life centered on God. He was constantly in touch with God and did God’s will in all things. He accepted lowliness and poverty. He had a particular regard for those rejected by others; the ones that others rejected and did not love - the poor, the prisoners, the sick, and the women and children. To become pure of heart is to have all aspects of our lives centered on God, our thoughts, desires, and actions. To become pure of heart means that all aspects of our life radiate from our experiences of God’s love.

Queries for reflection and sharing:

1. What encourages me to place God more and more at the center of my life, so that my thoughts, desires, and actions flow from that Center?
2. What helps me to seek and be content with God’s will in all things?
3. Are there impediments in my spiritual life, which are hindering my growth?



“Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth”
(Matthew 5:5)

This beatitude echoes Psalm 37:11: “the meek shall inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity.” The meaning of meekness is very complex. The Greek word “meek” can also be translated as “humble” or “powerless”. It is not being a doormat. Meekness arises from being centered on God. It is a fruit of being pure in heart, of living out God’s will in all aspects of our daily life. The apostle Paul says that the meek exercise self control in all things. For example, meekness is knowing, with God’s guidance when to get angry and how to get angry. Jesus, as the example of meekness in all things, called the self-righteous “hypocrites and whitewashed tombs,” and drove the moneychangers from the temple but did not resist His persecutors when He was arrested and tried. The meek Jesus lived His life in balance and never in the extremes of destructive rage on one hand or cowardice on the other. Meekness makes us self-possessed and lets us see the truth about ourselves and others that we can miss when we’re overwhelmed by emotion.

Meekness toward others implies loving-kindness and gentleness of spirit, and a freedom from malice and a vengeful spirit. Meekness is also how we respond to others in the face of insult and suffering. The meek do not resist evil, but overcome evil with good (Matthew 5:39).

There is also meekness toward God, when we are so open to God’s guidance that we do not reject it even when it challenges us to change or to do something that we personally dislike. Meekness involves resignation, a calm acquiescence to God’s will for us. Meekness is one of God’s gifts to us, one of the fruits of the Spirit described by Paul in Galatians (5:22-23).

Meekness helps us live a true humility and makes us “teachable,” because the more we grow spiritually, the more we realize how little we do know, and that in our spiritual life it is not possible or important to know everything. In meekness, we come to trust in God, that what we do need to know will be revealed to us, as we need it, and that walking with God is taking only one step at a time in faith.

Queries for reflection and sharing:

1. What are my experiences of being meek with others and with God? of being resigned to God’s will?
2. What helps me to live in balance and not in destructive rage or wimpiness?
3. How does the Spirit help me to develop kindness, gentleness, self-control, patience, and humbleness? to temper my anger? to love all people, even those who irritate me?



“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy”
(Matthew 5:7)

The word “mercy” is used in the Bible to refer to God’s actions. In being merciful, we are reflections of God’s Love. Mother Theresa of Calcutta devoted her life to help the dying, who were outcasts and rejected by everyone else. She wrote that she was led to do this to share the great love that God had given her and because she saw Christ coming to her in these outcasts to be loved and to be served.

The Aramaic word that Jesus used for “mercy” implies that we identify with others: we see things as others see them, we feel as others feel, we are going through what the other person is going through because we have experienced the same things ourselves. Our experiences allow us to know what that person needs and to respond in a way that is right for them. They also make forgiveness easier because we understand a person’s reasons for thinking and acting in a certain way. This is what God did for us by becoming human in Jesus, who learned by experience to see with a person’s eyes, to experience with a person’s feelings, to think with a person’s thoughts. He came to know all the joys and sorrows of being human first hand.

Queries for reflection and sharing:

1. How have my experiences helped me to be more loving to others? To identify with them, help them, and to forgive them?
2. How does the Holy Spirit help me to be merciful? What have been my struggles in being merciful and forgiving?


“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God”
(Matthew 5:9)

The word “peace” is used in the Bible over 400 times. The Hebrew word “shalom,” which we translate into English as “peace,” has many meanings. It means more than the absence of war or conflict. It means a condition of completeness, in which nothing is lacking. It means perfection, in which everything which makes for a person’ highest good is present. In the Hebrew Bible, Yahweh is peace. In the Christian Bible, Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Jesus, in His final talk with His disciples before His death, said “Peace I leave you, my peace I give to you” (John 14:27). When one is at peace, one is in a perfect state of well being within one’s self and with others and is in perfect synchrony with God.

What does it mean to be a peacemaker? First, we accept God’s gift of peace ourselves, the inward peace that we know when we live our lives in Christ’s Living presence and according to God’s guidance. We have peace within ourselves and are given purity of heart when our whole heart and life is given over to God. From this overwhelming experience of the abundance of God’s love, we are led to be loving to others. We know that this loving may be very costly to us. On one hand, it may be well received and returned or we may be rejected or persecuted for it. Jesus understands this all too well. It is one of the mysteries of the Cross. Jesus also understands that it was only this radical love, which dared to love while expecting no love in return, that can cut across and end the mounting barriers of increasing revenge and hatred, which dominate our world.

Queries for reflection and sharing:

1. Have there been times in my life in which God’s love has brought me to a place of internal peace?
2. In what ways am I led to be a peacemaker in my home life? at work? in my community?, in the Meeting?, in the wider world?


“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”
(Matthew 5:10)

Those who have devoted their life to God and living by God’s values and are being led in all things by God, are inevitably going to challenge systems based on other values. God’s realm of love, righteousness, truth and justice challenges systems built on the opposite values of power, greed, oppression, falsehood, and the exploitation of others and the creation.

Jesus Himself knew persecution, as did the Early Christians and the Early Friends. Persecution can take many forms - death, imprisonment, shunning, verbal expressions, etc. We are called to be meek and respond to persecution with loving-kindness.

Queries for reflection and sharing:

1. In what ways am I called to challenge systems built on power, greed, oppression, falsehood, and exploitation of others and of the creation?
2. Is my witness strong enough -am I doing anything worthy of being persecuted?
3. Do I love and pray for those who persecute me?

The beatitudes call us to a new way of being and doing that can radically transform our lives and the lives of all we touch. They bring true happiness and the deepest of joy as we find our true identity in our relationship with God and true peace both inwardly and outwardly.

The Eight Beatitudes

The Eight Beatitudes

The solemn blessings (beatitudines, benedictiones) which mark the opening of the Sermon on the Mount, the very first of Our Lord's sermons in the Gospel of St. Matthew (5:3-10).

Four of them occur again in a slightly different form in the Gospel of St. Luke (6:22), likewise at the beginning of a sermon, and running parallel to Matthew 5-7, if not another version of the same. And here they are illustrated by the opposition of the four curses (24-26).

The fuller account and the more prominent place given the Beatitudes in St. Matthew are quite in accordance with the scope and the tendency of the First Gospel, in which the spiritual character of the Messianic kingdom -- the paramount idea of the Beatitudes -- is consistently put forward, in sharp contrast with Jewish prejudices. The very peculiar form in which Our Lord proposed His blessings make them, perhaps, the only example of His sayings that may be styled poetical -- the parallelism of thought and expression, which is the most striking feature of Biblical poetry, being unmistakably clear.

The text of St. Matthew runs as follows:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 3)
Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land. (Verse 4)
Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Verse 5)
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. (Verse 6)
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Verse 7)
Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. (Verse 8)
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (Verse 9)
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 10)

TEXTUAL CRITICISM

As regards textual criticism, the passage offers no serious difficulty. Only in verse 9, the Vulgate and many other ancient authorities omit the pronoun autoi, ipsi; probably a merely accidental ommission. There is room, too, for serious critical doubt, whether verse 5 should not be placed before verse 4. Only the etymological connection, which in the original is supposed to have existed between the "poor" and the "meek", makes us prefer the order of the Vulgate.

First Beatitude
The word poor seems to represent an Aramaic `ányâ (Hebrew `anî), bent down, afflicted, miserable, poor; while meek is rather a synonym from the same root, `ánwan (Hebrew `ánaw), bending oneself down, humble, meek, gentle. Some scholars would attach to the former word also the sense of humility; others think of "beggars before God" humbly acknowledging their need of Divine help. But the opposition of "rich" (Luke 6:24) points especially to the common and obvious meaning, which, however, ought not to be confined to economical need and distress, but may comprehend the whole of the painful condition of the poor: their low estate, their social dependence, their defenceless exposure to injustice from the rich and the mighty. Besides the Lord's blessing, the promise of the heavenly kingdom is not bestowed on the actual external condition of such poverty. The blessed ones are the poor "in spirit", who by their free will are ready to bear for God's sake this painful and humble condition, even though at present they be actually rich and happy; while on the other hand, the really poor man may fall short of this poverty "in spirit".

Second Beatitude
Inasmuch as poverty is a state of humble subjection, the "poor in spirit", come near to the "meek", the subject of the second blessing. The anawim, they who humbly and meekly bend themselves down before God and man, shall "inherit the land" and posses their inheritance in peace. This is a phrase taken from Psalm 36:11, where it refers to the Promised Land of Israel, but here in the words of Christ, it is of course but a symbol of the Kingdom of Heaven, the spiritual realm of the Messiah. Not a few interpreters, however, understand "the earth". But they overlook the original meaning of Psalm 36:11, and unless, by a far-fetched expedient, they take the earth also to be a symbol of the Messianic kingdom, it will be hard to explain the possession of the earth in a satisfactory way.

Third Beatitude
The "mourning" in the Third Beatitude is in Luke (6:25) opposed to laughter and similar frivolous worldly joy. Motives of mourning are not to be drawn from the miseries of a life of poverty, abjection, and subjection, which are the very blessings of verse 3, but rather from those miseries from which the pious man is suffering in himself and in others, and most of all the tremendous might of evil throughout the world. To such mourners the Lord Jesus carries the comfort of the heavenly kingdom, "the consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:25) foretold by the prophets, and especially by the Book of Consolation of Isaias (11-16). Even the later Jews knew the Messiah by the name of Menahhem, Consoler. These three blessings, poverty, abjection, and subjection are a commendation of what nowadays are called the passive virtues: abstinence and endurace, and the Eighth Beatitude (verse 10) leads us back again to the teaching.

Fourth Beatitude
The others, however, demand a more active behaviour. First of all, "hunger and thirst" after justice: a strong and continuous desire of progress in religious and moral perfection, the reward of which will be the very fulfilment of the desire, the continuous growth in holiness.

Fifth Beatitude
From this interior desire a further step should be taken to acting to the works of "mercy", corporal and spiritual. Through these the merciful will obtain the Divine mercy of the Messianic kingdom, in this life and in the final judgment. The wonderful fertility of the Church in works and institutions of corporal and spiritual mercy of every kind shows the prophetical sense, not to say the creative power, of this simple word of the Divine Teacher.

Sixth Beatitude
According to biblical terminology, "cleanness of heart" (verse 8) cannot exclusively be found in interior chastity, nor even, as many scholars propose, in a genral purity of conscience, as opposed to the Levitical, or legal, purity required by the Scribes and Pharisees. At least the proper place of such a blessing does not seem to be between mercy (verse 7) and peacemaking (verse 9), nor after the apparently more far-reaching virtue of hunger and thirst after justice. But frequently in the Old and New Testaments (Genesis 20:5; Job 33:3, Psalms 23:4 (24:4) and 72:1 (73:1); 1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:22) the "pure heart" is the simple and sincere good intention, the "single eye" of Matthew 6:22, and thus opposed to the unavowed by-ends of the Pharisees (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18; 7:15; 23:5-7, 14) This "single eye" or "pure heart" is most of all required in the works of mercy (verse 7) and zeal (verse 9) in behalf of one's neighbor. And it stands to reason that the blessing, promised to this continuous looking for God's glory, should consist of the supernatural "seeing" of God Himself, the last aim and end of the heavenly kingdom in its completion.

Seventh Beatitude
The "peacemakers" (verse 9) are those who not only live in peace with others but moreover do their best to preserve peace and friendship among mankind and between God and man, and to restore it when it has been disturbed. It is on account of this godly work, "an imitating of God's love of man" as St. Gregory of Nyssa styles it, that they shall be called the sons of God, "children of your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:45).

Eighth Beatitude
When after all this the pious disciples of Christ are repaid with ingratitude and even "persecution" (verse 10) it will be but a new blessing, "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

So, by an inclusion, not uncommon in biblical poetry, the last blessing goes back to the first and the second. The pious, whose sentiments and desires whose works and sufferings are held up before us, shall be blessed and happy by their share in the Messianic kingdom, here and hereafter. And viewed in the intermediate verses seem to express, in partial images of the one endless beatitude, the same possession of the Messianic salvation. The eight conditions required constitute the fundamental law of the kingdom, the very pith and marrow of Christian perfection. For its depth and breadth of thought, and its practical bearing on Christian life, the passage may be put on a level with the Decalogue in the Old, and the Lord's Prayer in the New Testament, and it surpassed both in its poetical beauty of structure.

Prayer for Peace

Prayer for Peace
Pope John Paul II


Lord Jesus Christ, who are called the Prince of Peace, who are yourself our peace and reconciliation, who so often said, "Peace to you," grant us peace. Make all men and women witnesses of truth, justice, and brotherly love. Banish from their hearts whatever might endanger peace. Enlighten our rulers that they may guarantee and defend the great gift of peace. May all peoples on the earth become as brothers and sisters. May longed-for peace blossom forth and reign always over us all.

Prayer for the Unborn

ARE YOU AWARE THAT...

54 countries or 61% of world population legalized abortions. In 1987 alone, about 31 million legal abortions were reported while another 22 millions were made in cladestine, figuring to 53 millions of helpless unborn murdered worldwide, or a ratio of 1 for every lifetime of a woman.

Please spread this fact and pause for this short prayer.







PRAYER TO SAVE THE HELPLESS UNBORN

Heavenly Father, in Your love for us, protect against the wickedness of the devil, those helpless little ones to whom You have given the gift of life.

Touch with pity the hearts of those women pregnant in our world today who are not thinking of motherhood.

Help them to see that the child they carry is made in Your image - as well as theirs - made for eternal life.

Dispel their fear and selfishness and give them true womanly hearts to love their babies and give them birth and all the needed care that a mother can give.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for Those in Active Service

Prayer for Those in Active Service

O God, we beseech Thee, watch over those exposed to the horrors of war and to the spiritual dangers of a soldier's, a sailor's or an airman's life. Give them such a strong faith that no human respect may ever lead them to deny it or fear to practice it. Do Thou, by Thy grace, fortify them against the contagion of bad example, that, being preserved from vice, and serving Thee faithfully, they may be ready to meet death wherever it may happen, through Christ our Lord.

Prayer for Solace

Prayer of Solace


May God's grace help us all the day long,
till the shadows lengthen,
and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed,
and the fever of life is over
and our work is done.
Then in His Divine Mercy
give us a safe lodging,
and holy rest and peace at the last.
Amen.


Amen.

Prayer for Serenity

Serenity Prayer


Lord God, grant me the courage to change the things I can change, the serenity to accept those I cannot change,and the wisdom to know the difference. But God, grant me the courage not to give up on what I think is right, even though I think it is hopeless. Amen.

God Loves You.
Have a Blessed Day...Friend.

Prayer for Healing

Touch Me Lord

Lord, You invite all who are burdened to come to You. Allow your healing hand to heal me.

Touch my soul with Your compassion for others.

Touch my heart with Your courage and infinite love for all.

Touch my mind with Your wisdom, that my mouth may always proclaim Your praise.

Teach me to reach out to You in my need, and help me to lead others to You by my example.

Most loving Heart of Jesus, bring me health in body and spirit that I may serve You with all my strength.

Touch gently this life which You have created, now and forever.

Amen.

Prayer for the Entrustment of the Family

Prayer for the Entrustment of the Family

Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, I come to you to entrust myself, my entire family, and my parish family to your two hearts. I desire to renew the vows of my baptism and place each member of my family through an act of faith, hope and love into loving union with the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. I dedicate myself, each member of my family, and my parish family to the Guardian Angels God has given each one of us. O Holy Guardian Angels, enlighten, guide and protect each one so as to lead us safely home to heaven.

At Fatima, dear Mother of God, you appeared with St. Joseph and the Child Jesus blessing the world. O Holy Family, bestow blessings upon me, my entire family, and my parish family so that we may live the Christ - life. I desire that each member of my family, and my parish family adore always the Most Blessed Trinity and love our God in the most Blessed Sacrament.

Grant peace to each member of my family, and my parish family. Keep each one in the grace of Jesus Christ. Never permit any of my family, or my parish family to stray from the true faith. (For any family member, or parish family member, who has strayed, I beseech you to bind up the wounds, lift up the fallen, restore and keep each of our loved ones in grace. Bid them come back to their Father's true home.)

Amen.

Prayer of Parents for their Children

Prayer of Parents for their Children

O Lord, omnipotent Father, we give you thanks for having given us children. They are our joy, and we accept with serenity the worries, fears and labors which bring us pain.

Help us to love them sincerely. Through us you gave life to them; from eternity you knew them and loved them. Give us the wisdom to guide them, patience to teach them, vigilance to accustom them to the good through our example.

Support our love so that we may receive them back when they have strayed and make them good. It is often so difficult to understand them, to be as they would want us to be, to help them go on their way.

Grant that they may always see our home as a haven in their time of need. Teach us and help us, O good Father, through the merits of Jesus, your Son and our Lord.

Amen.

Prayer of Children for their Parents

Prayer of Children for their Parents

O Almighty God, you gave us the commandment to honor our father and mother.

In your loving kindness hear my prayer for my parents. Give them long lives and keep them well in body and spirit.

Bless their labors; keep them always in your care. Bless them generously for their loving care for me.

Grant that, through your grace, I may always be their support and comfort, and that, after our life together on earth, we may experience the joy of together praising you forever.

Amen.

Graduation Prayer

Loving Father,

I have knowledge, so will You show me now,
How to use it wisely and find a way somehow

To make the world I live in a little better place,
And make life with its problems a little bit easier to face.

Grant me faith and courage and put purpose in my days,
And show me how to serve Thee in effective ways.

So my education, my knowledge and my skill
May find their true fulfillment as I learn to do Thy will.

And may I ever be aware in everything I do,
That knowledge comes from learning, and wisdom comes from You.

Amen.

A Father's Prayer

A Father's Prayer

Build me a son, O Lord,
who will be strong enough to know when he is weak,
and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid;
one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat,
and humble and gentle in victory.

Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort,
but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge.


Here let him learn to stand up in the storm;
here let him learn compassion for those who fail.

Build me a son whose heart will be clear,
whose goal will be high,
a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men,
one who will reach into the future,
yet never forget the past.

And, after all these things are his,
give him, I pray, enough of a sense of humor,
so that he may always be serious,
yet never take himself too seriously.

Give him humility,
so that he may always remember the simplicity of true greatness,
the open mind of true strength.
Then I, his father, will dare to whisper,
‘I have not lived in vain.'

Prayer Before the Cross

Look down upon me, good and gentile Jesus,
while before Your face I humbly kneel and,
with burning soul, pray and beseech You to
fix deep in my heart libely sentiments of
faith, hope and charity; true contrition for
my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment.

While I comtemplate, with great love and tender
pity, Your five most precious wounds,
ponder over them within me and calling
to mind the words which David, Your
prophet, said to You, my Jesus:

"They have pierced My hands and My feet,
they have numbered all My bones."

Prayer Before A Crucifix

Behold, O kind and most sweet Jesus, I cast myself upon my knees in Thy sight, and with the most fervent desire of my soul I pray and beseech Thee that Thou wouldst impress upon my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, with true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment, while with deep affection and and grief of soul I ponder within myself and mentally contemplate Thy five Wounds, having before my eyes that which David, thr prophet, spoke of Thee, my Jesus: "They have pierced My hands and My feet; they have numbered all My bones."

Our Father
Hail Mary
Glory Be
for the Holy Father's intentions

A Prayer of Renewal

A Prayer of Renewal

Lord Jesus,
give us the humility wherever pride reigns,
pardon wherever offense abides,
grace wherever sin abounds;
we pray to You;
Jesus Christ, risen Lord, have mercy on us!

The Lord is My Shepherd

The Lord is My Shepherd

Lord, we are Your people, the sheep of Your flock.
Heal the sheep who are wounded,
touch the sheep who are in pain,
clean the sheep who are soiled,
warm the lambs who are cold.

Help us to know the Father's love
through Jesus the Shepherd and through His Holy Spirit.
Help us to lift up that love, and show it all over this land.
Help us to build love on justice and justice on love.
Help us to believe mightily, hope joyfully, love divinely.
Renew us that we may renew the face of the earth.Amen.

Prayer of St. John Gabriel Perboyre, CM

Prayer of St. John Gabriel Perboyre, CM

O my Divine Savior, transform me into yourself.
May my hands be the hands of Jesus.
May my tongue be the tongue of Jesus,
Grant that every faculty of my body may serve only to glorify you.
Above all, transform my soul and all its powers,
that my memory, my will and my affections
may be the memory, the will and the affections of Jesus.
I pray you to destroy in me all that is not you.
Grant that I may live but in you and for you,
and that I may truly say with St. Paul:
"I live, now not I, but Christ lives in me" (Gal 2:20).

Holy Are Your Ways

Holy Are Your Ways

Help me to understand, Lord,
that what counts is not the road traveled,
but simply putting my hand in yours
and journeying side by side with you, Lord Jesus --
0 you who are the joy of my journey
and also the repose in the Father's home!
Holy, holy is the Lord, for eternal is his love.

Akita Prayer

Akita Prayer

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist, I consecrate my body and soul to be entirely one with Your heart, being sacrificed at every instant on all the altars of the world and giving praise to the Father pleading for the coming of His Kingdom.

Please receive this humble offering of myself. Use me as You will for the glory of the Father and salvation of souls.

Most Holy Mother of God, never let me be separated from Your Divine Son. Please defend and protect me as Your special child. Amen.

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Christ Jesus, before ascending into heaven, You promised to send the Holy Spirit to Your apostles and disciples.

Grant that the same Spirit may perfect in our lives the work of Your grace and love.

Grant us the Spirit of Fear Of The Lord that we may be filled with a loving reverence toward You.

The Spirit of Piety that we may find peace and fulfillment in the service of God while serving others;

The Spirit of Fortitude that we may bear our cross with You and, with courage, overcome the obstacles that interfere with our salvation;

The Spirit of Knowledge that we may know You and know ourselves and grow in holiness;

The Spirit of Understanding to enlighten our minds with the light of Your truth;

The Spirit of Counsel that we may choose the surest way of doing Your will, seeking first the Kingdom;

Grant us the Spirit of Wisdom that we may aspire to the things that last forever;

Teach us to be Your faithful disciples and animate us in every way with Your Spirit.

Amen.

Pentecost Prayer

Pentecost Prayer

Spirit of Christ, stir me;
Spirit of Christ, move me;
Spirit of Christ, fill me;
Spirit of Christ, seal me.
Consecrate in me Your Heart and Will, O Heavenly Father.
Create in me a fountain of virtues.
Seal my soul as Your own, that Your reflection in me may be a light for all to see.
Amen.

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit

Act of Consecration to the Holy Spirit

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God.

I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You.

Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness.
Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere "Speak Lord for Your servant heareth."

Come, Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit, and fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your Divine Love. Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth. Oh God, Who by the light of the Holy Spirit instructed the hearts of the faithful, Grant, that by the same Spirit we may be truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Breath into me Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
Move in me, Holy Spirit,
that my work too, may be holy.
Attract my heart, Holy Spirit,
that I may love only what is holy.
Strengthen me, Holy Spirit,
that I may defend all that is holy.
Protect me, Holy Spirit,
that I always may be holy.

Prayer of Saint Charles Borromeo

Prayer of Saint Charles Borromeo

Almighty God, you have generously made known to human beings the mysteries of your life through Jesus Christ your Son in the Holy Spirit.

Enlighten my mind to know these mysteries which your Church treasures and teaches.

Move my heart to love them and my will to live in accord with them.

Give me the ability to teach this Faith to others without pride, without ostentation, and without personal gain.

Let me realize that I am simply your instrument for bringing others to the knowledge of the wonderful things you have done for all your creatures.

Help me to be faithful to this task that you have entrusted to me.

Amen.

Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great

DICTATED BY OUR LORD TO RELEASE 1,000 SOULS FROM PURGATORY
EACH TIME IT IS SAID

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family.
Amen.

Prayer of Padre Pio after Communion

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.

Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life, and without You, I am without fervor.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light, and without You, I am in darkness.

Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.

Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.

Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much, and always be in Your company.

Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.

Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I wish it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love.

Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes, death, judgement, eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches. I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!

Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You.

Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.

Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.

Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do not merit it, but, the gift of Your Presence, oh yes, I ask this of You!

Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for. Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.

With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity.

Amen

Peace Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Peace Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is dispair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

A prayer for the young women of the world

A prayer for the young women of the world

Father God, thank you for all the young women in the world. Give them dreams that are bigger than themselves--so they will have to trust you to make their dream come true. Give them a will and heart to be all you created them to be. Help them to work hard and be successful.

Enable them to be generous to those who are less fortunate. Give them hearts full of love and compassion.

Give them the strength to say "no" to activities that they would later be remorseful about--that they would do what is right for them and for the world around them. Help them to be kind to others.

Protect them from people who would harm them physically, emotionally and mentally.

Let them know that allowing You to direct their way is the smartest thing they can do. In Jesus wonderful and powerful name. Amen

Prayer for Submission to the Lord

"Dear Lord, I give you my hands to do Your work;
I give You my feet to go Your way;
I give You my eyes to see as You see;
I give You my tongue to speak Your words;
I give You my mind that You may think in me;
I give You my spirit that You may pray in me.

Above all, I give You my heart that You may love in me
- love the Father and love all humankind.
I give You my whole self, Lord, that You may grow in me,
so that it is You who lives, works and prays in me. Amen."

Man Does Not Live By Bread Alone

Man does not live by bread alone
But by the Bread of the Spirit,
That is, LOVE.

Love is the strenght of the Will that
Carries you to His Way.

Love is the power of the Heart that will
Embrace you on Truth that pains.

Love is the Light of the Soul that will
Clear your visions in Life.

Love is the Way, the Truth and
the Life. Love is the Spirit of God.

God Loves You. Have a Blessed Day.

(P.S. Can you add me to your friend's list?)
Thanks...

Never Forget to Remember God

NEVER FORGET TO REMEMBER,
GOD LOVES YOU FOREVER

Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.
But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.

Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.
But never forget to remember
Those that stays always besides you.

Always remember to forget
The troubles that have passed away.
But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.

Always remember to forget
The failures that you have done.
But never forget to remember
The Cross that carries you on
To God's Paradise.

God loves you in Jesus Name.
Thanks for adding me as your friend.
Have a Blessed Day.

My Prayer

Grant us O Lord Jesus, the grace of Thy Divine Love,
To be humbled with contrite heart into Your Divine Mercy,
And totally surrender ourselves to Thy Father's Loving Will,
O Immaculate Mother of Christ, O Blessed Joseph, protector of Jesus,
Pray for us sinners, now and in the hour of our death. Amen