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Whenever we pray in the name of Christ, as His children, it is as if Christ holds us on His outstretched hand, so that we stand before the Father at the very edge of Heaven, confident of being heard, and confident of being answered. Everyone can pray, if he or she wishes; but the certainty of being heard comes through union with Christ, established at our Baptism.
People who are deliberately and directly involved in passing laws which permit the neglect or abuse of children or the killing of tiny infants by abortion - or who practice those evils - by their own actions build a wall between themselves and God. Unless they repent, they cannot join Him when they die, but must be damned.
People are co-operating with the evil one when they frame laws which permit a greater number of abortions or which permit the neglect or abuse of children - or when they carry out such acts. Unless these people repent, they cannot break down the wall they have built between themselves and God, and must go down, when they die, to join the evil one forever.
A parent who, for selfish reasons, walks away from a spouse and children, is doing dreadful damage that can leave the children emotionally and spiritually crippled. God wants those sorts of parents to repent of their cruelty, and their new and immoral relationships.
Some pro-abortion campaigners deny that abortion is the killing of little children. They speak of clusters of cells, blobs of tissue, or 'termination of pregnancy', pushing aside the truth, which is that wherever arrangements have to be made for the disposal of bodies, there has been death: in these cases, deliberate killings of millions of unborn, innocent human beings.
It is a dreadful thing, in Christ's sight, that many people are so blind to the wonder of human life, or blind to it being a gift from God, or determined that a woman should not be inconvenienced by a pregnancy, that they support and encourage the killing of babies in the womb: innocent children, to whom He had given the gift of life.
When a man or woman selfishly deserts the vocation to which he or she had freely consented, that person turns away from Christ, Who had called that person, and Who was willing to help that person through every difficulty. It is a dreadful matter to desert a spouse or to abandon one's own children.
There was a time, long ago in Paradise, when our first parents loved to serve God, and were, for a short while, prompt to fulfil all His wishes as soon as He had made them known. Then came the Fall. But now, even God's children today often hide from Him.
If a farmer were to have a field of ripe, surplus wheat he would harvest it, and give it away. He would be seen as mad, if he poisoned the wheat or burned it. But when women have unwanted pregnancies, many wantonly poison or otherwise kill the unborn children, when they could bear the children, and then give them to couples who long to look after them, by adoption.
There are many people who have been urged to have abortions, but who have been given little advice or encouragement on the subject of adoption. This is usually second best, after caring by the birth parent; but it is always better than the killing of an unborn child; and it can give joy to couples unable to conceive children of their own.
Have we repented, and become children of God? The Father and His Son invite us to look at other people just as The Blessed Trinity look upon us, seeing us as we are now, in a state of grace, serving God and our neighbour. We should forget the behaviour and outlook of past times, which people have repented of, and left behind. If we are charitable, we resemble Christ, Who is transforming us.
Christ is pleased when a mother imitates Him by giving thoughtful, unconditional love to her children, and being close to them, helping them at each new stage, whether basics like washing and dressing, or giving them confidence when they go to school, teaching them good manners, and encouraging love amongst relations - and love for God, shown by reverence in church.
Pontius Pilate said, of Jesus: "I find no fault with Him". Yet he gave Him to be scourged and killed, to satisfy the clamour of the crowd. That is what is done today, as politicians allow innocent, unborn babies to be slaughtered in the womb, to satisfy the clamour of people who don't want their own children.
When some Catholic children receive more teaching on self-esteem than humility, this endangers their souls. There is so much outward show, in acts of charity, and little self-effacement. The sin of pride was Satan's great fault. To become proud is to place oneself under his banner, in the war between good and evil.
Parents are responsible for telling children of teenage years about sex, in appropriate ways. To disturb and puzzle little children by giving them unnecessary information in school, far too young, about sexual matters, even with no input about morals, would be a despicable act. They deserve a time of undisturbed joy and innocence, when they are not old enough to make judgements about what they are told.
Christ our God, Who gives us life, was Himself once a child, when He was made man in the womb of Mary. He wants to protect all children from two particular dangers: first, the danger of being killed in the womb, and then the danger of having their childhood innocence destroyed by unnecessary and too-early information, often amoral too, about sexual relationships.
Every detail of our lives is of interest to God, Who loves us as a good father loves his children. Whatever good things we do, God is willing and able to help us with them, whether we build, make music, nurse the sick, or paint for His glory and to delight or help other people. He cannot help us to do evil - though He can bring good out of the evil we do.
It is right that communities, groups, and family members try to help one another to overcome problems and lead good lives; but only in the most exceptional circumstances should people in authority interfere in family life to the extent of depriving parents of their children: occasionally necessary, but otherwise a great evil.
Christ invites us to reflect on this question: How would we have treated Him, had we met Him when He was a child, or a Preacher, or a condemned criminal? Our attitude to people today in such categories is a fair indication of the stance we might have had towards Him. Do we dismiss children, including the unborn, or mock preachers, or despise criminals?
Those Christians who enquire and explore, like children in Narnia, find a place where it is already spring-time. In the Catholic Church, Christ already reigns. He has banished the snow and ice by His love, His true teaching, His provision of the precious drink of Eternal Life - His own Precious Blood; and He asks all people to come and live in His Kingdom, here on earth, and then forever, in Heaven.
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