A Story of Sacrifice--A Story of Great Love

Late last summer 30-year-old youth mentor, wife and mother, Jessica Council, discovered that she had throat cancer. She also discovered that she was pregnant. An excerpt from the LifeSite News story re-posted at The America Needs Fatima Blog:

Clint describes his wife’s reaction to the news of the cancer in her throat as “a mixture of fear and surprise.” As for himself, he says he felt “just every emotion you can think of … except for joy. I was a basket case.”

But, of course, Jessica wasn’t the only one threatened by the cancer: she was pregnant, and any treatments she underwent would almost certainly harm, and possibly even kill her unborn child.

On November 25th, the hospital’s OB/GYN offered the couple an abortion. Clint says Jessica never hesitated. “That was never an option,” he said. “That is black and white.”

But what was less black and white was whether or not to accept treatments: while the oncologist said chemotherapy would likely kill the baby, the OB/GYN disagreed, saying the baby would probably survive, but suffer brain damage.

“Jessica looked at me, and it took her a few seconds,” says Clint, “and she shook her head ‘no.’” She also refused radiation therapy because of its similar risks.

“We really didn’t have a lot of treatment options after that,” said Clint, pointing out that surgery was never an option because of where the cancer was.

Click here to read the rest of this powerful story.

Two Loves

The following is an excerpt from one of Pope St. Leo the Great's sermons.  (Click here to read the entire text of Sermon 90).

"(T)here are two loves from which proceed all wishes, as different in quality as they are different in their sources. For the reasonable soul, which cannot exist without love, is the lover either of God or the world. In the love of God there is no excess, but in the love of the world all is hurtful.

"And therefore we must cling inseparably to eternal treasures, but things temporal we must use like passers-by, that as we are sojourners hastening to return to our own land, all the good things of this world which meet us may be as aids on the way, not snares to detain us. Therefore the blessed Apostle makes this proclamation, "the time is short: it remains that those who have wives be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they wept not; and those who rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those who buy, as though they possessed not; and those that use this world, as though they used it not. For the fashion of this world passes away (1 Cor 7:29-31).

"But as the world attracts us with its appearance, and abundance and variety, it is not easy to turn away from it unless in the beauty of things visible the Creator rather than the creature is loved; for, when He says, "you shall love the Lord your God from all your heart, and from all your mind, and from all your strength (Mt 22:37),"  He wishes us in noticing to loosen ourselves from the bonds of His love. And when He links the love of our neighbour also to this command, He enjoins on us the imitation of His own goodness, that we should love what He loves and do what He does.

"For although we be "God's husbandry and God's building," and "neither is he that plants anything, nor he that waters, but God that gives the increase," yet in all things He requires our ministry and service, and wishes us to be the stewards of His gifts, that he who bears God's image may do God's will. For this reason, in the Lord's prayer we say most devoutly, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done as in heaven, so also on earth." For what else do we ask for in these words but that God may subdue those whom He has not yet subdued, and as in heaven He makes the angels ministers of His will, so also on earth He may make men? And in seeking this we love God, we love also our neighbour: and the love within us has but one Object, since we desire the bond-servant to serve and the Lord to have rule."


(On the Fast of Seventh Month, V.; III. The love of God contrasted with the love of the world. All paragraph breaks are mine to facilitate reading.)

The World Watches

...as rescue missions are deployed from around the world to give aid to Haiti, devastated only yesterday by a 7+ earthquake.  It is thought that the death toll could be over one hundred thousand.

One hundred thousand fatalities.  One hundred thousand human lives.

If I held vigil, offering prayer unceasingly for one hundred thousand minutes for each human being thought to be dead, I would not rest until the 70th day.

One hundred thousand is a lot of people.  Just imagine if every American gave $100 or more to the relief effort for these victims.

Better yet, don't just imagine it.  Make it a reality.  Click here to do your part.  (I did!)

Truth In Love

"If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love,

I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal." I Cor 13:1

"Because it is filled with truth, charity can be understood in the abundance of its values, it can be shared and communicated. Truth, in fact, is lógos which creates diá-logos, and hence communication and communion." Statements such as this from Benedict XVI's third encyclical letter, Caritas In Veritate, really get me thinking.

Truth, in fact, is lógos. Lógos is greek for thought or word. Don't our thoughts and words reflect what we hold true? At least they should, just like our actions--indelibly linked to the truth--reflect our thoughts and our words. Caritas, Latin for charity or love, is our action. As we continue to strive toward living in grace, we express with our lives the truth to which we hold.

I wish I could express how many times over the last month I've been in that unfortunate position of having to stand up for truth. As I continue to grow in my faith, I realize more and more just how hard it is to REALLY love. I know that loving someone doesn't necessarily mean sparing feelings, or catering to whims, or doing things to make others "happy". This is the unpleasant side of love. Love isn't just about doing "good" things; is also about doing the hard things.

Just look at our Lord. Talk about doing the hard things.

What a comfort to know that when we're doing those hard acts of love, when we're standing up for the truth, we're not standing alone. We're entering into the ultimate Truth through whom and from whom a powerful Love flows; a love far beyond our ability to even comprehend.

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The following video contains a beautiful meditation by Fr. Larry Richards delivered at the 2005 Steubenville Youth Conference. I invite you to watch this clip when you have about 10 minutes of quiet time. I found it better with my eyes closed. You may too.

As you listen, allow it to lead you into a dialogue with the Lord. Can you hear his voice?