The Liberty to Do What We Ought, Fortnight for Freedom, day 13

The quality we Americans most cherish is liberty. It is here that we Christians, while patriots, often find ourselves restless. Not that we are not grateful for our freedom – you bet we are! But we admit that too often liberty has been misinterpreted to mean license. No one articulated this apprehension better than Pope John Paul II, who taught, “genuine freedom is not the right to do whatever we want, but the liberty to do what we ought.” So, our American freedom is not a “cutting loose” from God, morality, virtue, or responsibility, but a bracing impetus to carry out the duties that are ingrained deep in our soul.

Cardinal Dolan's latest post says it perfectly, so go read the whole thing.

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Let us pray: for our country, to change hearts, and for those living where taking your faith seriously means taking your life in your hands ...

Prayer for Religious Liberty

Almighty God, Father of all nations,
for freedom you have set us free in Christ Jesus (Gal 5:1).

We praise and bless you for the gift of religious liberty,
the foundation of human rights, justice and the common good.

Grant to our leaders the wisdom to protect
and promote our liberties.

By your grace may we have the courage to defend them,
for ourselves and for all those who live in this blessed land.

We ask this through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, our patroness,
and in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, with whom you live and reign,
one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

St. Thomas More, pray for us
St. John Fisher, pray for us
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us
Bl. Miguel Pro, pray for us
Venerable Fulton Sheen, pray for us
St. Monica, pray for us
St. Augustine, pray for us
St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us

Gloria Purvis, Fortnight for Freedom, day 12

Gloria Purvis is so articulate, reasoned, and intelligent that I am letting her speak for us today.

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Let us pray: for our country, to change hearts, and for those living where taking your faith seriously means taking your life in your hands ...

Prayer for Religious Liberty

Almighty God, Father of all nations,
for freedom you have set us free in Christ Jesus (Gal 5:1).

We praise and bless you for the gift of religious liberty,
the foundation of human rights, justice and the common good.

Grant to our leaders the wisdom to protect
and promote our liberties.

By your grace may we have the courage to defend them,
for ourselves and for all those who live in this blessed land.

We ask this through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, our patroness,
and in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, with whom you live and reign,
one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

St. Thomas More, pray for us
St. John Fisher, pray for us
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us
Bl. Miguel Pro, pray for us
Venerable Fulton Sheen, pray for us
St. Monica, pray for us
St. Augustine, pray for us
St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us

Christ in Three-Space, Fortnight for Freedom, day 11

I realized during one of the quiet meditative bits that I could still be praying. The trouble was that I hadn’t memorized very many prayers, and St. Patrick’s Breastplate was not one of them. But I figured, I might not know the litany accurately, but I know the general form. ”Christ in one place, Christ in a diametrically opposed place.” That’s how I ended up praying something like this:

Christ above me, Christ below me,
Christ within me, Christ beside me,
Christ when I rise up, and Christ when I lie down,
Christ in three-space, Christ in tiny rolled up dimensions where gravity lives

I figured that was probably ok, as it’s totally what St. Patrick would have written if he’d been able to share in the delight of God’s creation through theoretical physics.

Leah Libresco's been up to Math-Related Prayer Hijinks. I say, preach it sister! He is everywhere and at the same time we are held in the palm of His hand. If that isn't using theoretical physics, I don't know what is.

Let us pray: for our country, to change hearts, and for those living where taking your faith seriously means taking your life in your hands ...

Prayer for Religious Liberty

Almighty God, Father of all nations,
for freedom you have set us free in Christ Jesus (Gal 5:1).

We praise and bless you for the gift of religious liberty,
the foundation of human rights, justice and the common good.

Grant to our leaders the wisdom to protect
and promote our liberties.

By your grace may we have the courage to defend them,
for ourselves and for all those who live in this blessed land.

We ask this through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, our patroness,
and in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, with whom you live and reign,
one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

St. Thomas More, pray for us
St. John Fisher, pray for us
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us
Bl. Miguel Pro, pray for us
Venerable Fulton Sheen, pray for us

Stay Tuned, Fortnight for Freedom, day 10

Justice Ruth Ginsberg, said “A mandate to purchase a particular product would be unconstitutional if, for example, the edict impermissibly abridged the freedom of speech, interfered with the free exercise of religion, or infringed on a liberty interest protected by the Due Process Clause.”

Read more at GetReligion

It ain't over til it's over. And even then, if you have enough of a Catholic point of view .... it still ain't over. Because we have to hang onto an eternal viewpoint.

That doesn't mean we stop doing the right thing or fighting the right battles. But it does mean that there is more in heaven and earth than we can comprehend while we are in the "here and now" of life. Our job is to stay faithful, stay the course, be not afraid, and ... pray.

Let us pray: for our country, to change hearts, and for those living where taking your faith seriously means taking your life in your hands ...

Prayer for Religious Liberty

Almighty God, Father of all nations,
for freedom you have set us free in Christ Jesus (Gal 5:1).

We praise and bless you for the gift of religious liberty,
the foundation of human rights, justice and the common good.

Grant to our leaders the wisdom to protect
and promote our liberties.

By your grace may we have the courage to defend them,
for ourselves and for all those who live in this blessed land.

We ask this through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, our patroness,
and in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, with whom you live and reign,
one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

St. Thomas More, pray for us
St. John Fisher, pray for us
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us
Bl. Miguel Pro, pray for us
Venerable Fulton Sheen, pray for us

New Evangelizers - Fortnight for Freedom, day 9

We are looking for writers for the New Evangelizers blog.

If you're interested in sharing your faith and specifically things that tie into New Evangelization, especially how to Know Your Faith, Live Your Faith, and Share Your Faith, we'd love to hear from you.

Contact Sarah Reinhard at blog@snoringscholar.com or leave a comment on this post at her blog.

I continually think back to the first century Christians who had no control over their government or their society. They controlled only the way they lived and worshipped, which was often dangerous if anyone else found out. Yet through their lives and examples they changed the world.

We are called upon to do no less. Sarah's New Evangelizers blog seems like an excellent way to fall more in love with our faith and, of course, through that to fall deeper in love with God.

Definitely go by there and see what's going on. For one thing, Sarah is working her way through a new document from the U.S. bishops, Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization. It's a good way to absorb it a bit at a time and Sarah is a thoughtful guide.

Let us pray: for our country, to change hearts, and for those living where taking your faith seriously means taking your life in your hands ...

Prayer for Religious Liberty

Almighty God, Father of all nations,
for freedom you have set us free in Christ Jesus (Gal 5:1).

We praise and bless you for the gift of religious liberty,
the foundation of human rights, justice and the common good.

Grant to our leaders the wisdom to protect
and promote our liberties.

By your grace may we have the courage to defend them,
for ourselves and for all those who live in this blessed land.

We ask this through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, our patroness,
and in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, with whom you live and reign,
one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

St. Thomas More, pray for us
St. John Fisher, pray for us
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us
Bl. Miguel Pro, pray for us
Venerable Fulton Sheen, pray for us

Supreme Court Decision Info and German Banning of Judaism, Fortnight for Freedom, Day 7

From Aliens in This World comes the reminder that the government's job is not to be everyone's nanny, via Germany. In her usually pithy language, which is one of the joys of reading that blog...(read it all at the link).

“To your tents, O Israel!”

Anybody who’s avoided the impression that we’re reliving the incredibly crappy 1930′s — behold the banning of Judaism in Germany.

History notoriously rhymes with itself, or repeats itself with variations. This time, it’s the German courts instead of the Reich’s “chancellor.” But then, Germany back then justified the killing of those who were ill, or who had mental or physical problems, as being kind and gentle. Now, they claim that they’re banning circumcision for the good of baby boys, because a snip constitutes “grievous bodily harm.”

But it’s the same old thing. Why let people live their lives in freedom when you can use the power of the state to crush them, instead?

UPDATE: here's a German who blogs in English discussing the law.

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Tomorrow morning the Supreme Court is scheduled to release its opinion(s) on the constitutionality of the Affordable Health Care Act. Joanne McPortland mentions something that I didn't know...this decision will only affect the HHS Mandate under one extreme condition (my emphasis below).

But I need to make a clarification, because I’ve seen a lot of misinformation on the Catholic interwebz about this. Many legal commentators are suggesting that the key decision tomorrow will be the fate of what is known as the individual mandate, the part of the legislation that has generated the most constitutional blowback. Please, Catholics, do not confuse the individual mandate—the requirement that all Americans purchase health insurance coverage or pay a penalty—with the HHS mandate, a much smaller corner of the legislation that is of interest to Catholics and others concerned with its implications for religious freedom. There are lawsuits working their way through local federal jurisdictions testing the constitutionality of the HHS mandate, but they are a long way from the Supreme Court level.

So don’t start setting off early Fourth of July Fortnight 4 Freedom fireworks if you happen to hear, tomorrow, that SCOTUS has found the individual mandate unconstitutional. That one provision may be separable from the rest of the omnibus bill, and if it alone is struck down but the rest of the law found constitutional, the HHS mandate will not be affected. It will still be law unless and until challenges to it reach the Supreme Court and are heard and approved. The only other way the HHS mandate would be overturned is if, tomorrow, the Court throws out the entire Affordable Health Care Act, hook, line, and mandates aplenty. I don’t think that’s likely, and I don’t think it would necessarily be worth celebrating. With all its issues (the worst, in my eyes, aside from the HHS nonsense, being the fact that the Affordable part of the title is not even addressed by the legislation) the AHCA is a step toward providing access to health care for all citizens, and that’s a goal toward which we all are called to work.

Definitely go to her place to read the whole thing.

And let us do what we are called to be faithful in during this Fortnight for Freedom: pray.

Also, sacrifice is important. I have forgotten to mention that I've gone on a podcast fast for the duration. Only one audio book and only one podcast at a time on the ol' iPod. And it hurts, people, it hurts. Seems silly, but it is what I'm offering up.

It's Not Just About Us, Fortnight for Freedom, day 6

Nigeria's Christian community was shocked to learn of plans by the Islamic sect known as Boko Haram for an upsurge in the already deadly violence directed at Christians. Boko Haram, which means 'Western learning is un-Islamic,' has issued a threat to make this June "the bloodiest month for Christians." The Islamic sect had already promised to purge northern Nigeria of Christians as part of its effort to eventually impose Muslim religious law over the entire country. Bombs, armed assaults, and directed killings have been used by Boko Haram to rout Christians while also posing an as yet unresolved challenge to the national government.

Will Duquette reminds me ... and all of us ... that the threat to our religious liberty is nothing compared to that being faced by those elsewhere in the world.

Let us keep in mind how blessed we are to live in a land where our differences are not expressed in blood.

Let us pray: for our country, to change hearts, and for those living where taking your faith seriously means taking your life in your hands ...

Prayer for Religious Liberty

Almighty God, Father of all nations,
for freedom you have set us free in Christ Jesus (Gal 5:1).

We praise and bless you for the gift of religious liberty,
the foundation of human rights, justice and the common good.

Grant to our leaders the wisdom to protect
and promote our liberties.

By your grace may we have the courage to defend them,
for ourselves and for all those who live in this blessed land.

We ask this through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, our patroness,
and in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, with whom you live and reign,
one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

St. Thomas More, pray for us
St. John Fisher, pray for us
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us
Bl. Miguel Pro, pray for us

On Bended Knee: Fortnight for Freedom, day 5

Kneeling is a posture of surrender. Some people may see this as a weakness; it can also be a certain posture of strength in that we are asking for divine guidance. We can view it as a sign of deep respect for God. And anyone who knows anything about love knows it grows from being rooted in respect.

In kneeling I am acutely aware of my littleness and my own need. But in so doing, I am most aware of my being me before the One who knows me: warts and all, insecurities and all, infirmities and all. It is the same One who knows me as someone beautiful, someone unrepeatable, someone beloved.

In recent years, I've had surgical repairs to a hip and an ankle. So I have had long rehab seasons when kneeling was an impossibility. These down times have forced me to lean on other people for support, not to mention walking with ever-present crutches and canes. They also took me out of my normal workflow, and forced me to be somewhat unscheduled. It took some getting used to—both the non-kneeling, and the reduced activity.

Most important, these times have taught me to kneel, instead, with the heart. To be rather than to do. And to learn that the doing is not as important as the being. For in those times of stillness, I have often received unexpected healing graces that come from God, the lover of my soul and the healer of my ills.

This piece by Pat Gohn about kneeling while praying has stuck with me for some time.

It speaks a truth that I echo even if I do not kneel nearly enough and do not remember that kneeling before God is the privilege of having a healthy body and a healthy spirit. This hits home to me on two levels since I finally saw The Diving Bell and the Butterfly this weekend. It reminds us that our very person, whether whole or broken, is precious. That being is very valuable indeed.

Those who would dictate how we should live, the government who wants us to kneel before their HHS mandate, may also need a gentle reminder that being is more important than doing ... whether kneeling in prayer before God or living according to consciences that are different from theirs.

Go read the entire piece because there is much more than what is shared above.

God's Seven Thousand - Fortnight for Freedom, day 4

Thus we see Elijah’s despair and his sense of being all alone. And some among the faithful today struggle also with this to one degree or another.

But note how God answers Elijah.

Yet I have seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him. (1 Kings 19:19)

In other words, you are far from alone Elijah. I have seven thousand like you though your despairing eyes see them not!

God then says,

“Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu..” (1 Kings 19:15-18)

In other words, find these seven thousand and go rebuild my people, go rebuild my Church. Now is not a time for despair, now is a time for action. Gather them, appoint leaders and I will be with you to win this battle and reestablish the faith in glory.

In speaking this way to Elijah, the Lord also speaks to us. Though all seem in decline, and losses mount, Yet God still has “seven thousand” who have not bent the knee to Baal of this present evil age, who have not departed. And from this faithful remnant he expects us to draw hope and continue our work.

[...]

There have been times when the “practicing” Church got very small. On Good Friday all but five had fled: Mary of Magdala, Mary Clopas, Mary Solome, Mary, Mother of Jesus and John. And there they were with Jesus. They even added a sixth that day, the repentant thief. Small, and things looked pretty grim, but still the Church at worship, looking to Christ her head.

Yes, like Elijah we can sometimes think there is little hope, that we are all but alone. But it was not so for him, and it is not so for us. God always has his “seven thousand.”

Msgr. Charles Pope's message is one that I've reminded myself of often recently. It is easy to feel alone, defeated, and as if we are tiny beings pounding against an infinitely high wall.

But that is far from the truth. We are some of God's seven thousand. We must just stand up for what is right. God will bring the harvest, whether now or later. Stand up and trust in God. That is our job.

Go read the entire piece because there is much more than what is shared above.

St. Thomas More and Holbein - Fortnight for Freedom, day 2

Giuseppe Bezzuoli 1784 – 13 September 1855
Saint Thomas More hears his death sentence
Drawing

We do not see the handsome and vigorous More of the paintings of Holbein the Younger.

We see a man who has been in confinement in the Tower to wear him down over a very long period. The authorities played "Cat and Mouse" to wear down his resolve and resolution.

They intended to break him. The King`s will was to be done. The monarch was quite convinced of his correctness and rectitude. He would not brook any disobedience.

More stands alone in defence of his conscience. Outwardly you might think that by his appearance and surroundings the convicted man appears vanquished. Outwardly the King appears to have triumphed over his supposed opponent.

From Bezzuoli`s composition, we do not see the political ideologue buoyed by a sense of self-righteousness. we see a man who must have repeated often the words of Scripture during his ordeal:

"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will."

In the end he persevered and More has obeyed his conscience and saved his Soul


Why did Bezzuoli not make the work into a painting ? Perhaps in his day the subject would have been too controversial and subject to misinterpretation.

The Bonapartes were dethroned from the Grand Duchy adter the Congress of Vienna in 1815. The old regine was re installed. Italian Unification was in the ascendant. Cavour, Mazzini, Garibaldi, the anti-clericals Liberals and the other mixed assortments were members of the broad Coalition which favoured Unification.

What the Church and other religious authorities meant by "Conscience" was entirely different from what "Conscience" meant when used in philosophical and political circles.

The confusion is still very much apparent today.

Idle Speculations has more about Giuseppe Bezzuoli and his times, More and his times, and conscience in our time.

It is a good time to contemplate all these things as we pray, fast, sacrifice, and serve in the cause of our Fortnight of Freedom.

Fortnight of Films for the Fortnight for Freedom, day 2

I said most of what I had to say yesterday, so I've been keeping a few items to post daily during the Fortnight for Freedom. Use them for reflection, prayer, or as an idea for service or sacrifice toward our goal of truth, mutual respect, and religious liberty.

Now that we’re officially into the Fortnight for Freedom, it’s appropriate to reflect on how the themes of religious liberty, moral conscience and commitment to one’s faith in the face of pressure and persecution have been reflected in film.

National Catholic Register film critic Steven D. Greydanus has chosen a fortnight of worth films providentially accompanying the saint's days we will mark within these two weeks, making a perfect complement to your Fortnight of Freedom plans.

June 21: A Man for All Seasons (1966)

The Fortnight for Freedom begins on the eve of the feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More. The best possible film to begin the fortnight is Fred Zinnemann’s magnificent cinematic tribute to Thomas More, one of the 45 films of the Vatican film list. King Henry VIII declares “war on the Church,” obliging More — out of fidelity to his conscience regarding the institution of marriage as well as the Petrine primacy — to retire from public life. Over the next several years, he adheres to his principles and defends himself ably, but ultimately futilely, in the face of legal harassment, imprisonment and execution.

(Fine for all ages, but young kids won’t follow the story.)

I implicitly trust Steven D. Greydanus to recommend great lists of films, especially when it comes to connecting them with the faith.

His list includes the expected such as A Man for All Seasons and Becket. However, he also goes a bit further afield with movies you might not have thought of such as On the Waterfront. See the list here.

As a bonus, the article has links to the 1995 Vatican film list and the Register's list of 100 pro-Catholic movies, so you can do more exploring on your own.

A movie a day, connected with a saint. Perfect.

President Obama, Tear Down This Wall - Fortnight for Freedom, day 1

The fourteen days from June 21—the vigil of the Feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More—to July 4, Independence Day, are dedicated to this “fortnight for freedom”—a great hymn of prayer for our country. Our liturgical calendar celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution by political power—St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, St. John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul, and the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome. Culminating on Independence Day, this special period of prayer, study, catechesis, and public action will emphasize both our Christian and American heritage of liberty.

The reason for this Fortnight for Freedom is the government's HHS Mandate forcing every employer to provide contraception and sterilization coverage in almost all private health plans nationwide, with an extremely narrow “exemption” for some religious employers.

It is not just a threat to Catholics but to anyone who does not want to be forced to support financially (or otherwise) things that they feel are immoral. As such, it is a threat to Americans. The way that the administration has chosen to advance their cause of contraception seems to be designed to throw up a wall between those who see contraception as immoral and those who don't understand what the big deal is. Here are twelve things that everyone should know about the mandate, if you have questions.

For my own part, I would like to be allowed to have the "right to be wrong" and follow the dictates of my conscience and my faith ... as was proposed in a book I reviewed some time ago, but which is still applicable to this discussion.

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This is the vigil of the feast day of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More.

St. John Fisher is not as well known as St. Thomas More but he was a martyr to Henry VIII because he would not acknowledge Henry as head of the church. For this he was imprisoned and eventually was executed. After his trial, Fisher stated his opinion, which is one that we should read and take to heart.

My lords, I am here condemned before you of high treason, for denial of the king's supremacy over the Church of England. But by what order of justice I leave to God who is searcher of both of the king's majesty's conscience and yours. Nevertheless, being found guilty as it is termed, I am and must be contented with all that God shall send, to those whose will I wholly refer and submit myself.

And now to tell you more plainly my mind touching this matter of the king's supremacy: I think, indeed, and always have though, and do now lastly affirm, that his grace cannot justly claim any such supremacy over the church of God as he now takes upon him. Never has it been seen nor heard of that any temporal prince before his days has presumed to that dignity. So, if the king will now adventure himself in proceeding in this strange and unwonted case, no doubt but he shall deeply incur the displeasure of Almighty God. And this to the great danger of his own soul and of many others, and to the utter ruin of this realm committed to his charge. Because of this, some sharp punishment will come from God's hand. Thus, I pray God that his grace may remember himself in time and hearken to good counsel for the preservation of himself and his realm, and the quietness of all Christendom.

As Fisher worried about the state of the king's soul, so should we be worrying about the state of the souls of those who would wrest away our freedom. The "sharp punishment" gives modern minds pause in doubt, but I myself think that God lets us have our ways to our own ruin like the prodigal son ... so that we may return home. Letting us choose our own punishment, in reaping what we sow, is the ultimate justice while being a nice allowance of free will.

Let us pray for our freedom, for our country, and for the souls of those who do not really understand what religious liberty means.

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From Margaret at Ten Thousand Places comes a slew of good links and practical recommendations to basic places. Which I completely forgot about giving. So I let her do the work.

1. If you haven't done so already, sign the Women Speak for Themselves open letter to President Obama, spearheaded by Kim Daniels and Helen Alvare, and create a video adding your voice to the almost 30,000 women who have spoken up in this forum.
2. Check out the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty's information page.  The Becket Fund is representing the 43 individual organizations in the 12 federal law suits contesting the HHS Mandate. And they need our support.  (They have been on the front lines for a long time on this issue.)
3. Check out the resources at the USCCB: Pray // Find events in your own Diocese // Learn more//Read Cardinal Dolan's new e-book // and, if nothing else, check out the 12 Things Everyone Should Know flyer (pdf)
4. Contact Congress
5. Pass along this video from Catholic Vote.
6. Join us on July 4th at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for a Mass closing the Fortnight for Freedom, with Cardinal Wuerl as the main celebrant and Archbishop Charles Chaput as the homilist.
7. (UPDATED) Read these articles by +Chaput and +Gomez

Aiming to Misbehave: A Brief on Tactics

Y'all may recall that I was reeling last week and aiming to misbehave. My misbehaving was to not stay silent, pray, and fast. With more to come as I considered things.

There is no doubt that we have plenty to misbehave about. Among them and first up for our consideration is the government's HHS Mandate versus our religious liberty. Our bishops have called for a Fortnight of Freedom prayer vigil. Our first duty is clear.

I am quite pleased to announce that former Marine (is there such a thing?) Frank at Why I Am Catholic has put together a brief for us.

The methods that will work best for us are of the kind pioneered by civil rights leader, Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. As our shepherds are wise to do, they have studied his strategies and tactics, and are adapting them to our struggle. Success with the 40 Days for Life campaigns have been helpful to prepare us for the fight as well.  Organized, peaceful, charitable, and armed with no more than our rosaries, we’ll need to ramp up the size of these events, possibly to March for Life proportions.

Another role model to emulate is Mahatma Ghandi, and of course, St. Francis of Assisi’s meeting with the Sultan sheds light upon this well worn path towards the freedom that we have been given by God. From Christ the King to the present day, these peaceful, and nonviolent methods are the standard for us to follow.

In preparation for the struggle to come, we’ll be holding a Fortnight of Freedomprayer vigil from June 21 through July 4th. Some of you may not know, but prayer is our secret weapon in this fight. General George S. Patton once held forth on it’s importance, and the omnipotent power that it channels. The entire Church will be engaged in these prayers, both here at the front, and abroad across the entire Kingdom, to include all of the saints in the Church Triumphant as well.

To recap, we must be smart, soft like water, charitable, and filled with grace from the Holy Spirit through the power of prayer. I’ll now turn this briefing over to James Breig from HQ. He’s got a little presentation on Catholic heroes who have fought for, and secured for us, religious liberties that we will defend with our lives if necessary, as they themselves did.

This is the essence of the thing and, frankly, it put heart into me.

I was feeling tired, worn out, and bashed. Now I feel rejuvenated. Go read it all and then let us go together to wage battle, not in a way that many may recognize, but in the way that counts the most.

Notre Dame Joining the Fray for Religious Liberty

A friend tells me:

Notre Dame is joining the fray against the HHS mandate. As you know, other Catholic (and protestant) universities have already sued the government. What makes this different is that Notre Dame is a self-insuring employer, meaning that the Obama Administration's "accommodation," which shifts the burden of paying for abortifacient drugs from the religious employer to the insurance company, doesn't apply to Notre Dame. Thus, the accommodation does nothing for Notre Dame, making it a great plaintiff to keep pressure on the government. A final note, Notre Dame is represented by a great law firm, Jones Day, so they should be in very good hands.

Excellent!

Here's the complaint (long but good).

Bishops propose: "fortnight for freedom"—a great hymn of prayer for our country

The Catholic bishops Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty have an impressive document posted, Our First, Most Cherished Liberty: A Statement on Religious Liberty. You may read it at the USCCB site or they have a pdf you can print out.

I have only glanced through it but was really struck by the numerous, bullet-pointed concrete examples of religious liberty under attack. I had no idea there were so many. I am intrigued to read the details and other information in it. (I've got a pdf print-out to read this evening at home.)

I also was very struck by their proposal for two weeks of prayer, to begin with the vigil for some of the best known and loved martyrs for religious liberty (St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More) and ending with Independence Day. If there is one thing I love about the Catholic Church (and we all know there is more than one thing) it is the way they do symbolism with style.

This year, we propose a special "fortnight for freedom," in which bishops in their own dioceses might arrange special events to highlight the importance of defending our first freedom. Our Catholic institutions also could be encouraged to do the same, especially in cooperation with other Christians, Jews, people of other faiths, and indeed, all who wish to defend our most cherished freedom.

We suggest that the fourteen days from June 21—the vigil of the Feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More—to July 4, Independence Day, be dedicated to this "fortnight for freedom"—a great hymn of prayer for our country. Our liturgical calendar celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution by political power—St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, St. John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul, and the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome. Culminating on Independence Day, this special period of prayer, study, catechesis, and public action would emphasize both our Christian and American heritage of liberty. Dioceses and parishes around the country could choose a date in that period for special events that would constitute a great national campaign of teaching and witness for religious liberty.

In addition to this summer's observance, we also urge that the Solemnity of Christ the King—a feast born out of resistance to totalitarian incursions against religious liberty—be a day specifically employed by bishops and priests to preach about religious liberty, both here and abroad.

To all our fellow Catholics, we urge an intensification of your prayers and fasting for a new birth of freedom in our beloved country. We invite you to join us in an urgent prayer for religious liberty.

Almighty God, Father of all nations,
For freedom you have set us free in Christ Jesus (Gal 5:1).
We praise and bless you for the gift of religious liberty,
the foundation of human rights, justice, and the common good.
Grant to our leaders the wisdom to protect and promote our liberties;
By your grace may we have the courage to defend them, for ourselves and for all those who live in this blessed land.
We ask this through the intercession of Mary Immaculate, our patroness,
and in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
with whom you live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Go read it all and share it with your friends. (Via New Advent).

Gloria Purvis: What a Well-Reasoned Response to the HHS Mandate

I am in awe of Gloria Purvis. What an articulate, reasoned, intelligent argument she makes.

So much so that I am going to take my courage in both hands and send it to a couple of friends who may never speak to me again ... but if anyone can make the argument, she does.

It is what we need more than anything ... spokespeople like Gloria who can't be denied as a regular woman.

At the Crossroads in America: We Hold These Truths

The WSJ and the HHS Mandate: They Aren't Going Quietly into the Good Night

It is now common to hear me beginning the morning with the paper, a cup of coffee and a "God bless the Wall Street Journal" as I look at the opinion page.

That's because is a rare day when I don't see at least one mention of yet another reason why the White House's attack on religious liberty (via the HHS mandate). They have examined why it is wrong via the usual logic. They have also taken a look at it from insurance,  economics, and other business viewpoints ... none of which have added up to a good reason to implement the White House's program. In short, the WSJ is relentless in keeping this issue in front of readers.

If only other main stream media had such a talent for using their own brains and not just mouthing the pablum fed them by the White House. (Follow the fact trail for that claim at GetReligion.)

This morning brought two good pieces in the WSJ.

Limbaugh and Our Phony Contraception Debate

At the hearing of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee chaired by Nancy Pelosi, Sandra Fluke testified as a victim. Having to buy your own contraception is a burden, she said. She testified that all around her at Georgetown she could see the faces of students who were suffering because of Georgetown's refusal to abandon its Catholic principles.

Exactly what does the face of a law student who must buy her own birth-control pills look like? Did I see them all around me and just not know it? Do male law students who must buy their own condoms have the same look? Perhaps Ms. Fluke should have brought photos to Congress to illustrate her point.

Bishop Dolan's Liberty Letter
The Catholic Cardinal describes a chilling visit to the White House.

The debate over the Obama Administration's birth control mandate has been ingloriously fact-free, even more than usual. So amid demonstrably false claims about a plot to relegate women to the era of "Mad Men," if not Salem, Massachusetts circa 1692, Cardinal Timothy Dolan's letter on religious freedom deserves more readers.

Unfortunately, this is a paid-access only piece. However, I found it at Freedom Eden so go read it there.