Perfect

Please. Watch this video about a father who wanted to abort his daughter diagnosed with down syndrome. 

 

2 Things

VP debate tonight between two types of “Catholics” and it’s gonna be real interesting….

2 things……

1) If you feel frustrated, remember:

2) BUT – That doesn’t mean that we can just throw in our towels and think  ”well…..I REALLY don’t like one of the candidates…..and the other, well, I’m not too crazy about him either. I guess I should just vote for a 3rd party and remember that it doesn’t matter who the president is, we’ve got a King!” 

You’re right, we do have a King! But, we also have a responsibility as faithful citizens and  there’s no way around that one, folks. Sorry

Is it gonna be easy to back up either party whole-heartedly? Nope.

Does the supposed Pro-Life party have members that can appear to be ”racists” in how they approach the issue of illegal immigration or as “bigots” in how they approach the issue of homosexuality in the US?  Sadly, yes.

But I can tell you this as a fact: The difference between the two parties is that one stands - fundamentally (as part of their platform and core agenda) – against Christ’s teaching on Marriage and the the Dignity of all human life.

The other party does not.

And by the way, our job as Christians is to actively HOPE FOR/PRAY FOR and SUPPORT a government (and leaders) who will stand for these morals. If you don’t feel comfortable with that, don’t be a Christian.

Could it be any clearer?

Bishop Paprocki says it well: 

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Much attention was given at the Democratic National Convention held recently in Charlotte, N.C., to the fact that all references to God had been purged from the draft version of the party platform. After outcries of protest from outside as well as within the Democratic Party, the sentence with the same reference to God used in 2008 was restored to read, “We need a government that stands up for the hopes, values and interests of working people, and gives everyone willing to work hard the chance to make the most of their God-given potential.”

Before anyone relaxes and concludes that all is well now that the Democratic Party Platform contains a single passing reference to God, the way that this was done should give us pause. Convention chairman Antonio Villaraigosa had to call for the voice vote three times because each time the sound level for the “ayes” and the “nays” sounded about even, far short of the two-thirds necessary according to convention rules to amend the platform. That did not stop the convention chairman from declaring, “The ayes have it!”

What is troubling about that is the blatant disregard for the rules and for the apparent wishes of about half the delegates. The reference to God is back in the platform apparently because President Obama wanted it back in. That may be fine for now, but if a future president wants references to God taken out, apparently that can be done regardless of the wishes of the delegates if that is what The Leader wants. That does not bode well for democracy in the Democratic Party.

Even more troubling is that this whole discussion about God in the platform is a distraction from more disturbing matters that have been included in the platform. In 1992 Presidential candidate Bill Clinton famously said that abortion should be “safe, legal and rare.” That was the party’s official position until 2008. Apparently “rare” is so last century that it had to be dropped, because now the Democratic Party Platform says that abortion should be “safe and legal.” Moreover the Democratic Party Platform supports the right to abortion “regardless of the ability to pay.” Well, there are only three ways for that to happen: either taxpayers will be required to fund abortion, or insurance companies will be required to pay for them (as they are now required to pay for contraception), or hospitals will be forced to perform them for free.

Moreover, the Democratic Party Platform also supports same-sex marriage, recognizes that “gay rights are human rights,” and calls for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal law signed by President Clinton in 1996 that defined marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman.

Now, why am I mentioning these matters in the Democratic Party Platform? There are many positive and beneficial planks in the Democratic Party Platform, but I am pointing out those that explicitly endorse intrinsic evils. My job is not to tell you for whom you should vote. But I do have a duty to speak out on moral issues. I would be abdicating this duty if I remained silent out of fear of sounding “political” and didn’t say anything about the morality of these issues. People of faith object to these platform positions that promote serious sins. I know that the Democratic Party’s official “unequivocal” support for abortion is deeply troubling to pro-life Democrats.

So what about the Republicans? I have read the Republican Party Platform and there is nothing in it that supports or promotes an intrinsic evil or a serious sin. The Republican Party Platform does say that courts “should have the option of imposing the death penalty in capital murder cases.” But the Catechism of the Catholic Church says (in paragraph 2267), “Assuming that the guilty party’s identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death penalty, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor. If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people’s safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity to the dignity of the human person. Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm — without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself — the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity are very rare, if not practically nonexistent.”

One might argue for different methods in the platform to address the needs of the poor, to feed the hungry and to solve the challenges of immigration, but these are prudential judgments about the most effective means of achieving morally desirable ends, not intrinsic evils.

Certainly there are “pro-choice” Republicans who support abortion rights and “Log Cabin Republicans” who promote same-sex marriage, and they are equally as wrong as their Democratic counterparts. But these positions do not have the official support of their party.

Again, I am not telling you which party or which candidates to vote for or against, but I am saying that you need to think and pray very carefully about your vote, because a vote for a candidate who promotes actions or behaviors that are intrinsically evil and gravely sinful makes you morally complicit and places the eternal salvation of your own soul in serious jeopardy.

I pray that God will give you the wisdom and guidance to make the morally right choices.

May God give us this grace. Amen.

If all of this is just TOO much for you….check out the latest news:

Some help for our friends!

Anyone who knows us knows that we’ve been open to the idea of adoption for a long time now. It’s a beautiful gift to both the family and the child being adopted. It seems that now more than ever, in 2012, it is very timely to bring up this great gift.

Some of our close friends (check out their blog here) down here in Virginia Beach have been discerning the call to adopt for a long time now. After much discernment and even some heartbreaking experiences….they are now set to adopt!

But, there’s one thing.  Yep…you guessed it. Fundraising.

Just another sign of the anti-life culture that the enemy is trying to cultivate here – make it almost impossible for a holy, loving and joyful couple to adopt because of money.

But they’re not gonna let money – this invention of man – stop them from God’s Will!

So here’s why we’re writing this.

They need to fund raise - and fund raise ALOT.

How’s about a-20,0000-lot. Yep, you heard that right. 20,000 for them to proceed and we’re gonna help them.

Now, I know that we’re not gonna be able to raise everything with this blog post, but it’s a start….and I would ask your help, too. Please go to their site and click the DONATE button….and consider giving whatever you can! Trust me, it’s safe.

Also – PLEASE share this post, share the link to their blog and share their story!

Christ created us for community…..and how else can we live in community here in the USA? Sharing of our time and talent. In this case – our financial gifts.

Imagine if we got 200 people to each give 10 dollars? that’d be a BIG start!

Also, and this is even more important than those few dollars, PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM! Pray for Matt and Kim as they prepare for their baby, and pray for the mother as she carries this beautiful child!

And please, don’t hesitate to send them a message or two….you can bet that the discouragement will come (it’s natural) and they’re gonna need all the support and prayers that they can get!

We promise to keep you posted as things develop…and we will alert you of any fundraisers that Matt and Kim put on here in Virginia Beach!

God bless you!

Andrew, Cristina and Maria Isabella

News

Wow…..it’s been a while since we’ve posted…..and a lot has happened!

Let me recap:

For starters, and for a number of reasons, Cristina, Maria Isabella and I had to relocate to Virginia Beach where this little family is starting it’s new life. While relocating to Virginia was always something we were serious about doing, we never expected it to happen so fast…so we literally went from Camden, NJ to New York City to Virginia Beach, all within a 3-4 week period. Although it was tough to leave the city….and the Archdiocese….we know that this is where God wants us and He has opened doors for work and for our current home…..we can’t complain!

Bella was only a month old here!

One of the reasons we had to move was to find a more stable job. Don’t get me wrong, leaving for work from 8am-5pm has been quite the transition for all of us, we were so blessed these past 2 years.  This time last year, we were preparing for our wedding and both Cristina and I were blessed to work in the same building together! To add to that, once Cristina and Maria Isabella had their initial surgeries and we were relocated to the Ronald McDonald House in Camden, NJ, I was able to work remotely…so we were together every day for 4 months! Now my poor wife has had to leave her family to move to a city where she’ll need to get her driver’s license and learn how to navigate the streets!  But through it all, we know that Our Lord is doing something bigger than we can see…..and though the change has been tough, Cristina is becoming one tough momma.

Maria Isabella, as you can see, is doing very well for her age. She’s our little hero and each day she proves to be even tougher than what we had previously thought. One of the reasons had to move was because of the Children’s Hospital where Bella would receive her initial care. While New York City and Philadelphia offered great programs and state-of-the-art facilities, it would have been too much for us to have to travel to either one on a weekly basis. Providentially, the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, VA, is close by and has a great team for their Spina Bifida program. Not only that but Bella has already had to see so many doctors in the past few months that we were at the hospital around 2-3 times a week! Thank God for their hard work and love for the children that they serve!

As for details, there a few things that we would ask prayers for.

One of the biggest concerns we had, and also one of the biggest reasons we discerned the In-Utero surgery, was the benefits it showed in reducing the need for a shunt. While a shunt isn’t the end-of-the-world, we are relieved to know that up until this point, Maria Isabella’s fluids are stable and it seems that she will avoid the need for a shunt.

With Spina Bifida – Myelomeningocele, especially where Bella’s spine was exposed (in between L1-L5), the bladder and kidneys are usually the first to be effected. As part of the nerve damage that was done before we were even aware of her Spina Bifida, her bladder is abnormally shaped and seems to have some leakage…while we are blessed that Maria Isabella is able to urinate on her own for now, she still leaves a little too much urine in her bladder. As we saw in a highly specialized Urodynamics test that was done last week, there is some slight damage and irritation going on from that leftover urine towards one of her kidneys. The orders we have right now are to continue  giving her antibiotics nightly to prevent infection and in January, another test will be done to find out if a)the bladder repairs itself or b)if she will need to begin using a catheter a few times a day in order to fully empty her bladder. Only time will tell….please keep this in your prayers!

The other prayer that we beg for is the movement in her legs. While she seems to wiggle her feet and sometimes ‘lift’ her legs, there isn’t much movement going on. Luckily, here in Virginia Beach there is a strong Early Intervention Program with much experience with children with Spina Bifida, so Maria Isabella has already gotten her first few visits from their team. Here’s what she’s got going :

The reality is that we won’t know much about her ability to walk until she gets a little older….but she has so many who are rooting for her and are dedicated to helping her get as strong as she can! What peace we have in knowing that in the end, He is in charge! Whatever His Will may be, we pray for the strength to be the best parents that Maria Isabella could possibly have. What a blessing it is to have such supportive family and friends!

Please keep us in your prayers….now that we’re back in action, we will update with news as the next few months pass!

Here are some of our latest family pics:

 She loves to look at our dear friend Cardinal Dolan’s picture!

She looks just like her mother when she wakes up in the morning….

She loves her cousin….even if he calls her “Bugga”

Bella with her grandmothers

Bella with her Godsister

She loves taking pictures…

…but forreal mom. Enough is enough!!!

Battle Scar

I now have 2 bad women in my life who carry some pretty big battle scars.

Cristina’s was posted after her fetal surgery back on March 14th but here’s our Bella’s Spina Bifida repair scar:

We’re proud of her battle scar!

In the NICU at CHOP

Our little angel, Maria Isabella, is 2 days old today! She’s absolutely gorgeous and as for most of the general concerns with pre-term babies 35-week old babies, she’s doing surprisingly well! She is no longer on oxygen and her blood sugar levels have been, for the most part, stabilized.

The orthopedic surgeon came to examen her feet and have found both of then to be slightly clubbed, something that should be simple to correct (with a few weeks of leg casting in the first few months of her life).

As for her legs and toes, they are moving! Our job is to help encourage movement and stretching by doing simple physical therapy each time we change her diaper.

Another issue that most children with Spina Bifida have is bowel and bladder incontinence. So far, she seems to have good control over the emptying of her bladder, and they are still examining her bowels and the muscles that help her control the relief of her bowels. Please keep this in your prayers, as she may well need some help with this.

The doctors will continue monitoring the fluids in her brain ventricles…they were somewhat high in the last few weeks of pregnancy….something that is a concern…but they will be looking for symptoms that need treatment. In a best case scenario, the fluids won’t cause any problems to her brain function and will not need to be shunted. If necessary in the future, the doctors can place a permanent shunt that will help remove the excess fluids from her brain and in to her abdomen.

She is doing so well! God is so good for granting us this beautiful gift, our little Maria Isabella!

Although she is doing so well, she still needs your prayers!

Here is a picture of her urgent baptism with Fr Michael Mannion:

Here she is with her two aunties, Karissa and Daisy:

With her abuela

And grandma and grandpa

And here we have Maria Isabella!

At around 6:45pm last night, June 20th 2012, our little princess Maria Isabella, came in to this world!

Check out the pics and video links below!

and she’s got good lungs!

As for Mom…..recovery is pretty slow but she is starting to get a lot better!

More to come!