Frassati Guy Blog

Stop the Abortion Mandate in Healthcare Reform

2009-08-02T22:57:00.003-04:00

Change is here, but not the kind of change we need when our tax dollars will be used to kill children in-utero. The proposal for health care reform currently includes abortion, disguised as "reproductive health," as part of a national plan. We as Americans would be forced into funding the so-called "choice" of abortion.

No matter how they want to spin it in Washington, abortion is not health. It is not healthy for the mother, it is not healthy for the child in the womb, and it is not healthy for our country. It does not belong as part of a national health care plan, and it is not "Pro-Choice" to force every American to pay to kill our children and our future.

Mothers in difficult situations need to be supported and encouraged. If anything, that money should go to support adoption centers and to help single mothers.

Please go to http://www.stoptheabortionmandate.com/ to see how you can have an impact.

Ex-Vatican Ambassador Rejects Award From Notre Dame

2009-04-28T20:41:00.008-04:00

Mary Ann Glendon, 2007-2009 ambassador to the Vatican, has turned down an award from Notre Dame and an invitation to speak at their commencement ceremony. Her decision is based on Notre Dame president's disregard of the position of the USCCB and the confusion introduced by being invited to share this platform with President Obama, who is severely at odds with the church on critical issues of morality and justice.

Her letter:

Dear Father Jenkins,

When you informed me in December 2008 that I had been selected to receive Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, I was profoundly moved. I treasure the memory of receiving an honorary degree from Notre Dame in 1996, and I have always felt honored that the commencement speech I gave that year was included in the anthology of Notre Dame’s most memorable commencement speeches. So I immediately began working on an acceptance speech that I hoped would be worthy of the occasion, of the honor of the medal, and of your students and faculty.

Last month, when you called to tell me that the commencement speech was to be given by President Obama, I mentioned to you that I would have to rewrite my speech. Over the ensuing weeks, the task that once seemed so delightful has been complicated by a number of factors.
First, as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops’ express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions “should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” and that such persons “should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution’s freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it.

Then I learned that “talking points” issued by Notre Dame in response to widespread criticism of its decision included two statements implying that my acceptance speech would somehow balance the event:

* “President Obama won’t be doing all the talking. Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, will be speaking as the recipient of the Laetare Medal.

* “We think having the president come to Notre Dame, see our graduates, meet our leaders, and hear a talk from Mary Ann Glendon is a good thing for the president and for the causes we care about.”

A commencement, however, is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame’s decision—in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops—to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church’s position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice.

Finally, with recent news reports that other Catholic schools are similarly choosing to disregard the bishops’ guidelines, I am concerned that Notre Dame’s example could have an unfortunate ripple effect.

It is with great sadness, therefore, that I have concluded that I cannot accept the Laetare Medal or participate in the May 17 graduation ceremony.

In order to avoid the inevitable speculation about the reasons for my decision, I will release this letter to the press, but I do not plan to make any further comment on the matter at this time.
Yours Very Truly,

Mary Ann Glendon

Plea to Notre Dame President

2009-03-21T21:05:00.005-04:00

As some of you may or may not know, Notre Dame is planning to welcome and honor President Obama as the commencement speaker this May. I encourage all Christians to voice their disappointment at this action. To do so, go to: www.NotreDameScandal.com. Below is the email I sent to the President of Notre Dame.

Dear Fr. Jenkins,

While I have not attended Notre Dame, I have always had great respect for the University. However, I am very disappointed to hear that Notre Dame will host President Barack Obama as its commencement speaker this May. While President Obama's election as the first African American President is a great milestone in overcoming race barriers, his pro-death initiatives are an outrage and a scandal. In his first month of office and in the midst of an economic crisis, President Obama has redirected taxpayer money out of our country to fund the murder of foreign babies in the womb. He continues his emphatic support for abortion, the Freedom of Choice Act and Planned Parenthood, which promotes promiscuity among youth, and makes money off this behavior through abortion.

For a Catholic University to honor and him is a direct offense to the teachings that Christ, and this would be a terrible scandal in a world that is in desperate need of moral courage and conviction, amidst the plague of moral relativism.

A decision to honor President Obama would be the final confirmation to me, and a large body of faithful Catholics, that Notre Dame is no longer a Catholic University, but a fully secularized, liberal institution, that has lost sight of its mission and commitment to the most important facet of true education and wisdom: The teachings of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I trust that with prayer and meditation on the will of Christ, you will rescind the offer, and recommit to serving Christ as the foundation of the university.

I can only imagine how hard it will be to reject the opportunity for a sitting president to speak at your university. Criticism and ridicule will result from such an action. But what an opportunity during Lent to walk with Christ who endured that verbal abuse and mocking on the way to the Cross. I will pray for you to have that courage.

May God bless you, may the Holy Spirit give you strength. and may the Mother of God, "Notre Dame", obtain for you wisdom and peace,

Evangelization in the Digital World

2009-01-25T22:36:00.003-05:00

Pope Benedict XVI has entered the digital world in this year of St. Paul. Use of the internet, as with everything, must be in moderation... yet it does offer

a powerful means to share the message of Christ in the modern age.

Check out the successor of Peter in one of his first on-line videos, speaking on this topic in English by clicking here

Tell Obama to say NO to FOCA!

2009-01-10T23:18:00.004-05:00

I added the following comment to the our incoming president's sounding board on his very misguided views on "reproductive rights":

I encourage you to speak out against FOCA here, and anywhere your voice will be heard.

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It is both shocking and disappointing that Mr. Obama is backing an organization like Planned Parenthood, which was born out of the eugenics movement, supported by its founder, Margaret Sanger. an attempt to use contraceptive methods and abortion to eliminate non-whites: See http://www.blackgenocide.org/sanger.html

I was adopted, and fortunately my birthmother was both selfless and respectful of the fact that I was a life in her from the moment of conception. Now, I will not be silenced... and I will fight for my fellow Americans being slaughtered in the womb daily. FOCA takes this barbaric act one step further. How hypocritical is it to be anti-torture, but supportive of sticking a needle in a baby's head to have it's brain sucked out?

Neither abortion nor contraception are matters of "health." They both exist to break something that is working: fertility. Do not support FOCA

Abortion is torturous and cruel... Partial-Birth abortion is probably the most hideous crime against innocent human beings. And we defend it by claiming we need to protect the health of a mother? Nothing could be more damaging to a mother's mental, emotional and spiritual health than abortion!

Christmas Message to the Frassati Leaders

2008-12-26T11:12:00.001-05:00

... and the Word became flesh & dwelt among us!

Frassati Leaders,

May the blessings of Christmas bring about a rebirth of Christ in each of your hearts as we prepare for a new year. Thanks to all of you for your continued committment and for bringing young adults together in faith and fellowship. For me, the business of life, work and family makes it harder each year to provide all of you the additional moral support and leadership. I thank Tim for being that anchor of faith and leadership in the void I've left. It makes the Christmas message from Medjuorje as a stark reminder, and very pointed message from our lady to me, almost personally:

Medjugorje, monthly message received by Marija on December 25, 2008
"Dear Children! You are running, working, gathering, but without blessing. You are not praying! Today I call you to stop in front of the manger, and to meditate on Jesus whom I give to you today also, to bless you and to help you comprehend that, without Him, you have no future. Therefore, little children, surrender your lives in the hands of Jesus, for Him to lead you and protect you from every evil. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Even though Medjugorje is not formally recognized by the Church, this message is worthy of contemplation and reflection. We are all called to stop and reflect. To gaze upon the face of a child and the significance of God becoming flesh, starting as an embryo! God becoming the littlest, most helpless of creatures. Being fully dependent on a human mother. Born into poverty. Born into a manger. Placed in a food trough for animals! God, almighty and powerful, brought into the world in this way. May we all stop and reflect on what a powerful message this is meant to convey to us. How the economy is of little consequence, of little importance in the context of the manger.

In the year of St. Paul, we need to focus on this incredible significance which is lost on a busy world, and evangelize to our brothers & sisters in Christ.

God bless each & every one of you... and thank you for serving our Lord!

Form our Conscience and Vote!

2008-11-01T23:10:00.003-04:00

As Catholics, we are called to vote according to our conscience... but we must form our consciences by being informed about the teachings of Christ handed down through the Church, so that we can be transformed by His love, and truly make present God's kingdom in this world. See www.catholicvote.com

Voting with Pier Giorgio

2008-10-18T21:34:00.004-04:00

Dear Friends of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati,

Vote NO on Proposal 2!!
Vote FOR candidates who will protect the lives of innocent children!!!

Pier Giorgio was a man of great faith, filled with joy and love, yet expressed justified anger when human rights were at stake. In his day, the fight was against facism. In our day, the greatest injustice is the holocaust of the "littlest children" through abortion and the slaughter of embryos in the name of science. As we enter the election season, we are called as Christians to stand up and speak out and vote against these injustices.

Are there other issues? Yes... but the economy, the war in Iraq, health care, poverty and education all come secondary to the social injustice that denies the very "right to life" proclaimed by our constitution, especially considering it has murdered almost 1/3 of our generation. The opposition tries to dismiss the embryo as inhuman, and suggests that the health of a mother is of greater value (when is killing someone justifiable to protect someone's health?). The opposition will claim that the slaughter of embryos (they will call it embryonic stem cell research) will potentially save many lives... but it is never good to commit evil with the unproven "hope" of some positive outcome.

If passed, Proposal 2 will extend the holocaust against the smallest of children in the name of science... not unlike what Nazi's did performing experimentations on humans in order to "perfect" mankind. It is appalling, that such a proposal would even show up on a ballot in this country.

As Christians in this country, our primary moral obligation is to vote for candidates who will seek to restore the protection of the unborn. Anyone who is an honest scientist or doctor will acknowlege that a human being is formed from the moment of conception. No doubt, there are many situations where a child develops unwanted or unintended in the womb of women. We are called to support and encourage women to make informed and wise choices, of which the "choice" of abortion is never informed nor wise.

Being adopted myself, I am grateful to my birthmother for making the great Christian sacrifice of love to bring me into this world. Despite having a life full of blessings and two loving parents that adopted me, my birthmother's gift was the single greatest act of love I've experienced in my lifetime (although it took me about 23 years to truly "get it") ... and without that act of love, I would have been silenced like the other 50,000,000 since Roe v. Wade. Please, vote... and vote for life!

God bless all of you who respond to God's call on your hearts! Verso l'alto!

Thou Shalt Not Kill... One's Reputation

2008-05-22T21:38:00.004-04:00

One aspect of this commandment which we often overlook is the defamation of character. One way to "kill" is to propagate harmful untruths about someone. Another causes scandal by making public the imperfections and brokenness of others in such a way that it harms their reputation and propagates negativism about someone. While the mainstream media does enough damage to character because scandal sells, the world of the Internet has become a slaughter house for people's dignity with almost no controls. This also extends to company reputations... not as serious as an attack against the dignity of the person, but it can be personal for those committed leaders to a just (albeit imperfect) business. There are acceptable reasons to present & discuss such topics when an individual or corporate sin is public and it threatens others security, causes scandal or harm, and making light of the injustice can prevent further harm or accelerate needed change. Far too often, as we see even in presidential races, defamation of character is used for selfish gain. This is a direct sin against the fifth commandment.

There is an establishment in the Detroit area that does great work for the community, having donated large sums of money to support great charities such as Cornerstone Schools, Grace Centers of Hope, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society to name a few. Albert & Mitsie Scaglione, the founders of Park West Gallery in Southfield, Michigan have also taken several young inner city women under their care who have "graduated" from foster care, and have no place to go. These girls who often end up in prostitution and on drugs are challenged with Albert & Mitsie's "tough love" that offers them a chance to beat the odds if they stay clean and out of trouble. Yet Park West Gallery, which has become the largest art dealer in the world, is under attack from competitors that are soliciting any blogger or customer that may have had a less-than-perfect experience at one of their cruise art auctions. Wanting to make sure Park West Gallery has addressed any internal wrongdoing, an independent auditor verified they had a 50,000-to-1 customer satisfaction ratio. Not bad for a company with over 1 Million customers. A handful of disgruntled customers can still make a lot of noise, especially when it is enabled by a competitors seeking to tackle the leader. Albert Scaglione and Park West Gallery have done its best to address customer issues, and they are working hard to improve, striving to provide educational experiences of art at sea and land auctions through very successful partnerships with almost all of the major cruise lines. Albert Scaglione is the first to admit that they haven't done everything perfectly, but it doesn't justify the smear campaign on his business and even him personally. If a customer is unsatisfied with a purchase, he wants them to call and have the chance to address the concerns. Park West Gallery guarantees that every piece of artwork is authentic that they sell at their art auctions at sea or land, yet his competitors have stooped to suggesting otherwise. This has hurt both their business and their efforts to support the community.

Many companies are suffering from the unaccountable freedom of the internet, and it can destroy a company's reputation. Freedom of speech is a right, but every right must be coupled with responsibility. We are called as Christians to be people of integrity. We have a right to stand up and voice an injustice, but we must do so in a way that retains the dignity of people.

Divine Providence & Sins of Omission

2008-03-16T17:53:00.005-04:00

Today I was taking family to the airport, and prior to getting on the expressway I was jockeying for lead position on the road, typical of us agressive Michigan drivers. At one point I was trying to get past this white Subaru Outback, amid a lot of traffic. As I passed, I glanced to my left and noticed a young Asian man driving. Really didn't think much of it... and proceeded down the expressway... and basically this car & driver was out of sight and mind.

15 minutes later, and discovering the plane would be late, we decided to stop for food. A Wendy's and Chili's caught our eye, but we missed the exit. The consensus was that we'd stop at a Wendy's... an infrequent dining choice for us, but we made the additional effort to backtrack from the next exit to pursue the square-pattied hamburgers that have lost some attention since the founder has passed. Mind you, we are in the city, amidst a plethora of possibilities, exits at every mile, and a nearby mall food court as an option. At this point you shoul be wondering where this story is going.

I entered the Wendy's, and unexpectedly noticed a young Asian man sitting alone (one of only two diners present), enjoying his Wendy's double. Focused only on the food before him, he seemed intent not to consider anyone else present in the place. It struck me immediately that he had about the same profile of the young Asian man I saw for a fracion of a second as I glanced at the driver of the white Subaru Outback about 15 miles up the expressway. Sure enough, as I looked out the window just beyond him... a white Subaru Outback was one of the two other cards in the nearly empty parking lot.

Clearly he wasn't following me, as he arrived there first, after I had shot ahead of him, then missed the exit, only to rediscover him... and it wasn't like I was glancing over at every driver on the road, and noticing every car... color and make to boot.

I spent the meal wondering if there was some reason for this, and if God was speaking to me to reach out... offer to sit with him, even to just say hello. As I was with my young daughter, the socially embedded mantra of "don't talk to strangers" was my subconscious justification for not being a Christian witness. I attempted to look for an opening... perhaps to catch a glance as he looked around the room to at least offer a friendly "hello." But he remained intent to fully ignore his surroundings even as he may have perceived my intense curiosity as I looked for that opportunity.

I rarely believe that anything like this is just pure cooincidence. We are all members of the body of Christ, and God works through us... if we let Him. Yet he proceeded to complete his lunch and leave, unaware of the internal struggle, and my failure in the virtues of both charity & courage to reach out. How much further I have to go to live up to the example of Pier Giorgio Frassati.

So young Asian man in the white Subaru Outback who stopped at Wendy's in Dearborn today, I pray that God's blessings may reach you in some other way since I failed as a vehicle of His grace.

2005-08-25T23:12:00.000-04:00

Friends of Frassati,

Below is this month’s message from the Blessed Mother through the visionary Marija in Medjugorje. Our Mother in Heaven never tires of inviting us to pray. Why is this? Maybe because we don’t pray enough… maybe because we can never pray enough. The #1 commandment is to love God with our whole mind, heart and body. I find that this has become my most consistent failure, and our failure to do so is probably the sin we should be taking to confession every time we go. How do we love God better? First of all by communicating with him… the rest involves follow-through in how he directs us in prayer. What was it that convinced me of the truth of the Catholic faith? It wasn’t until I was in Medjugorje, attending mass twice a day and praying 15 mysteries of the Rosary every day that God truly poured out on me an infusion of understanding of salvation history, and real sense of the awesome depth of his love. When not living out this call to prayer, it’s easy to forget and to take it all for granted.

It is so hard to make time for prayer in our world, but we need to make it a priority. I felt inspired to type these thoughts to reinforce my own commitment to prayer as many of you are examples for me in your prayer life… and I thank God for your example and silent encouragement! Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati would often spend entire nights in front of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament… and then spend his days serving the poor. This being the year of the Eucharist… it is especially a reminder of the power and grace available as we bask in the Light of our Lord before his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist.

Let’s remember to pray for each other as we seek to grow in our faith, and in our relationships with God… and continue to seek His call to serve each other, and especially those in need.

God bless,
Marco

Message of August 25, 2005 from Medjugorje:"Dear children! Also today I call you to live my messages. God gave you a gift of this time as a time of grace. Therefore, little children, make good use of every moment and pray, pray, pray. I bless you all and intercede before the Most High for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my call."