Some passed through purgatory to be purified for the Lord's presence. They stayed until the moment when they were ready to see God. They are with him now forever. Some saints have been singled out for their own feast day. The Church offers their witness of heroic, joyful lives for Jesus. But there aren't enough days of the year to fit all the countless saints who walked through this life witnessing to Jesus.
Some kept close to the Lord all their lives. Others found him along the way. Some led good lives without major difficulties. Others made big mistakes, but found the Lord on the road of repentance and genuine sorrow.
They made it! We celebrate their journey that led to eternal happiness with God. We celebrate our own family members, relatives, neighbors and friends whom we believe to be in heaven.
Today we can rejoice in our hearts with all the saints in heaven. We can make up our own prayer to them, thanking them for the witness of their lives. We can thank them, too, for helping us overcome our difficulties and temptations. We ask them to help us on our own journey through life.
"Clearly, if we venerate [the memory of the saints], it serves us, not them. But I tell you, when I think of them, I feel myself inflamed by a tremendous yearning. Calling the saints to mind inspires, or rather arouses in us, above all else, a longing to enjoy their company." -St. Bernard
August 13, 2012 (KellyClinger.com) -
Wednesday is late term abortion day at Orlando Women’s Center (the clinic where I had my abortions 12 years ago). When I first started visiting the sidewalks of abortion clinics to pray and minister, I had no idea that late term abortions were even legal. I remember hearing about the Partial Birth Abortion Ban in 2007 and assumed (like most) that this stopped abortions late in a woman’s pregnancy.
Shock can’t even begin to describe my feeling when I first counseled on late term day. “These girls are so pregnant,” I kept thinking to myself. Of course that’s silly since there’s no such thing as being a “little pregnant”, but I couldn’t get over the size of their beautiful bellies so full of life. These women have felt their babies kick. Many of them even know the sex of the child and this is sometimes the reason for the abortion. These girls have carried these babies for six months. They are more than halfway done!
I just cried and cried. I couldn’t even speak at first. Not only is the size of their bellies overwhelming but the hardness of their hearts is just as shocking. I began to think about family members, friends, and co-workers of these girls who know they are pregnant. Is our society so lacking of accountability that they will return to their lives and no one will think this is a problem?
This past Wednesday my friend John posted a picture of a girl who arrived at OWC to abort her twin baby girls. She already had daughters and didn’t want any more. She was about 20 weeks along, but because she was pregnant with twins, she had a big belly. Within a few hours, the picture went viral. I began to get phone calls and emails from friends who had no idea abortions like these happen. Many offered financial help and many offered to adopt her babies. Thousands of people all of over the world were praying that this girl would change her mind…and thousands were saying the picture was a hoax or that what she was doing was illegal.
I found myself repeating over and over again, “Abortion is legal in America up to the day you give birth.” In fact, in our nation’s capital, there are two doctors who “specialize” in abortions this late in pregnancy. One of those doctors has been working with a suspended license for several years. The Partial Birth Abortion Ban only stopped the use of that procedure late in a woman’s pregnancy. Now, as long as the baby is dismembered before removing him or her from the womb, it’s perfectly legal. Look up the laws in your state. Keep in mind that in any state that has exceptions for the health of the mother, this can mean that if a woman has bad heartburn that’s a threat to her health. A late term abortion starts around $2,000 and can go up to about $15,000 depending on how far along a woman is in her pregnancy.
I’ve been to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. They have piles and piles of hair shaved off of Jews in the concentration camps. They have millions of pairs of shoes belonging to children who were killed simply because they were Jewish. The pictures of thousands of dead bodies piled on top of each other are shocking and appalling. At one point I decided I couldn’t look anymore. I was disgusted that this could happen without a revolution rising to overthrow a government that would accept murder as status quo.
I know it’s controversial to say this, but abortion truly is the holocaust of my generation. What if we had the bodies of 50,000,000 babies piled on top of each other in a museum somewhere? What if we took all of the clothes they will never wear and toys they will never play with and you had to pay to see them? If each of us had to watch a late term abortion, surely there would be a revolution, right?
After the Holocaust ended, German civilians were taken to Buchenwald concentration camp to see the atrocities that happened there. Over and over they were heard saying, “We didn’t know.” Now, because of the internet and social media, we have no excuse for ignorance. The hands of America are covered with blood…perhaps her eyes and ears are covered as well.
The girl I mentioned earlier ended up aborting the twin girls in her womb even though we had every kind of help she would ever need ready for her. She admitted that she didn’t want girls and that she had no compassion for the babies she was carrying. Through a two day process, she actually had to go into labor and deliver her sweet babies into a toilet. Abortions like these happen all over the country every day. I hope that this girl’s picture made many so outraged that they are provoked to do something. When I spend hours on the Planned Parenthood sidewalk alone, I want to cry out “WHERE IS THE CHURCH?”
“America will not reject abortion until America SEES abortion.” - Father Frank Pavone
Reprinted with permission from KellyClinger.com
Click here to Sign An International Petition Seeking To Halt the demolition of Mpape
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| Bulldozing Mpape |
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| Army Checkmating Protesters |
On August 16th, the CDD learned that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had surprised the residents by starting the demolition two weeks early and in the late morning while everyone was away at work. This video contains some of the few shots which escaped the village. www.cddwestafrica.org
To watch this video, just click on this link: The destruction of Mpape
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| Court Order |
From The Author
Era of Crises and
Revolts is a modest contribution geared at arming working class and youth
activists with perspectives at a critical point in history. The book provides
analyses that help shed more light on the roots of the general crisis, rocking
the world economy and political system. The crises cover a broad range of a
social life, and the relations of humankind with nature. Yet it is at the
same time a single crisis i.e. the crisis of the capitalist system.
The book further shows
the interconnectedness of the struggles of the working masses across the world.
This is particularly important for situating the January Revolt in
Nigeria and its ongoing aftermath.
The resistance of the
working class has been impressive. Snapshots of crucial theatres of the unfolding
global rebellion are captured and the possibilities ahead considered. The
socialist idea is presented as the alternative to barbarism which the bosses
and elite politicians are driving humankind towards.
The state of crises that
had preceded the anti-fuel subsidy removal protests in Nigeria at the beginning
of 2012 is given close attention. The dynamics of the January Revolts discussed
and the ultimate way forward in Nigeria is revealed as being tied to the
overthrow of the exploitative and oppressive capitalist system globally. Such system
change, it is noted, will not come about automatically or due to the
benevolence of the bosses. A critical view of the problems and prospects for social change involving the self
emancipation of the working people, in the country and globally is thus noted
as being of the essence for workers and youths in the struggles that we shall
still confront.
Prior to the kick off of the Brazil Vs Mexico Olympic football gold medal match, Richard and I visited the Abutu family (Emmanuel, Nwakaego and Mikel-Father, Mother and Son respectively). Even though we never informed the Abutus prior to our visit, they magnanimously demonstrated the true and remarkably African hospitality. Without mincing words, I am really proud and delighted to have them as friends. Right from the moment we stepped into their apartment there was no dull moment for the next two and half hours we stayed with them.
As Mikel was thrilling us with some Olympics-inspired stunts of gymnastic proportions, Mrs Nwakaego who is "very heavy" dashed into the kitchen to prepare us an extraordinarily delicious pepper soup which Richard latter reffered to as the best pepper soup he has ever tasted. Mr Emmanuel for his part gave us all the attention you can think of and made us feel at home with his issue-based discourses that cuts across politics, social and cultural lines. Lest I forget, Gabriel the guy I call Millito, a brother of Mr Emmanuel was also busy providing logistics and facilitating the services we got. Coach Stagger also a friend of the Abutus was present too.
When the much anticipated match eventually kicked off, Richard who was supporting his Canadian continental neighbours (Mexico) as opposed to my support for the Samba boys was cock sure that the Mexicans will prevail over the dreaded Samba boys. His confidence was so much so that I almost challenged him to a bet but had to change my mind on a second thought, after all nothing was really at stake for me as neither Nigeria nor any of my continental neighbours for that matter was involved.
To sum it all, it was a fun-filled outing for Richard and I thanks to the Abutus. Upon leaving the Abutus, we went to a nearby joint where the fun continued. Here are some pictures of the day for your viewing pleasure.
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