LIFE IS SACRED
by Joseph of Jesus and Mary

The Work of God Apostolate


Matthew 19:14 but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs." Matthew 25:40 "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." Deuteronomy 30:19 "Choose life, says the Lord, that you and your descendants may live! "

CONTENTS

Introduction
God, the author of life
Life's questions
You shall not kill
How life is destroyed

No! to:
Abortion     Euthanasia    
Artificial birth control     Suicide

Prayer for those who have destroyed life
Holiness of marriage
Divorce
Distortion of sex
Loving one's life
Loving others
Personal attacks on life
Life forever

Prayers:
Thanksgiving for life
Prayer of repentance for having destroyed life

" Testimony of a victim of abortion "
Letter to a woman who had an abortion
Terrorism

Contents ^^


Introduction

We live in a materialistic society where everything is done with profit in mind, money has become a god for everyone and wether we like it or not, it rules our lives if we allow it. The standard of living is very high and all things increase in value constantly except morals, respect, and "life" which is the most sacred thing.

Human beings in most cases are not the fruit of a love relationship any more, they seem to be accidents that if lucky to survive have to struggle in a world without love.

Most couples procreate children in relationships devoid of true love for one another, they don't marry with  the purpose of having children any more, as a matter of fact this is something distant in their minds, because pleasure comes first before the natural gift of life given to them.

On Sunday February 2nd 1997, (Pro-life day in Italy) before praying the Angelus, the Holy Father addressed the congregation with these words " Life, one's own and that of others, cannot be disposed of at will: it belongs to the Author of life. Love inspires the culture of life, while selfishness inspires the culture of death. Choose life, says the Lord, that you and your descendants may live! (Deuteronomy 30:19).

In this study, we shall discuss the sacredness of human life, we shall look at the different threats to life, the means to protect life, the responsibility that we have as co-creators, the responsibility we have for our own lives and the lives of others.

God the author of life

[Genesis 2:7] And the Lord God formed man of the slime of the earth: and breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

The greatest expression of God is life, God calls Himself " I am who I am " in other words God claims by His holy name that He exists. Jesus says I am the Life [John 14:6].

In His goodness God has created a world in which man has been placed on top of all creation by being made in His image [Genesis 1:26] and by having dominion over all  creatures.

God created the first woman as a companion and helper of Adam the first man [Genesis 2:18], He decreed that a man will leave his father and mother, cling to his wife and the two will become one flesh. Out of this union comes the fruit of their love which is their children as an expression of their love for each other and as the response to God's command "be fruitful and multiply" [Genesis 1:28]

It is by the grace of God that the gift of procreation has been given to a man and a woman with the objective of glorifying God by having children begotten in His image who will also glorify Him.The last part of creation was the creation of human beings which reflect the perfections of their maker. God is the true author of life, and even though we cooperate in the proliferation of life by the union of man and woman, life depends entirely upon the holy will of God. [Job 12:9-10] 9 Who is ignorant that the hand of the Lord hath made all these things? 10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all flesh of man.

Adam and Eve were created in a estate of perfection, innocence, purity and immortality which unfortunately did not last very long due to sin. They did not obey the command of the Lord which resulted in death, the opposite of life.

Death came into the world as a consequence of disobedience with the curse of God: "You are dust and you shall return to dust" [Genesis 3:19], by this this command Adam and Eve as parents and all the human race were stripped of their perfection and immortality.

The first casualty of death was Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve. He was killed by Cain who was filled with envy for his brother, and out of hatred took his life.

God is the author of life; in contrast the devil is the author of death because by tempting men to sin, he was a murderer from the beginning [John 8:44]. This opens the way for the imitators of the evil one who are ready to kill or to violate God's commandments.We have been given free will to accept the Law of God or to defy it by sin.

God has written his law in our hearts so that we can always know what is good and what is wrong, through our conscience we come first to appreciate that life is sacred. The Lord revealed the ten commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. They are the rules by which we are to prove our love to God and to our neighbour. The Fifth commandment states "You shall not kill ". [Exodus 20:13]

Our life on earth is confined to the limitations of our weaknesses which lead us eventually to death, so in order to redeem us from this curse, Christ our Saviour came into the world to give us life, that is to to give it more abundantly [John 10:10], in other words He came to give us eternal life. 

So our human limitations and weaknesses are overcome in Christ, the Son of the living God, the Messiah who by his death destroyed our death and by his resurrection gave us eternal life which is the perfect promise and fulfilment of our redemption.

The dignity of human life is fulfilled in Jesus, who was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the sinless woman who conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit [Matthew 1:23] in order to fulfil the promise of God to save his people by sending His only begotten Son into the world to be our King, our Lord and our Saviour. Jesus is the incarnate Word of God , He was born of a woman and He is the eternal Son of the Living God [Galatians 4:4]. In Him rested the Holy Spirit of God [Isaiah 11:2]; by his sufferings and death we have been healed and saved [Isaiah 53:5].

This extraordinary and divine part of our human existence in Christ is the sacredness of life, it belongs to God not to us, we call it our lives, but it is actually God's property, we take part in the co-creation of life, the nourishing and fulfilment of life, but it is a holy gift, the most valuable of talents for which we have to render an account when we come to judgment before God.

The Will of God concerning life is that it thrives on and on. Life is the Glory of God, therefore where there is life, God is there. If life is taken away by force, the creator of life is denied the right of His glory, no wonder this is such a grave sin.

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Life's questions

We love our lives by natural instinct and we try to preserve life in order to enjoy it and to discover what it is all about. During our lifetime we consider the questions who am I, where do I come from and where am I going to. Let us examine these questions.

Who am I     Where do I come from     Where am I going

Who am I ?

We are children of God, created in His image and sanctified by His own Blood. In paradise we lost our inheritance and we were condemned to dust. We have desecrated the image of God in us by our sins, it is then imperative that we come to the Son to be restored onto His likeness [Philippians 3:21]. Through Jesus we have become adoptive sons and daughters of God and our inheritance has been restored [Ephesians 1:5].

As children of the Most High we are united to Christ in baptism and depending on our behaviour we can merit the salvation that He has already paid for. The children of God do not sin [1 John 3:9], at least they are not supposed to, but if anyone sins we have Jesus Christ to forgive us through His Precious Blood [1 John 2:1].

Like Father, like son we say here on earth, is it not important that we truly become like God? We must live our lives according to the pattern of Christ so that we may also reflect the image of the Father in us [1 Corinthians 15:49].

Where do I come from?

We have been created from nothingness into existence by the goodness of God. Being moulded by his hands we have received his breath to animate our lives. The soul is the breath of God, that part of immortality which separates us from the material world [Genesis 2:7].

So we come from God who created us, in Him we live, we move and we have our being.[Acts 17:28]

Where am I going?

Knowing that we are children of God, we should go back to Him "our origin". Our lives must become a quest to possess the immortality we have lost. Jesus has pointed the Way: I am the Way. [John 14:6]

His way is a way of holiness and renunciation to the things of the world, with St. Paul we must count everything as rubbish in order to possess the most precious thing "Christ" [Philippians 3:8]

With Christ we become aware of his work of purification in our  souls, and we learn to turn away from evil in order to walk along with Him [Matthew 16:24].

The soul then stops seeking the things of the flesh and the world, and many changes will occur that will lead it to live for God only [1 John 2:16].

It is in the soul that all good and bad is imprinted and in the soul we can feel the spirit of God moving us to do good, we can also feel the spirit of evil trying to convince us to live according to the calls of the flesh.

The carnal man lives according to the inclinations of the flesh, he becomes a slave of the passions and he lives with no desire of God in him. This man sins and wounds his soul with mortal sin unless he comes to know Christ [Romans 8:5].

Those who are called to live by Christ must repent of their sins,  amend their lives and live in conformity with His Spirit [2 Chronicles 7:14].

The Holy Spirit moves us to accept that Jesus is Lord, and if we accept His direction, we learn to listen to Him and to obey His Word in order to be saved [Romans 10:9].

The spiritual man receives the light of the truth and the truths sets him free [Romans 8:2]. In the wings of the spirit he can travel securely following the call to eternal life [Isaiah 40:31].

You shall not kill

Killing demands God's Justice
How life is destroyed

The fifth commandment tells us to respect life, this holy property of God. However life is destroyed all around us, most of the time for selfish purposes, sometimes even with the approval of the laws of men which protect those who commit abortions, euthanasia and the death sentence.

Wars are also happening everywhere destroying human life, we seem to kill each other forgetting that the enemy is not another human being since to kill is to alienate ourselves from God and to become real friends of the devil, the author of death. Our enemy is the devil himself who puts hatred and carelessness in the hearts of men leading them who destroy life which is the very purpose of God's creation. Therefore we should consider the commandments of God before we condone any act which can lead to kill; "We must obey God rather than men" [Acts 5:29]

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Killing demands God's Justice

Cain killed his brother Abel and the Lord said to Cain: "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground" [Gen 4:10]. In the same way all those responsible for killing their brothers will be asked "Where is your brother?" But the answer will be the same as that of Cain [Gen 4:9] Am I my brother's keeper?

But killing is not restricted directly to physical harm leading to death. Jesus says [Matthew 5:21-22] 21 You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment.
22 But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment. And whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca [if you insult your brother], shall be in danger of the council. And whosoever shall say, Thou Fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

We are temples of the Holy Spirit and we must take care of life, those who destroyed this holy temple will be destroyed by God.  [1 Corinthians 3:17]

How life is destroyed

It is very sad to accept that people can take away the lives of others when God is the author of life  and He is the only one who should dispose of it. However He has given it as a gift and life is vulnerable not only to the threats of disease, malnutrition, carelessness, abuse, but also to the threats of other human beings because of racism, vandalism, theft, politics, war, hatred, discrimination, etc.

Life is most vulnerable in its beginnings because it is rejected by mothers and fathers who are selfish in accepting this precious gift of God. Abortion is a silent killer that destroys millions of innocent lives in the womb every year. The altar of life has been turned into an altar of death; innocent blood is crying to God from the ground, and Justice will come. [Gen 4:10]

Whatever you do to these little ones, you are doing to me. [Matthew 25:40] To destroy life is to destroy the presence of God that manifests itself in life.

Life is also very vulnerable in the elderly and the sick, this has opened the way for euthanasia, a false concept of mercy which violates the commandment "You shall not kill".

Any desecration to life is a crime that God will bring to judgment: [Genesis 9:5-6]

5 For I will require the blood of your lives at the hand of every beast, and at the hand of man, at the hand of every man, and of his brother, will I require the life of man.
6 Whosoever shall shed man's blood, his blood shall be shed: for man was made to the image of God.

Jesus has taught us that besides killing, to be angry with our brother will put us in danger of the judgement, because anger leads to hatred and lack of self control which leads to kill. [Matthew 5:21-22]

Hatred is a spiritual way of killing because this passion is contrary to love, God has commanded that we must love one another as we love ourselves; by hating someone, we deny ourselves the love of God and deny others of the love God wants us to share.

The killing of one human being is a complete defiance of the law of God, it is a sin against the Holy Spirit, because every human being is a temple of the spirit of God and by killing, the spirit is forced to leave the body.

God in his infinite plan of goodness for us has a time to live and a time to die. Dying is fulfilling the will of God Who has commanded " You are dust [Genesis 3:19] and you shall return to dust.

Any movement to restrict life is contrary to God's will, therefore it is a sin. Those who murder physically another person many times are committing other sins associated with  murder, for example some kill in order to terrorise and steal property, others get what they want from their victims and still want more so they kill to avoid any witnesses. There are even those who kill for the sake of seeing others suffer, some become vicious killers and feel no remorse for their crimes.

Others know that the only way to violate laws is by being prepared to kill those who stand on their way, so they arm themselves and become ready to kill if necessary.

Killing is glamorised on television and destroys people feelings. Many times criminals get away with their sinister crimes by declaring themselves insane. In the name of Justice many unjust crimes are committed, so we are left with our own personal judgment to still decide by natural law and to condemn any attack to life.

Sexuality, immorality, permissiveness, promiscuity and other sexual abominations are glorified on television, in real life these passions lead to hatred, frustration, abortion, divorce and murder.

Where are we going to? Is there more to come? So long as we neglect the Law of God, many more evils will fall upon us, therefore we must pray constantly that we love one another in imitation of the love of Christ.

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Abortion

The Lord said be fruitful and multiply [Genesis 1:28], "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."[Matthew 25:40].

An abortion is the premature expulsion of a foetus from the womb of the mother at a time when the little human being is not able to survive. It is a miscarriage when it happens either naturally by any physical problem of the mother or by accident, but this is not what we are concerned about.

A deliberate abortion is made for the purpose of killing a human being before it is naturally born. It is a very grave sin which defies the fifth commandment "You shall not kill."

Once the male seed [sperm] and the female germ cell or egg [ovum] are united, fertilisation takes place and chromosomes start multiplying to form a human being. This is the beginning of human life in the womb. From this moment on, there exists a new human being, who starts to develop with a singularity that is unique. The woman becomes the mother of this human being, also called embryo or foetus. And a man shall leave his parents to cling to his wife, the two become one flesh. What God has united let no man separate, [Matthew 19:4-6]. God has allowed a new human being to come to life, His voice speaks to the woman's soul "Blessed is the fruit of thy womb" [Luke 1:42]

The intention of God for male and female is that they become one in marriage, so that they pro-create children. Men plant, God gives life, fertilises the seeds and make them grow. [1 Corinthians 3:6]

There are those who claim that a foetus is not a human being, that it is only a part of the body of a woman, however they must accept that this so called part is the fruit of the sexual act of two, which God intended to be united in matrimony and multiply. For God is the author of life, He sustains it, He can see every moment of its development, "For you formed my inmost being, you have protected me from my mother's womb" [Ps 139:13]. God is allowing life to thrive in the womb as this will glorify Him; "Your eyes beheld my unformed substance" [Ps 139:16]

Elizabeth was with child and at the greeting of Mary, her child leapt for Joy, John the Baptist still an unborn child received the Holy Spirit and was sanctified in the womb, He experienced the Power of the Son of God who was still in the womb of the Blessed Virgin. Elizabeth was also filled with the Holy Spirit and recited the first part of what we know as the Hail Mary. After this event Mary praised God and said the most beautiful expression of praise to God, "The Magnificat" [Luke 1:44-55]

At the age of three months in the womb, the child has its distinctive sex, blood type, fingerprints and toeprints. Its genetic make-up is unique as that of any other human being. Its digestive, circulatory, nervous and respiratory systems are working already. Heart and brain waves can be recorded and show regular patterns. The unborn baby can make many movements in response to the mother's voice, it can respond to light and to heat, it can rest when the mother is resting and be active when she is active, it responds to touch from the outside.

When this unfortunate helpless human being is put to death  being torn apart by the abortionist's suction machine it will experience the most painful agony, one that no one would be willing to experience at the moment of death.

To kill a helpless human being in the womb of the mother is a very serious crime before God. It is a sin committed by the parents, by the abortionists and by those who condone abortion. We speak of human rights and we deny rights to human beings who are still  being formed in the sanctuary of life.

To cooperate in the formation of life is a woman's privilege granted by God, it has the rewards of motherhood. The role of a woman, to raise children, is the most beautiful and noble job in imitation of Mary our heavenly mother who gave life, nourished and cared for the Word of God who became flesh in her womb.

To be a mother is to say yes to God, who has planned it so. To abort a child is to deny God the right to have children and also to deny the child the gift of life.

Women who commit this sin are haunted for life with the frustrated feelings of motherhood, they know that the one who died is actually alive in God but those who kill have no life in themselves, they loose peace and it is only through the mercy of God that they can be reconciled and healed in the end. The Lord is kind and merciful, He forgives those who come to Him with a humble and contrite heart, there is no sin that can not be dealt with the mercy of God, so there is still hope for those who offend Him.

Let us entrust life to the mother of life, the Blessed Virgin Mary who is the Living Tabernacle of the Divinity since She consented to the Word of God to become flesh in her womb and since She has been entrusted with the gift of the life of all the children of God. "Woman behold your son" [John 19:26]. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the unborn, she appeared to Juan Diego a Mexican peasant in 1531, she was pregnant during the apparitions; as a result the ritual killing of babies stopped and more than 10 million of Indians converted to Catholicism in the following years.

The maternity of the Mother of God is so dignifying that it has the power to convert sinners. The pro-life movement has Our Lady of Guadalupe as their protectress and Patroness. Her image is displayed in front of abortion clinics throughout the world, and by Our Lady's intercession, many innocent babies have been saved from the atrocity of abortion.

Euthanasia

Euthanasia is the act of killing someone who is suffering in order to shorten his agony, it is claimed as mercy and as a favour to the person dying.

No one has the right to take another person's life because life belongs to God. No one can claim to be merciful by braking one of God's commandments, especially the commandment "You shall not kill".

Dying is part of God's plan for us, it does not come easy because it is part of the curse given in paradise, "You are dust, and to dust you shall return". To accept death is to accept the Will of God which is always perfect because God is perfect. God says : See ye that I alone am, and there is no other God besides me: I will kill and I will make to live: I will strike, and I will heal, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. " [Deuteronomy 32:39]

To think that God is unmerciful because someone is suffering his death and to imagine that one is being merciful by killing a dying person is a grave sin, it is an interference with the natural law of life and death. To accept getting old, getting sick and dying is to welcome the will of God; "I kept my faith even when I said, 'I am greatly afflicted" [Ps 116:10].

To accept the Will of God regarding suffering, illness and death is to glorify God and to accept Him for what He is, since we have no part in the supernatural act of creating life or taking it away, we should live to the Lord and die to Him, since we belong to Him [Romans 14:7-8]

Jesus knew that his hour had come and He prayed to the Father to take away the cup of his suffering but He said three times, "Not my will, but yours be done" [Luke 22:42]. To accept death is to accept the supreme power of God who has given death as a part of our existence, a transition to our eternal life in Christ.

We should support a dying person by telling them about the promises of everlasting life, we should encourage them to accept that they have sinned through their lives and that they must repent before facing God. We should make them see how important it is to surrender their sufferings and their lives to God in imitation of Jesus who said "Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit".[Luke 23:46]

Pain can be alleviated by pain killers in most cases, but if there is pain, this should be offered to God in union of the pains and sufferings of Christ that wants us to partake in his sufferings in order to share in his joy [Romans 8:17].

Sufferings, pain and death are the sufferings of the mystical body of Christ the Church in every one of us. The head of the body is Christ himself who suffered the most painful death, so as members of the body we must also suffer in imitation of the head to make up whatever is lacking in the complete suffering of the mystical body of Christ. [Colossians 1:24]

Above all, we must remember that life comes from God and He has destined a time to take it away. He says: "It is I who bring both death and life" [Deuteronomy 32:39]

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Artificial Birth Control

With this modern invention men and women were given the opportunity to have sex without having the responsibilities associated with it. Promiscuity has grown because men and women are no longer committed to a particular partner since they don't expect to have babies after sexual intercourse. Venereal diseases have proliferated because of this new availability of sex.

Artificial birth control came at a time when social tendencies which favoured adultery needed the ultimate partner. The sexual revolution promoted by rock and roll, the irresponsible life of the hippies, the consumption of alcohol and drugs of the sixties and other modern trends have been the perfect companions of the pill and other means of artificial birth control.

Artificial birth control is totally opposed to the natural way disposed by God as a result of the union of a couple. While there are natural methods which involve abstinence and self control, these artificial methods promote irresponsibility and lust.

The result is smaller families and many unknown abortions caused monthly by many pills that contain abortifacients and destroy the human embryo once it is formed, without the knowledge of the mothers.

Many couples resent the failure of inefficient birth control methods, so when the woman is pregnant  they have no problems in making the decision to have an abortion.

Artificial birth control is associated with breast cancer, and other types of cancer in women. It has made it possible for couples to have very small families and has opened the way for a more luxurious life where God is not welcome.

No one has the right to tamper with life, so by limiting the number of children in a family through artificial birth methods we interfere with nature, we deny human beings the right to live and we offend God gravely.

Mutilation in the woman by ligation of the fallopian tubes or in the man by vasectomy are not morally accepted methods by the Church because the Lord does not permit that we mutilate our bodies, since we are his property and not ours. Besides, these conditions open possibilities for adultery and promiscuity.

If the argument is that the couple can not sustain financially a large family, then the moral price to pay is too high if we have to break the law of God, therefore the couple must find an alternate natural way of family planning.

There are many family planning organisations that promote natural ways, they can be found through the help of our Catholic Church.

Suicide

When someone is desperate and lacks courage to face the sufferings and pressures of life, sometimes they find no way out but to commit suicide.

Suicide is the deliberate taking of one's life, it is the most terrible solution to life's problems. In imitation of Judas, the unfortunate person doing this loses faith in God, in society and in himself. [Matthew 27:5]

Many of the symptoms of someone who will commit suicide are restlessness, lack of sleep, loss of motivation, sense of total failure, depression, surrender to vices and drugs, irritability, anger with God and apathy to life.

We must help those who are contemplating to commit suicide, since many times they will threaten to kill themselves if things don't get any better for them. Prayer for these people is very important, counselling and support are the best ways to avoid these human tragedies.

We have the right to choose between life and death says the Lord [Deuteronomy 30:15,19], if we live a life in God we find everlasting life, if we choose to live for ourselves with no regard for the commandments of God, we will end up losing our souls through sin, we may become so desperate that the only way out is death.

Jesus is the answer to all our problems, He has come to teach us how to live in God, He has come to give us life and to give it more abundantly. [John 10:10] He has said: I am the way, the truth and the "life". [John 14:6]

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Holiness of Marriage

And a man shall leave his parents to cling to his wife, the two become one flesh. What God has united let no man separate, [Matthew 19:4-6]. Jesus sanctified the sacrament of marriage in his first public appearance at the wedding in Canna. The fruit of marriage is the continuation of life, God is pleased with the union of a man and a woman and He has allowed mere creatures to partake in the great mystery of life.

The family is a very strong social unity, a domestic church in the words of the Holy Father, where God is present, where love gives birth to love, where life begins.

Once a man and a woman get married, they belong to each other, they have every right on each other because they are no longer two but one flesh [1 Corinthians 7:3]. This union is made holy by the sacrament which gives one to the other for life.

The children become an extension of the parents, they are images of them just as we are images of God. The parents have the responsibility of bringing them up in the knowledge of the Lord who is the author of existence.

Since two become one, it is evident that they must respect each other and be faithful for the rest of their lives, this is the reason why the Lord condemns adultery [Exodus 20:14]. The Lord also hates divorce [Malachi 2:16], these two plagues destroy many marriages.

 

Divorce

Marriage is a covenant between a man a woman whereby they give themselves to one another with the blessing of the Lord. They assume responsibilities which are associated with marriage, such as looking after one another, supporting each other, planning a family and caring for it.

We live in evil times where divorce is very common, but the Lord hates divorce [Malachi 2:16], what God has united together should not be separated, therefore couples have the responsibility of solving all their problems with forgiveness, they must be faithful, they must have constant dialogue especially when something is annoying one of them.

Divorce splits families, it brings disgrace to the children, it brings hardship on every one concerned. Couples should pray together especially the holy rosary, since "the family that prays together stays together".

Distortion of sex

The Lord said you shall not have false gods before me [Exodus 20:3]. Money, power and sex are among the many worshipped gods of all times.

Sex in the animal kingdom is only done for the purpose of the continuation of the species. It has no meaning outside reproduction. Human beings on the other hand have made sex one of the worst passions, capable of destroying not only the body, the mind and the soul but also the result which is engendering life.

Sex between a man and a woman has been perverted especially by the proliferation of pornography in all types of media. A married couple should keep their natural act very private, they should not let any external ideas enter into their intimacy. Every thing they do should be done in the Presence of God since God has approved their union. If they recur to external means, if they seek extra pleasures, they are departing from the chaste purpose of marriage and they should pray for any evil to depart from them.

Chastity in marriage is also a very healthy way of planning the number of children they will have, abstinence should be practiced when necessary so that with the added grace of God they will not have to regret taking part in an abortion.

Many couples get married only because of the physical attraction they feel for each other, and they neglect other important areas of their lives before they commit themselves to a marriage that may not last very long.

After twenty or more years of marriage, most of the physical beauty that attracted them will be gone and they are left only with the true "love" that they feel for each other, plus the binding love of their family. This is why the purpose of marriage is to beget children, so that they become the support of the parents when they get old. God has planned everything so well and we will enjoy life to the full only if we accept Christ in all the aspects of our life.

Sexual intercourse, the way God intended is limited to husband and wife only. Outside of marriage, sex is a sin.

Homosexual encounters are unnatural and sinful, they defy the commandments of God, one of the cups of the wrath of God mentioned in the Apocalypse has to do with Aids which is a punishment for these sexual aberrations, let us remember that Sodom and Gomorrah [Genesis 19:28] were destroyed mainly because of this type of sin. Sexual intercourse with animals is also another perversion of sex [Leviticus 18:22-23]

Evil has come into the world uniting couples of the same sex in marriage in contradiction of the Law of God. This is very terrible sin. Homosexuality is a great threat to genuine families, some of this unnatural couples receive the approval of society in many countries, they even receive welfare benefits, this abomination is a distortion of the plan of God and we should pray for the Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of these victims of sin.

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Loving one's life

We must admit that the greatest gift we have received from God is life, our own life. We must thank and praise the author of life, the One who gave shape to our beings [Jeremiah 1:5] in the womb of our mothers.

The commandment of God says love your neighbour as you love your self. [Matthew 19:19] This implies that we must love our own life, something that we take for granted. Perhaps we love ourselves with vanity or with too much self love which does not leave much love for God; or perhaps we love ourselves so much that there is no love left for our neighbour. Either way is contrary to the true love for one self.

It is not that we love, but that God loved us first [1 John 4:19]; then to love ourselves must be in the context of the love we feel for God. In this love we must acknowledge our source, we must give thanks and praise to God for having created us out of nothing, for having forgiven us our sins through Jesus Christ our Lord and for enabling us to be sanctified through the Holy Spirit.

We must thank God every moment of our lives for being able to exist, we must find reason to love Him in every thought of our minds, we must thank God for every breath that we take, for every day that we awaken to, for every meal that we eat, for every person that we meet, for every moment of rest that we have, for every achievement, etc. This way by loving God, we are also loving ourselves because we are giving ourselves the pleasure of knowing God who is Peace, Love and Joy. 

Loving others

Love your neighbour as you love your self.[Matthew 19:19]. If we know so much how to love ourselves, we must wish the same for others [Matthew 7:12], this is not only justice but this is the genuine measure of the way we love God.

Our joy cannot be complete is we are the source of someone's unhappiness, this is why we are called to forgive others, we must love them as we love ourselves wishing them the same joys and comforts that we have, helping them if we can, and sharing with them how good God is.

But how can I love someone I don't know? - The same question was asked to Jesus, "who is my neighbour ?" and He responded with the parable of the good samaritan. There is always someone around us who needs appreciation, forgiveness, understanding, comfort and support.

God loved the world so much that He gave us His only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to save us, Jesus loved us so much that He opened his arms on the cross and died for our sins, He said "no one has greater love than to give his own life for his friends" [John 15:13]. We are called to love others until it hurts, this is the kind of love that leads to martyrdom, we must make sacrifices for others.

We are called to go out of our own comfortable way to help others in need. We must be prepared physically to do this, but we also have a spiritual responsibility with others.

When we pray the "Our Father" we pray for every one and we contribute to the well being of others. When we pray the "Hail Mary" we ask our Lady to pray for us sinners, so we include all our brothers and sisters. When we pray for the souls in purgatory we are giving spiritual charity to the poor souls who are suffering until they are completely purified, our prayers will call graces for them to be relieved of their misery. When we pray for any unselfish motive, we are giving our lives to the Lord in prayer, charity is flowing from our hearts to those in need and "we are loving our neighbour".

If we know that someone is suffering in any way we must remember that person in our prayers. Our prayers are like the most precious gold in the eyes of God, they are arrows of love that penetrate the doors of heaven releasing abundant graces for all humanity. Let us pray for one another! 

Personal attacks on life

So many times we are sick as a consequence of our lack of self responsibility. We catch a cold when we don't cover ourselves properly, we endanger our lives if we consume alcohol or drugs, we abuse our bodies by overwork, by not resting enough, by not feeding ourselves properly, sometimes we may over eat, Our bodies receive abuses from all different angles and without realising it, we are failing the fifth commandment "You shall not kill".

We kill ourselves slowly for example by smoking until we have cancer. We may consume alcohol in such a way that it may destroy our liver and eventually cause our death. We may abuse entertainment and pleasure to the point of not getting enough rest for the body, any illness in such condition may lead us to our own death. We may become so ambitious that we may neglect resting adequately, risking to have a heart attack.

Since life is such a treasure, we have the duty to look after our health, we must not do any thing that places our lives in danger, because our lives belong to God, they are the greatest of all the "talents" that we have been given for which we have to give an account some day.

Life is Precious, our lives and the lives of others. Our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, therefore we must behave as such, any attack to our physical health is an attack on the temple of God [1 Corinthians 3:17] .

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Life forever

Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life" [John 14:6]. If He is the Life, then we must come to Him to find everlasting life. Eternal life is to know God and to know Jesus Christ whom He has sent [John 17:3].He offered us eternal life when He gave us the food for our souls in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist; I am the bread of life, Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood will have eternal life. [John 6:54]

Life on earth depends on food, life after death depends on the food for our souls which is the Holy Eucharist. This gift of life cost Jesus His death, He died in order to pay for the sins of all humanity and to lift the curse of paradise " You are dust and to dust you shall return" [Genesis 3:19] .

During the Holy Mass we proclaim the death of Jesus and announce His resurrection, because dying He destroyed our death and rising He restored our life. So we pray, Lord Jesus come in Glory [1 Corinthians 11:26].

Being thankful for the gift of life, we must come to Jesus daily and honour God for having created us. We must thank and praise the author and sustainer of life for taking care of us mere creatures made from the dust, we must thank Jesus for restoring the image of our souls to God's image so that we can enjoy life forever.

We must also be thankful to Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary who conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit the ruler of all nations [Revelation 12:5]. She is the mother of life, the New Eve, the mother of all the living , the "Woman" who undid the sin of Eve.

She is full of Grace and She has been given the task of caring for the children of God, Jesus says to all his beloved disciples who stand beside his mother, "Woman, behold your son" [John 19:26].

Jesus has triumphed over sin and death, His victory is eternal life, [1 Corinthians 15:54-56]

54 And when this mortal hath put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?
56 Now the sting of death is sin: and the power of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

After the end of the world which is predicted in the Holy Scriptures, those who are saved will share the attributes of the divinity including everlasting life. There will be no pain, so suffering, every tear will be wiped out from our eyes. "Death shall be no more" [Apocalypse 21:4]

Jesus said: "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believes in me, although he be dead, shall live and every one that lives, and believes in me, will never die. [John 11:25-26].

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Prayers

Thanksgiving for life
Prayer of repentance for destroying life

Thanksgiving for life

Blessed be the name of God Almighty who has created life for his pleasure and glory. Blessed be God who formed me in the womb and knew me before I came into being. Blessed be the great gift of life which I enjoy thanks to the care of my parents who brought me up by God's will.

Lord my God, author and preserver of life: I thank you for allowing me to exist, I thank you for having created me out of nothing and for making me a unique being, full of gifts that reflect your image. I am sorry Lord that I have not lived according to your desires but according to my weak sinful nature. I repent of my past life and I consecrate to you my life anew to thrive in your Presence and in the designs of your Holy Will.

Thank you Lord for the world, this wonderful stage of life which you present to us daily.
I thank you Lord for the lives of all my brothers and sisters both alive and dead. They will be my company in eternity before the vision of your Glory. Thank you Lord for the gift of innocent life which has been wasted because of our negligence, please forgive us Lord for our sins.

Thank Lord you for all the elements that accompany us and permit our existence. Thank   you Lord for the air that we breath, for the blood that runs through our veins, thank you Lord for the gift of time and space. Thank you for the wonderful universe that is beyond our comprehension, for the stars, the planets and the constellations.

Thank you for our intelligence, for the gifts that you have bestowed upon every one of us. Thank you Lord because you call us your children even though we do not deserve that title.

Thank you Lord because " I am who I am because You are who you are ".

 

Prayer of repentance for having destroyed life

Heavenly Father, Almighty God. I humble myself before your Presence. Father of life, Father of all spirits. I have sinned against you, I have broken your commandment that says "You shall not kill"

I repent of my crime, I admit my guilt and I ask you to forgive me. You have said an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth and a life for a life [Leviticus 24:17-21]; if you  look at my iniquities I will be lost forever, but with you is found mercy and love [Psalm 130:2-3]. Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.

Lord you have appointed repentance for the forgiveness of sins , you have given power to your Church to forgive sins. I promise to confess my sins to a Catholic priest and I beg you to heal the wounds of my soul.

Heal me Oh Lord, purify me from all my iniquities. Precious Blood of Jesus cover me, I have shed human blood, I have destroyed life and you are life, now I beg you Lord by the power of your Precious Blood that you forgive me and deliver me from my iniquities.

Blessed Mother Mary, Virgin mother of all the living, mother of life, I am your child, forgive me my sins and pray for me, take me into the refuge of your Immaculate Heart and help me to live God's commandments.

Mother Mary you are the mother of that human being that I rejected, I entrust it to you and to your Son my Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for us Oh Holy Mother of God that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

Joseph of Jesus and Mary


The Work of God Apostolate

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Links to the Holy Bible: 
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Acknowledgment. All Bible quotations taken from the Douay Rheims Bible 1582

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The Work of God
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