Issue 69
December 2016
In this issue: 
Greetings,

May the Joy of the Christmas Season remain in your heart always. Wishing peace and joy for a happy and peaceful New Year,
 
The Respect Life Office 
Celebrating Advent

The Advent season is a time of preparation directing our hearts and minds to Christ's second coming at the end of time and also to the anniversary of the Lord's birth on Christmas. Below is a list of things you can do to make Advent a wonderful time for all in your family or parish.
  • Blessing Of An Advent Wreath - The use of the Advent Wreath is a traditional practice which has found its place in the Church as well as in the home. The blessing of an Advent Wreath takes place on the First Sunday of Advent or on the evening before the First Sunday of Advent. 
  • Blessing Of A Christmas Tree - Christmas light or candle that symbolized Christ, the Light of the world. According to custom, the Christmas tree is set up just before Christmas and may remain in place until the Solemnity of Epiphany. 

The Corporal Works of Mercy

"Charitable actions by which we help  our neighbors in their bodily needs" 
( USCCA ).  They respond to the basic needs of humanity as we journey together through this life.

Just as Jesus attended to the spiritual well-being of those he ministered to, these Spiritual Works of Mercy guide us to "help our neighbor in their spiritual needs" (USCCA).
FEED THE HUNGRY
Consider how good stewardship practices can benefit others.

COUNSELING THE DOUBTFUL
Remember that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life turn to him.
GIVE DRINK TO THE THIRSTY
Support the efforts of those working towards greater accessibility of this essential resource.  

INSTRUCTING THE IGNORANT
Learn about our faith and be open to talking with others about our beliefs.  

SHELTER THE HOMELESS
There are many circumstances that could lead to someone becoming a person without a home.

ADMONISHING THE SINNER
Do not judge, but be supportive in helping others find their way and correct their mistakes. 
VISIT THE SICK
In spite of their illness,take the time to visit and comfort these individuals
COMFORTING THE SORROWFUL
Be open to listening and comforting even if we aren't sure of the right words.
VISIT THE PRISONERS
People in prison are still people, made in the image and likeness of God, they deserve to hear the Word of God.

FORGIVING INJURIES
Jesus teaches us that we should forgive as God forgives, relying on him to help us show others the mercy of God.
BURY THE DEAD
Funerals give us the opportunity to grieve and show others support during difficult times.  Through our prayers we show our respect for life, which is always a gift from God.

BEARING WRONGS PATIENTLY
Do not be bitter about wrongs done against you.  Place your hope in God so that you can endure the troubles of this world and face them with a compassionate spirit. 
GIVE ALMS TO THE POOR
Donate money to organizations that have the ability to provide support and services for those in need
PRAYING FOR THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
Prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can support others. 
It is not too late to help!
Women in Maternity Homes through 2016 Act of Kindness Program

The Respect Life Office's Annual Maternity Advent Act of Kindness Program helps support young mothers i n maternity homes on Long Island who have chosen life. Please order your   collection boxes  and  advent calendars , they are free of charge. For more information visit our  website .

How to order:
How to donate:
December 8:
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the  Blessed Virgin Mary


The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.  
LK 1:26-38

Gospel taken from the USCCB 
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RESPECT LIFE PROGRAM ARTICLE
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Serene Attentiveness To God's Creation

When we fall in love, become parents, or enter into any significant relationship, it is not uncommon to experience a shift in worldview that shapes our actions. 

Consider parents holding their first newborn son or daughter. While there is no instruction manual for all the possible circumstances they may encounter, their guiding framework is the loving, parental relationship with their child. With his encyclical Laudato si ', Pope Francis invites us to understand more deeply our relationships with God, one another, and the rest of creation, and to live accordingly. "Everything is connected," he reminds us (LS 91).

God uses creation to bring us into loving relationship with himself, most notably through the sacraments. We experience this most powerfully in the Eucharist, the true body and blood of Christ, received under the appearance of bread and wine, where "all that has been created finds its greatest exaltation" (LS 236). Read more
action
The Washington, DC, City Council and the voters of Colorado both recently acted to legalize doctor-prescribed suicide. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, chair of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, called for increased efforts to fight against assisted suicide, saying it must be "opposed with renewed vigor."

Read Cardinal Dolan's full statement.
Respect Life Website Donation Page

Join our Mission to Serve Life!
The Respect Life Office enunciates and promotes the principle that human life, at all stages from conception to natural death, is a gift from God, worthy of respect and protection. You can now make an online donation to the Respect Life Office.
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The Purpose of the Spiritual Adoption Program is threefold:
  • Encourage parishes, schools and other communities to pray for babies in danger of abortion.
  • Educate adults and children about the development of the pre-born child.
  • Provide mothers in need with assistance at a 'baby shower' of donated baby gifts, or simply celebrate with a 'birthday party' at the conclusion of the program. In some schools a crib was bought with monetary gifts and the children filled a crib with gifts for expectant Mothers.
This is done by encouraging people to "spiritually adopt" an unborn baby, and to follow their baby along the path to being born. More Information
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The gift of
Hope this Christmas
for couples struggling with infertility and miscarriage

The Gianna Center for Women's Health & Fertility at Good Samaritan Hospital provides general gynecological care, FertilityCare education, and infertility services - all with a deep commitment to honoring a woman's dignity and the sanctity of human life. 
Comprehensive gynecologic primary care and specialized fertility and family planning techniques are used to unmask the causes of infertility for all women, regardless of faith. We are pleased to be the first medical practice in the community to feature two new women's health services:
  • FertilityCare Services
  • NaProTechnology
These two unique services allow us to provide you with a natural, restorative, scientifically based approach to monitoring your health and managing your fertility. Please call today 631-376-3232.

View or download flyer
March For Life 2017

Join us on January 27, 2017 as we come together to support Life. For more information or to download registration forms visit our website .
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Respect Life Parish Ministry Educational Overview Training

Now available online for Respect Life Parish Ministry Educational Overview Training. Please go to our website to start your training and gain insightful knowledge on Respect Life Issues or Concern's.

Educación en línea construyendo una cultura de vida, Educación y Formación General Para el Ministerio Parroquial de  Respeto a la Vida

El entrenamiento en línea de Educación y formación general para el Ministerio Parroquial del Respeto a la Vida, está ahora disponible. Por favor, vaya a nuestra página del internet para empeza  su entrenamiento y obtenga conocimiento profundo sobre asuntos del respeto a la vida y otros asuntos.


Suggested Winter Reading 
From The Respect Life Office 


Stay cozy indoors and read a
great book with our  recommended list for  winter reading.  

Please join us in praying for our Bishops, Priests and Seminarians that they may be inspired by the love and mercy of Christ, and to bring that to our world and Church.  View Calendar


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"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." 
Luke 2:14
assist Gianna of Long Island
Center for Women's Health & Fertility

Comprehensive, Cooperative: A Unique New Approach to Women's Health and Wellness
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Our highly skilled team is delighted to offer an exciting approach to women's health care. We provide preventive and specialized obstetrical and gynecologic care to women, honoring their dignity and the sanctity of human life. While we are successfully able to address male infertility as well, we are uniquely qualified to care for women of all ages and at all stages of life.

Named after St. Gianna Beretta Molla, the Gianna of Long Island Center for Women's Health & Fertility is pleased to feature two unique women's health services-the Creighton Model FertilityCare™ System and NaProTECHNOLOGY™, both of which allow us to provide women with a natural, restorative, scientifically-based approach to improving health and respecting fertility.
CHS's Gianna Center and Pregnancy Support Website

Catholic Health Services (CHS) now offers a dedicated, interactive website section for the Gianna Center and its pregnancy support services. The Gianna Center based at Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center offers highly specialized restorative reproductive medicine in accordance with Catholic teaching, under the medical direction of Paul Carpentier, MD, CFCMC. Also, assistance is available for anyone with unexpected or crisis pregnancy through a one-call outreach program connecting to community resources.

The confidential, dedicated telephone number for this program is  1 (855) 301-4CHS , supported by the availability of multilingual interpretive services. Anyone of any faith may call or refer to this support line, including representatives of parishes, colleges and crisis pregnancy centers, to facilitate safe, nonjudgmental companioning for women and couples in a crisis pregnancy. To speak to someone about pregnancy options immediately between 7:00 pm and 7:30 am Monday to Friday or on the weekend, please call  1 (800) 712-HELP (4357).

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POST-ABORTION MINISTRY
Do you know someone who is suffering abortion loss, their is hope and healing after abortion.
Project Rachel Hope After Abortion 


I would now like to say a special word to women who have had an abortion... do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope...the Father of mercies is ready to give you His forgiveness and His peace in the Sacrament of Reconciliation."  (Evangelium Vitae no. 99, John Paul II)

Project Rachel Hope After Abortion website or call the Respect Life Office's confidential hotline: 1-888-456-HOPE (se habla espanol) to begin healing after abortion loss.

Entering Canaan Day of Prayer and Healing for Women 


Prayer and Healing Retreats, help those suffering the effects of abortion. We offer a safe place, a way out of the pain, in a non-judgmental atmosphere. All retreats are  led by the Sisters of Life and women who have experienced both the suffering of abortion and the joy of healing in Christ. 

For more information visit our website
Entering Canaan
DAYS OF PRAYER & HEALING
for women

Saturday, December 10, 2016 
(Long Island) More Information
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Saturday, February 4, 2017 
(in Spanish)
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Saturday, May 20, 2017


For more information or to register contact 

 Sisters of Life 
866.575.0075 (toll free) [email protected]

or 
 Theresa Bonopartis 
877.586.4621 (toll free) 


The Day of Prayer and Healing for Women is a opportunity to experience the loving mercy of God in a safe and sacred space .
Date on Saturday, December 10, 2016 on Long Island
Entering Canaan
DAY OF PRAYER & HEALING
for Men

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Contact Lumina 
877.586.4621  (toll free) 
UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR cal
December
4
Second Sunday of Advent
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: all flesh shall see the salvation of God. LK 3:4, 6

12
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Virgin of Guadalupe, Patroness of unborn children,  we implore your intercession  for every child at risk of abortion. A Prayer To Our Lady Of Guadalupe

8
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."  Luke 1:28

16
Respect Life Contest Deadline
For more information visit our website.
10
The Day of Prayer and Healing for Women is a opportunity to experience the loving mercy of God in a safe and sacred space.
18
Fourth Sunday of Advent
The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,  and they shall name him Emmanuel. MT 1:23
11
Third Sunday of Advent
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor. 
IS 61:1 (CITED IN LK 4:18)

24
Christmas Eve
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins.  Luke 1:76-77



25
Christmas
The Nativity of the Lord
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,  and they shall name him Emmanuel,  which means "God is with us."  Matthew 1:23


LOCAL EVENTS
Thursday, December 8, 2016, 7:30 PM - 11:30 PM

This National Night of Prayer will begin with the 7:30 pm Feast Day Mass. The prayer service will continue after Mass from 8:30 pm to 11:30 pm.


Teenage Women and Healthy Cycles at Mercy Hospital
Saturday December 10 th 10:00 am  at Mercy Hospital Conference Room CIJ

The Gianna of Long Island Center for Women's Health and Fertility is pleased to present Dr. Paul Carpentier and one of our regional female FertilityCare Practitioners who will present on the importance of growing up healthy as a young woman, what is normal for a menstrual cycle & what to do if there are difficulties with a menstrual cycle. 
Cost :  $35 suggested per parent/daughter couplet
For more infomation: 631-376-3232 | [email protected]

View or download flyer
Fifth Annual Our Lady Of Guadalupe' Memorial Mass For Christmas
To Honor The Memory Of The Unborn!
Tuesday December 27, 2016,  7:30 P.M.

At  Msgr. Delaney Hall,  110 Merrits Road,  Farmingdale N.Y. 11735
For more information call 516-633-1435
Celebrated By:  Rev. Paul Driscoll/Fr. Aaron

WORD OF LIFE | PALABRA DE VIDA word

Word of Life -English                       
                                  
 
Including a Prayer for a Mother Before Childbirth and Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary for an Expectant Mother 
Please include these in your Sunday Bulletin.   
BULLETIN INSERTS - FOR PARISH RESPECT LIFE inserts
Additional Respect Life Informational Websites
DEUS CARITAS EST ...  GOD IS LOVE
Allison O'Brien, Director
S. Elizabeth A. Geraghty, CSJ Project Rachel Ministry Coordinator
Diana Tellis, Ministry/Dept. Assistant
______________________________________

Ashley Foster, Media Specialist

CONTACT US
RESPECT LIFE OFFICE
50 North Park Ave.
F: (516) 536-3473
Rockville Ctr., NY 11570
P: (516) 678-5800
Exts.626 & 381
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONTINUED MISSION TO SERVE LIFE! 
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