Entrustment To Mary = Changing Hearts And Minds

Today [January 22^nd], is the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children - a day our Catholic Church has deemed for prayer and penance to combat the results of the Roe vs. Wade decision which legalized abortion in our country 41 years ago. I have been participating in the 9 Days for Life novena from the USCCB website. Even though every year I redouble my prayers for the preborn children during this week, I still succumb to the feeling that this is a battle we may never win. But in saying that, I realize it is because I do not trust in God’s omnipotence, and I have not converted enough to help make a change.

It is no coincidence that my prayer group this week read a reflection that directly relates to the subject of converting the world: "The reformation of the world and the transformation of others must begin with ourselves. The life of Christ must first increase to such an extent in you that the graces and good accepted by you cause the conversion of others." [1]

Even this statement can be overwhelming for me – especially when seeing how I lack the gumption to overcome my weaknesses. I also get paralyzed by the enormity of the problem -  millions of babies dead due to abortion – that I forget that I can begin my conversion just by admitting that I lack the gumption to change. By standing in the truth and admitting my weaknesses, God can begin the process of purification. Of course as I have stated in previous blog posts, I would never be able to do this on my own.  Only with the Blessed Mother will I be able to stand in the truth, admit who I truly am, and ask for God’s mercy. Only with her will I desire conversion. Only with her will I start to adhere to Christ and begin to affect this horrific tragedy happening in the United States.

The reflection also talked about how St. Francis of Assisi helped change the “decline of morality” in Europe during his time. I offer the following passage to help you see how the minds of saints differ from my mind - yet it is exactly these saintly minds that are needed to change my heart and mind, and the hearts and minds of the citizens in the United States, as we allow this genocide to continue year after year. We need saints to help change the hearts and minds of our media that champions a woman’s right to choose an option that ends an innocent human being’s life. We need saints to change the hearts and minds of those connected with the billion dollar abortion industry, the politicians who support this industry, and the medical staff that carries out this fatal law. We are all responsible in some way – let us all begin by begging our Lord for our own conversions, thus starting our journey to becoming the saints that can bring our country back to being one that respects LIFE at every stage.

"Francis never criticized anyone. He believed that if evil was all around, it was he, and not others, who must first be converted. If such great abundance of wealth and debauchery was rife, then it was though his fault. It was he who must become radically poor and pure. Saints differ from those who create heresies because heretics want to convert others, but do not want to convert themselves, whereas saints turn all the cutting edges of criticism toward themselves; they strive to be converted so that the world can be better.

     The more rot and scandal that St. Francis saw around him, the more he desired to conform to the image of Christ and history proved that he was right. For when Francis was converted, when he became so ‘transparent’ to the Lord that the image of Christ could be reflected in him, Europe then began to heave itself up from its fall.

    By the power of Francis’ sanctity Christ raised His Church from the “death” of its faith. The world was enriched by his sanctity, not so much in the way of learning about a man who actualized the spirit of the Gospel in an extraordinary and heroic way, but in the way of the system of connected vessels, since his sanctity affected people that he never came into contact with. The light of faith lets you see that, through Baptism, you belong to the Body of Christ, that you are incorporated into the system of connected vessels of this Body. This Body so greatly needs the converted and the saints. It is in great need of your conversion and your sanctity. Thanks to the light of faith, you come to know that the reformation of others should always begin with yourself."[2]

[1]Tadeusz Dajczer, The Gift of Faith, 3rd. ed. (Ft. Collins, CO: IAMF, 2012), 177.

[2] ibid 178-179.