Why Pro Life
Dear Editor: The Catholic Church is officially committed to protecting and promoting human life and dignity from conception. It is a preeminent priority. The survival of millions of unborn children depends on it.
If we do not respect life from its infancy, then it implies that any life during any part of the life cycle is subject to human whims, political ideology, indifference, and/or relative moral standards.
Patricia Gregorek
Greenpoint
How to Grow Your Faith During Lenten Season
Dear Editor: I think that there are scads of things to do during Lent that are also and especially ways to grow your own faith.
For Example:
1. Go to Mass every day.
2. If you can’t do that, then at least read the scripture readings for every day because they progress towards Holy Week.
3. Forgive someone.
4. Go to confession.
5. Visit a sick neighbor.
6. Invite a lonely person for dinner
7. Read a spiritual book.
8. Say the Rosary.
9. Go to Friday night stations.
10. Make your voice heard.
11. Bake cookies or brownies.
12. Give them to a homeless person.
13. Give away the clothing you haven’t worn in ages.
14. Watch one of these movies: “Baby,” “Into Great Silence,” or “The Mission.”
15. Pray for Peace.
16. Pray for the orphans of war.
17. Pray for Putin.
18. Pray for the mothers of maimed children.
19. Donate to anyone who is feeding starving children.
20. Google “Aid to the Church in Need.”
21. Don’t waste food.
22. Phone a distant relative.
23. Teach a child your favorite prayer.
24. Teach yourself the Beatitudes.
25. TV or NOT TV —that is the ???
26. List what you like about God.
27. Change the attitude in you that needs to be changed.
28. Say “hello” to an unsuspecting stranger.
29. Add five things to this list to make it your own.
30. Pray for vocations.
31. Pray for priests.
32. Pray for nuns.
33. Pray for monks.
34. Pray for “nones.”
35. Come to Mass at 11:30 with the priests in Douglaston.
36. Pray for pregnant women who don’t want to be pregnant.
37. Pray for those who want to be.
38. Pray for me and for yourself too.
Father Michael Perry
Douglaston
Human Trafficking Story Should Be Shared
Dear Editor: The article on human trafficking is a story that surely needs to be widely distributed (“Trafficking: A Danger That Must Be Seen, And Stopped” Feb. 10). It is one of the horrific conditions of life in this “advanced” century of human life.
Listed are suggestions of what we can do to combat or assist but all are after the fact as the saying goes.
We all know that the solution is up front, to prevent it, at least at the borders of our own country.
It is very clear from what we have seen the past few years, the tremendous increase of this insidious activity, that the upfront solution is political.
While we hate the word in its current content, let’s just call it right or wrong, not even right or left, not conservative or liberal.
But what is surely very evident, we must stop the current open border invites, return to a systemic vetting process based on a knowledgeable determination of acceptable numbers that will assimilate to our heritage and culture.
Bottom line: Stop making it so easy for trafficking to be attractive and inviting. And, while we hate the word politics, vote for who will truly work for the best interests of all as lies will no longer work.
Peter Purpura
Far Rockaway
Faithful Expect Clarity
Dear Editor: You corrected a writer’s understanding of the recent declaration from the Vatican regarding the blessing of same sex couples.
The writer was not alone in his confused interpretation. Unfortunately, the promulgation of comments and documents from Rome frequently require explanatory follow-ups, and follow-ups to the follow-ups.
Communications to the worldwide faithful on important matters should be as clear as a bell: lack of clarity suggests confusion at the source.
Karl J. Wilhelm
Ridgewood
View from Lviv
Dear Editor: Right now in Ukraine, you can feel, I would say, a slight despair.
Every day we hear about death of our people, of our fighters, and it looks like there is no end. We also have a lack of people in the army and there is a new law about mobilization.
It’s very hard because many new people will leave their families and will dIe on the frontlines. But from another side, there is no choice for us. We need go there and try to at least defend ourselves. But the price is so high.
I am sure God has some plan, and I know He can stop the war even tomorrow. So I don’t lose hope. But still it is very hard.
Yarema Semaniv
Lviv, Ukraine