Monday, November 2, 2009

Today on Kresta - Nov. 2, 2009

Talking about the "things that matter most" on Nov. 2

4:00 – Abortion and the Latest in the Health Care Reform Debate
In an extraordinary call to Catholics to prevent health care reform from being derailed by the abortion lobby, the United Sates Conference of Catholic Bishops has sent bulletin inserts to almost 19,000 parishes across the country. "Health care reform should be about saving lives, not destroying them," the insert states. It urges readers to contact Senate leaders so they support efforts to "incorporate longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights" in health reform legislation. "If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed," it adds. The insert highlights the Stupak Amendment from Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) that, it states, "addresses essential pro-life concerns on abortion funding and conscience rights." We look at abortion and health care with Kay Cole James of the Gloucester Institute.

4:20 – A Cracking of the Heart: Coping With the Loss of a Child
After losing a loved one, "pay attention to the ways in which your relationship continues." So advised Sarah Horowitz in an interview she gave the day before her unexpected death. In A Cracking of the Heart, David Horowitz explores the legacy of his extraordinary daughter's short life, and narrates his quest for a deeper understanding of the child he lost. A remarkable woman and gifted writer, Sarah was afflicted with a birth condition that, while complicating and ultimately shortening her life, never affected her dreams. From an early age, she displayed inspiring courage in facing her own difficulties and boundless compassion for the underserved and overlooked in many communities, from an autistic niece in her own family to uneducated children in Africa. Now her father chronicles the separation through political and familial conflicts, and their slow reunion. Alternately searing and uplifting, it reconciles what could have been with what is, taking the reader through a father's love, frustration, admiration, and grief, to what lies beyond. David Horowitz joins us.

4:40 – The Catholic Citizen in America Today
The Catholic Citizen in America Today. Why bother? Does my voice really matter? The Gospel of Life Committee at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth, MI has invited theologian, author, and leading intellectual George Weigel to answer those questions. We look with George at what it means to be a Catholic citizen in America Today.

5:00 – Kresta Comments

5:20 – All Saints Day / All Souls Day

On the first two days of November, as daylight shrinks in the Northern Hemisphere and frost turns vegetation brown, the Church leads us to confront the mystery of death. These days remind us that love is stronger than death, that Christ’s death for us means that our beloved deceased who believed in Christ are very much alive. They may be among those whose lungs breathe the exhilarating air of heaven and whose eyes gaze upon the glory of God. In this case, they help us through their prayers. Yet they may also be among those whose lungs were not ready for breathing and whose eyes were not ready for the brilliance of the beatific vision, whose body carried an infection that needed to be eliminated. In which case, we must help them through our prayers. Our loving intercession can hasten the purification and preparation necessary for the full enjoyment of their inheritance. We look with Marcellino D’Ambrosio at the feasts of All Saints and All Souls.

5 comments:

  1. Re: David Horowitz

    Politics pervades David's life. It's all about left versus right. He can't even tell the poignant story of his daughter's life and death without getting mired in politics and the bitterness it engenders. Hitchens got it wrong; politics poisons everything.

    David said that leftism is a crypto-religion, containing the elements of salvation and the veil of tears and suffering. He likened leftism to Babel and to Adam and Eve -- you shall be as gods. That was his religion. Now he's on the right, and he says he is agnostic. Is that the only way one can be non-religious? That is, to be a right wing agnostic?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Late News

    I just heard that 20 year old Noor Faleh Almaleki has died. Two weeks ago in Peoria, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, her father, Faleh Hassan Almaleki, ran her over with his Jeep Cherokee because she had become "Westernized," abandoning "traditional" Iraqi values. Prosecutors are calling it an "honor killing."

    Also in the news is 15 year old Michael Brewer who is fighting for his life. On October 12, five of Michael's teenage friends doused him in rubbing alcohol and set him on fire because he told police that one of them stole his father's bicycle. The bicycle was stolen because Michael didn't pay one of the boys $40 for a video game. The teens called Michael a "snitch."

    I'm angry.

    Warning: Do not read the rest of this comment if critical questions about guardian angels might bother you. These questions will refer to Noor's and Faleh's guardian angels. Similar questions apply to Michael's guardian angel and the guardian angels of his teenage friends.

    Do Muslims have guardian angels? If so, did God tell Noor's guardian angel to stand down -- or did the angel simply fail her? Did Noor's guardian angel find all of this disturbing? Will Noor's guardian angel now be assigned to a another newborn, or can he tell God he's had enough? Where was Faleh's guardian angel in all of this? Did his guardian angel, if he has one, try to stop him from running over his daughter? Faleh was arrested in Atlanta a few days ago -- did his guardian angel help get him arrested? Does Faleh's guardian angel still want anything to do with him?

    Please don't patronize me now for being soft headed and childish. Maybe some other time.

    ReplyDelete
  3. About Guardian angels, I think they really have to be invoked. If you ignore them or have no communication with them how can they know you want their help. Well, for the most part at least...there could be other people praying that your angel help you as well without you knowing and that may explain great stories of people that have encounters with angels before ever acknowledging them. I don't think the guardian angels should be seen as superheroes, they are not going to prevent every possible bad thing that can happen, we still have to account for a fallen nature and the result is that people get hurt when they shouldn't. These two cases involve others deliberatly inflicting pain on another, a perfect example of how sinful the world is. I don't think angels fail when people get hurt, those are events which at times are really lamentable but we don't see the overall way GOD is working. Just my thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for your thoughts, Anomymous. Maybe you're right. I bet Noor and Michael did not petition their guardian angels for help.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well, we will never know things like that but that is why I think it is important to pray for loved ones that their guardian angels guard them (just in case they forget to pray). I think that prayers from others are very powerful for safety just as it is in the conversion process. But like I said before, there is always human nature and it can really cause problems at times. We must trust in Divine Providence.

    ReplyDelete