"If you wish to prevent evil thoughts, let your eyes be modestly reserved, and make a league with them never to look upon anything which is not permitted you to desire."
St. Gregory of Nyssa
For Reflection:
St. Gregory of Nyssa recommends taking "custody of the eyes." What does this mean? To what extent do I take in through the senses that which is morally illicit - especially regarding chastity? How can I best follow St. Gregory's advice?
(See tomorrow's Grace Line to discover how to protect all of the senses from sins against chastity.)
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The U.S. Catholic bishops are calling on their fellow Americans to see the tenth anniversary of 9/11 as a time to remember the sacrifices, to face today’s challenges together, and to renew our nation and world.
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
In the five years that she worked at an abortion clinic, Jewels Green became accustomed to working around freezers full of dismembered fetuses, finding tiny body parts in sinks and looking at dead babies in the lab refrigerator.
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
As our nation approaches the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, people who were on the ground during that fateful day, ministering to the injured and the dying, are recounting what they saw and felt during the deadliest attack on the U.S. since Pearl Harbor.
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"When an evil thought is presented to the mind, we must immediately endeavor to turn our thoughts to God, or to something which is indifferent. But the best rule is, instantly to invoke the names of Jesus and Mary, and to continue to invoke them until the temptation ceases."
St. Alphonsus Liguori
For Reflection:
What advice does St. Alphonsus Liguori give for overcoming evil thoughts? What makes his suggestions effective? What makes invoking the names of Jesus and Mary especially effective? Which of these suggestions will I employ when I am tempted?
(See tomorrow's Grace Line for one suggestion on how to overcome evil thoughts.)
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
A new analysis by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that pregnant women who are assaulted by an intimate partner are at increased risk of giving birth to infants of reduced weight.
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
A radio station in Canada is sparking controversy with a new contest offering someone $35,000 worth of fertility treatments.
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Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Just days after
two major studies found unacceptably high levels of mental illness in the U.S. and Europe, the media have all but ignored a major study published in a prestigious British medical journal which found that abortion is associated with mental health problems.
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"An evil thought defiles the soul when it is deliberate and is consented to. Our Lord placed evil thoughts at the head of all crimes, because they are their principle and source."
St. John Baptist de la Salle
For Reflection:
Evil thoughts come to all of us. When are they a defilement to the soul (a sin) according to this quote? Why are evil thoughts the "head of all crimes?" How are they the "principle and source" of sinful actions?
(See tomorrow's Grace Line for a way to overcome evil thoughts.)
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By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Two recently published studies show that mental health problems are on the way to becoming the largest health challenge of the 21st century for the populations of both the United States and more than 30 European nations.
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