Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Retired Archbishop Charles Chaput wrote a book called, “Things Worth Dying For.” In the earliest chapters, he writes about our ability to possess even now, the same love the martyrs showed for Our Lord. This radical love is our calling and is deeply connected to our call to holiness, our call to become saints. Archbishop wrote, “The supernatural love of God in Jesus Christ that gives courage to the martyrs helps us to better understand the loves of family, friends, honor, and integrity. The power of these loves - a power so great that we can live and die to remain true to them - does not come from within.” The Archbishop asserts that it isn’t about the one who loves but rather their capacity to love someone - a mother or father for his or her child is the clearest example. Good parents will do and sacrifice everything for their children which makes many parents holy parents.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On the morning of February 11, 1858, in the small town of Lourdes, nestled in the Pyrenees Mountains, a poor young girl named Bernadette Soubirous was out gathering firewood when she saw a vision of a very beautiful young Lady in a niche above a grotto called Massabielle. Over the next few weeks there were seventeen more apparitions, causing great consternation in the town. After revealing herself as Mary, the Mother of Jesus, under her title the Immaculate Conception, the Lady requested that a Chapel be built at the grotto for the faithful to visit.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary. The Holy Rosary is one of the best known and most powerful of all Catholic devotions. The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on October 7th. In a shining moment for the Catholic Church, on October 7, 1571, a great victory over the brutal Turkish fleet was won by Catholic naval forces under the command of Don Juan of Austria. It was a decisive battle between "oared" ships, which featured the most powerful navy in the world, a Muslim force with between 12,000 to 15,000 Christian slaves as rowers.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

For those who practice the faith, who seek to grow in holiness, who have a desire to go to heaven, seeing and experiencing the presence of evil is a common occurrence. Not so unlike other times in history, evil has become much more obvious in the efforts of those who desire to murder children in the womb.

One such group that is causing so much pain and suffering is Arizona for Abortion Access. The organization claims on their website that there are “many reasons why someone may decide to have an abortion” and “every person should be able to make their own decisions” with their healthcare provider “free from government interference.” Their reckless and misguided intent to provide a choice for pregnant mothers is extreme and hurtful. Their efforts, if successful, will lead to the death of many unborn children.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we celebrate Respect Life throughout the month of October, Our Lord reminds us of the sacredness of every life. Catholics have always held and will always preach the value of human life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that: "Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being” (CCC 2258). And “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life” (CCC 2270).