Greetings one and all on this Advent Season with it brings a strong sense of longing for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you to those who send me their communiqués.  I enjoy reading them.  Thank you.

I received a communiqué from our National Christian Family Chairperson and from that I will inform you of timely and important issues.

A recent report commissioned by Life Canada shows that we on evenly split on the question of euthanasia versus palliative care (approx. 44 per cent either way).  Pending on the ages asked deemed how they answered.  I.e. over 60 years went with palliative care about 51 per cent.  We are to remember that; good palliative care provides effective pain management and support for those dying.  It is up to us members to petition political leaders to take action so that those in need get the proper palliative care.

I have been asked to share with you these definitions in regards to Elder Care.

Will:  a written document that directs how your assets are to be distributed after death.  It is not effective until death.

Power of Attorney: a written document that gives another person the right to act on your behalf.  It can be effective immediately or upon a certain contingency, for example, incapacity.

Health Care Directive: a Living Will or a Directive to Physicians.  You may be familiar to this document due to the Terri Schiavo case.  It sets forth your wished as to life support and related matters and names a person to ensure that your wishes are carried out.

Probate: a will is filled with the court and a legal proceeding started, the proceeding is called a probate.  Probate confirms that the filled will is in fact the last will and testament of the deceased and the named estate trustee has the authority to administer the estate.

Guardianship: is a formal, court-appointed method of substitute decision making on behalf of a person who is unable to manage his or her own affairs.  Guardianship of incapacitated adults is also known as conservatorship or interdiction, and can be necessary to provide a person with care.  It is, however, an undertaking in which the ward loses substantial right.  In recent years, there have been increasing reports of guardianship abuse.  You may want to look to these sites for more information.

www.facinglife.tv (Life Issues Institute, Inc.)

With the new national election over we must diligent in monitoring closely the new government to see what bills are being brought back, also any changes that have been made to the original bills presented that died on the floor when the election was called as well as any new ones to be brought forward.On December 10^th, pro-abortion groups will present petitions asking the United Nation’s General Assembly to make abortion a universally recognized human right.  The Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute created an alternate petition drive that calls for government to interpret the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as protecting the unborn child from abortion…

Check out their web site www.c-fam.org/publications/id.95/default.asp .

The Family: 

It is a challenge to raise children in a normal family.  Many of the values of the present age are radically different from the values of our Lord Jesus.

For us parents there is no possibility of separation from the world we live in to raise our children.  We have to work at raising our children with Christian values. 

Some of us parents have to make various decisions when it comes to our children; it could be to disconnect the television, or the amount of time on the computer, playing video games etc.  We may even have to make decisions about what schools our children will attend.  There are also family’s who make decisions about what other children are allowed in the lives of their own children and about what families can become friend of their own family.

When we as parents or children go out of our homes, we (they) encounter so many influences that are opposed to following Jesus Christ.  We must always continue to keep Christ in our home and in our Family…no matter what!

We must have Love in the home!  Love is; about serving one another.  I took a course and this is what I learnt about Love; our role model is Jesus at the Last Supper when He gets down on His knees and washes the feet of His disciples.  That image, of Jesus on His Knees, should be the role model for all of us.  Let it be a challenge for us to wash each other’s feet even in our own families.

Quote: from a Benedictine Monk; “in families many go through difficult times in life.  The Spiritual traditions of our church teach us, to be silent and still.  If we cannot be silent and still, then we must work at being silent and still.  Nothing is gained by haste.   Surely there are times when decisions must be made immediately, but normally there is time to think, pray and ponder.  We are always invited to love more and to be more faithful in following our Lord.” 

We can learn from this.  (from Provincial Newsletter)

I will keep you and your family in my prayers sincerely your sister in the League. Have a blessed Christmas.

Dear League Sisters,

Advent is just around the corner. “Advent means the coming, and is used by the church to represent the four thousand years of preparation for the coming of the Redeemer and at the same time points us to His second coming as our judge.” Goffin’s Devout Instructions, copyright 1896. This was my Grandmother’s book; she would have been 11 years old when it was copyrighted. Our Catholic church was the same yesterday as it is today. We must be ready for the second coming of Christ. “Keep awake therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” Matt 24:42.

The Provincial Executive was at Rosemary Heights in Surrey for our Fall Mid-Term meeting October 11 – 14. Our time at Rosemary Heights was wonderful. The Spiritual Programs were awesome thanks to Dodie Bond. We attended Saturday evening Mass at Star of the Sea parish in White Rock where we were warmly welcomed. Sandra Stajduhar gave copies of the fall issue of our provincial newsletter to diocesan presidents for each parish council in their diocese. We received our newsletter by email before the meeting. There are two newsletters per year. Ask someone, your diocesan president or me your committee counterpart, to forward the newsletter to you. I have attached my National Convention Report that was submitted with my Midterm Report.

Marriage and Family
In Ann Doucet’s Communique #6 she mentioned another brochure from the Canadian Organization for Life and Family (COLF). It is titled Families, where are the saints of the third millennium? As usual it is a beautiful well done brochure. You can order this brochure from COLF, the suggested donation is .40 each. I printed one for myself from their website www.colf.ca. They can be reached by email colf@colf.ca or phone at (613) 241-9461.

Sanctity of Life
There is a new DVD/video, Turning the Tide: Fighting for our Lives, produced by Salt + Light Catholic Media Foundation and the EPC. In Ann Doucet’s communique, she states that it is available from EPC; one copy $50, two copies $70, or four copies $100. To order call (877) 439-3348. Consider getting together with other councils/members to view this important video and participate in the discussion guide; it is important for members to be well informed on this timely and critical issue. You may be able to borrow it from your diocesan resource center.

From LifeCanada E-News “You can participate in a national media campaign to mark the January 2008 twentieth anniversary of the Mongentaler Supreme Court decision removing all restrictions on abortion in Canada. LifeCanada has produced postcards with Abortion: Have we gone too far for individuals to pass around, to join in reaching as many people as possible. The post cards show the image of a pregnant woman on the front with Statistics Canada information on late term abortion in Canada on the back. The cards are available for a small fee through the LifeCanada office at 866-780-5433. Mail them to your MP, leave them in your Church, pass them out to family and friends…engage in ‘creative littering’ to help spread the message of respect for life!”

Ministry to Youth
From our National Office I ordered Steps to Forming a Catholic Girls’ League and Catholic Girls’ League Administration Manual. Plan to start a Catholic Girls League in 2008.

Ministry to Disabled, Seniors, Widowed, Separated and Divorced
As we approach the season of Advent and Christmas, be sensitive to those around us that are alone this time of year. Invite them to join you in your advent and Christmas activities.

Vocations
There are always many excellent articles in the BC Catholic; my only problem is not having enough time to read as much as I want to. In the November 5, 2007 edition there is a supplement titled Fishers of Men. I enjoyed the “profiles of men who answered the call and are marking 25, 50 and 60 years of service.” “Pope John Paul II, in many of his writings and homilies, said “The Christian family is the first place where vocations develop. It is a seminary or novitiate in germ. It is vital for families to nurture, encourage, and promote vocations. First, we need to teach our children to pray and second, we need to help our children cultivate a spirit of willingness to make a sacrifice.” This article by Father Hien Nguyen is on page S1 of the supplement. If you can obtain the supplement, made sure and read the whole article. It would be good for our youth to read the profiles of the priests in the supplement to see what a life of adventure they live.

Your Sister-in-the-League
Marilyn V……..

LINK: Letter to CMA (PDF)

There is no shortage of resources for the issues dealt with in this standing committee. I always carry reading material with me in case I am stuck waiting somewhere. Conferences are fun to attend and are a wealth of information. Right now Edmonton is the place to be. A conference on euthanasia and end-of-life issues was held in May 25 in Edmonton.The newly formed Diocesan Vocation Directors of Canada are holding a conference in Edmonton June 11 – 15. Novalis has published an excellent resource aimed at teens 12 – 17 years old titled “It’s Your Call”. It reminds young people who feel lost and aimless that God has a call for each one of them. Also in Edmonton June 15 & 16 is a conference on Towards a New Sexual Revolution, National Symposium on the Theology of the Body. Margaret Beardon, as national sub-committee chairperson, will be representing our league. Watch out for conferences you are able to attend. It will be well worth your time and money. What you do with your time and money shows what is important to you.

We must continually be on defense of our beliefs and morals. The National Post recently reported that the National Abortion Federation is lobbying the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) to remove its “conscientious objector policy, which allows physicians to refuse to refer patients for abortions.”

Currently, the CMA’s abortion policy allows doctors to refuse to make an abortion referral when it would violate their religious/conscientious beliefs. The director of ethics at CMA recently clarified CMA’s position in the April 24, 2007 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal after the CMA’s policy was misrepresented in a guest editorial in the CMA Journal last July by lawyers who claimed that doctors who refuse to refer for abortion are committing ‘malpractice’. The National Abortion Federation is lobbying CMA to change its policy to take away a physician’s right to freedom of conscience.

If CMA’s policy were to be changed so that doctors were obligated to make abortion referrals against their conscientious/religious beliefs, Canada may one day find itself without any practicing pro-life doctors. Canadian Physicians for life are already in dialogue with the CMA.

We should write and thank CMA for upholding conscience protection for Canadian doctors. The address is 1867 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa, ON K1G 3Y6.

The right to life is scared from the moment of conception to natural death. We must affirm groups that respect life and uphold the right to freedom of conscience and religion.

Respectfully submitted
Marilyn V…….