17^th C Terrace, 2010

by Fr. Terry Brock, Sacred Heart Parish, Terrace, BC

HV, July 25^th 1968 … 42 years ago. Rally at Birmington, AL, Dr. Alveda King, niece of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, who once had an abortion, is a key note speaker.

CCC Fertility is a good, a gift and end of marriage. By giving life, spouses participate in God’s Fatherhood.

Cardinal George has said, "No one is a Catholic on his or her own terms: not the pope, not bishops or priests, not religious, not lay people. It is necessary to accept with integrity the body of belief which the Church, the Body of Christ, holds to be true."

Abraham battles with God’s plan … be open to God’s plan for you and your family.

PS. On the day I called … you answered me. Be open to God’s plan.

Col: “When we were dead … God made you alive”, be open to God’s plan.

Luke: Our prayer is always heard. God has a plan for us, storm heaven, God is listening.

God has a plan for your marriage.

This is NFP awareness week. Trust in God’s plan.

CD, Testimony of Healing. Sterilization reversed an act of love. David and Nina Morton: She is RC; he is non-catholic. He had two children from a prior relationship. They had three together; the two from the prior relationship were adopted into the family. The two boys had severe problems. The family count was now five. They adopted three more from Ethiopia. Total family count: eight.

Nina was stressed. The idea of sterilization entered into their marital conversation. Nina brought this topic up. Dave was afraid, unsettled, and uncomfortable with the thought of the surgery and wondered if he would still be a man. The RC in-laws put the pressure on him, arguing that the Church’s teaching was merely a teaching that no one really followed. Dave felt anger his in-laws. He said: “my mistake was I did not take this to God and prayer.” In the end he caved and as he said, “I did the ‘manly’ thing!” The doctor said: “Don’t worry you will fine in a few days.” This was a lie, I was never fine again. After the surgery, Nina looked upset. Perhaps most men do not have physical complications but I experienced bodily pain, mental and spiritual pain. Our marriage began to suffer, we argued over petty things, Nina’s health deteriorated, our conjugal relationship nearly gone, both gained weight, disillusionment set in. We spoke of separation. I confessed my sin and I spoke to a priest who said we had no obligation to reverse the sterilization. I still felt bad. The sterilization affected her and me. Ironically, pain led them back to God, always the cross precedes resurrection. We lost the ‘We’ of our relationship. I prayed on my knees in a church. At last, with the help of a priest, I reversed the sterilization and today I can proudly say: “I am a whole man, intact physically, emotionally and spiritually.” This wrong was not in my head alone, but in my heart and soul. I, we, subscribed to the culture of death, we submitted to Satan’s lie. Now we submit to God’s plan.

Nina: stress of many children, instead of turning to God, I turned to my family for advice. I loved having babies with my husband. I was an occasional mass goer. My parents were pillars in our parish family; they advised that we get sterilized. Dave asked to become Catholic, we had our marriage validated and I promised openness to life … even though we had our marriage sterile months before. When Dave came out of surgery, I knew things would be drastically different. I felt a deep need to know God better. God used the pain of our lie to bring us to Him. We began to speak of separation. I needed to bring life back into our marriage. I asked Dave to reverse the procedure. Even though we were forgiven, there was no joy in love making, there was a deep sorrow, and we were in exile. We were a contraceptive couple. The stress and guilt I felt was the result of living a lie, I reflected this guilt onto my children and husband with anger, and they were direct recipients of the culture of death reigning in me. Sterilization affected our life; mutilation was not God’s plan. We sought help. I knew God wanted us to be open to the possibility of life and to remove the dam we built. Our decision was: “to remain in the culture of death or come home to the culture of life. When Dave came out of surgery, I said: “There you are” as I was hit with a surge of light, joy, rebirth, understanding, my stress was lightened, joy and laughter returned to our marriage. Sterilization cut God’s flow of grace; it is Satan’s lie. This story is not about having another baby but to reverse what was wrong, i.e. to submit to God’s plan!

If this message touched you or disturbed you, don’t get down on yourself but turn to God for mercy. I suggest a good confession.

Listening to David and Nina, I found myself praying for ‘spiritual fertility.’

On the day I called, O Lord, you answered me.