Posted on 03/12/2005 1:06:34 AM PST by Lauren BaRecall
YONKERS, NY, USA, March 11 (CNA) - While pro-life supporters nationwide fight for the life of brain-damaged Terri Schiavo, whose feeding tube is scheduled to be removed March 18th, New York's Franciscan Friars of the Renewal are staging a different kind of campaign.
The Yonkers chapter of the New York City-based order has started a prayer campaign asking for the intercession of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.
With Archbishop Sheen's help, the Friars are hoping for a miracle.
Father Andrew Apostoli C.F.R., one of the friars, said that "the late Archbishop's TV show was called Life is Worth Living, and believed very strongly in the value of every life, but the opponents to Terri Shiavo do not think that her life is worth living."
A Florida judge recently ruled in favor of Terri's husband, Michael Shiavo who plans to remove the feeding tube, which gives food and hydration to his wife.
Terri's family and other pro-life leaders are racing the clock to find a way to appeal the decision and save 41-year old Schiavo from starvation.
The Friars are asking that anyone who wishes to join them pray the following prayer:
Eternal Father, You alone grant us every blessing in Heaven and on earth, through the redemptive mission of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and by the working of the Holy Spirit. If it be according to Your Will, glorify Your servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, by granting the favor I now request through his powerful intercession. Lord, grant that Terri Shiavo's life be spared and grant her a healing that the world may know the value of every life.
Ping! (Hey, my first article!)
Ping! I posted your article.
It's obsolete, we have a CURE now!
We don't kill or banish lepers anymore
because we have a cure for that too.
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| Judge Greer cited "news sources" that Sara Scantlin could BLINK her eyes on command so she was not in PVS. Father Pavone witnessed Terri's condition just one month ago [jump ahead to the 17 min mark] and he said:
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Child of God...
We pray those judicial sinners...
Do not cause the hour of thy death...
Amen !!!
.
Father Frank Pavone issued a CALL-TO-ARMS and then he said this:
And finally, I want to appeal to Michael Schiavo directly, the estranged husband of Terri:
We don't hate you. There is no reason to hate you, or anybody else. You're not our enemy. But you are captive to the enemy, right now. He has deceived you into thinking that you have an authority that you don't have, Michael. You don't have it. You don't have any authority to starve Terri. You don't have any authority to abandon her. Like the rich man in today's gospel, who abandoned Lazarus, you don't have that authority. And I urge you, even at this late hour, to repent. We are not against you. We are for life. Your life, Terri's life, everybody's life.
And if you continue down this path of error that you've been on for a long time, you're not ultimately going to win anything. You're not ultimately going to benefit yourself, or anybody else. In fact, what you're doing at this moment is posing as a threat, to civilization itself. And you can't knock against that wall, without ultimately destroying yourself. There's still time, to change your mind, and to change your heart, and to be at peace. A peace which you so need, and which ultimately you so desire. And we are praying, not only for Terri, but for you. And we trust in the power of God's grace, to change your mind and heart, even today.
Why are they praying to a deceased human being instead of to God? Why not ask God for His help?
Praying to false gods won't get them anywhere.
Thanks for the ping!
That's called intercession. And that is what is happening here. (Someone asks me to pray for you and I ask God that you be healed.) Really simple.
The first miracle worked by Christ at Cana was done through the intercession of Mary, the Mother of Christ. Simple, no?
Archbishop Sheen was one of the best. When his TV show was on, then entire family gathered to watch it. Seems like it was the only time we gathered as a family.
He's dead, Jim.
Go "minister" somewhere else anti-Catholic troll.
Bump for the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal!
Thank you and bump the article.
Why not try just reading the prayer, before spouting off about it?
Exactly
Is it the Roman church's position that executing a Living Will is the moral equivalent of suicide?
Great post.
Prayers bump for Terri.
I did read the prayer and I still don't understand why it is addressed to a human. This is not "spouting off," it's a legitimate question. We are brothers in Christ and I want to understand your faith. Don't be so defensive--can't you just explain calmly?
Praying to the dead is an abomination to God
Lev 19:31
Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
Familiar Spirit - Hebrew word 'owb {obe} - meaning
necromancer one who evokes the dead
ghost, spirit of a dead one
practice of necromancy
one that has a familiar spirit
You should repent of this sin
Uh, no. His first miracle was livening up the marriage party at Cana by turning water into somewhat stronger beverage. And, if memory serves, he did it at his mom's request.
Because the Catholic Church apparently opposes the withdrawal of food and water, that answer may be, technically, yes -- if the living will says that its author should be denied food and water at any point. With the Schiavo situation, of course, there isn't credible evidence that this was her desire or intent. The judge based his determination of her "intent" on incredibly flimsy evidence.
Sheesh! Do you people go out and actually search for Catholic threads just for the sake of bashing the Church?
That's "addressed to a human?"
Are you having reading comprehension problems?
That's exactly what it is. :-)
Perhaps they should be praying to God.
Why are you so hostile? I am your sister in Christ. I am trying to understand the Catholic faith in part because I don't think the Lord wants us to be estranged and in part because I love the Pope and feel attracted to the Catholic Church. You may have been raised in the Catholic Church and may understand, but I don't get how Fulton Sheen, a man who, however noble, is dead, is glorified in this situation. Maybe I'm stupid or maybe I'm just a Protestant, but in either case explanations would be more useful (not to mention a better manifestation of Christ's patience) than hostility. Particularly during Lent.
there isn't credible evidence that this was her desire or intent.
No, it's not credible, because all he recounts is a casual comment she made while hearing some news, or watching TV or something - -. While others report casual comments that go the other way. So, not only are there conflicting reports about what her opinions were, ALL the reports concern casual comments, not the kind of considered, formal statement that should form the basis of a deliberative "end of life" intent. Moreover, the husband only brought Terri's comments to light after he'd received a whopping malpractice judgement - - raising questsions about motives and accuracy. As a Florida International University law professor wrote in the Miami Herald last week, the "evidence" on which the judge based his decision was "shockingly" short of the "clear and convincing" standard that he should have employed. The prof noted that, where there isn't clear and convincing evidence -- for instance, where there is testimony about comments that go in both directions, as is the case with Terri -- then Florida law does not allow withholding of food and water. In short, the judge blew it. The lesson, as the law prof wrote, is that the legislature has to go back and make the law even more explicit by telling judges that they can't let feeding be withheld in the absense of clear specific instructions by the individual
What evidence is there that Teri wanted her parants to make this decision for her and not her husband?
I guess it just isn't what I've been taught. Not saying it's wrong. Who knows. I've just been taught that I can go to God through Jesus. We should follow Jesus's teachings and He didn't pray to Moses or Elijah. I'm not trying to start anything. Hate to argue religion. That was a great prayer though.Intercessory prayer is when someone prays on someone else's benefit. When my mom died someone told me to be very careful asking her things. She can't do anything for me now. We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses yes, but why would God do something for them when we are the ones here who need our faith lifted through answered prayer.We'll know when we get there I guess.I have a lot of questions to ask God. Hope he is speaking to me then.
"And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four [and] twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints." -Revelations 5:8
"The witnesses who have preceded us into the kingdom, [Cf. Heb 12:1 .] especially those whom the Church recognizes as saints, share in the living tradition of prayer by the example of their lives, the transmission of their writings, and their prayer today. They contemplate God, praise him and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth. When they entered into the joy of their Master, they were 'put in charge of many things.' [Cf. Mt 25:21.] Their intercession is their most exalted service to God's plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world." CCC 2683
It's really quite simple. Those who have died and gone before us, hear our pleas and intercede on our behalf. Why not go directly to the Father? We do! But it is always good to have some allies in Heaven. In order for someone to be declared a saint, two miracles must be attributed to them. The Friars of the Atonement are praying to God and also asking Archbishop Sheen to 'intercede' on behalf of Terri Schiavo. Such a miracle would be credited towards his canonization. Got it?
"Those who have died and gone before us, hear our pleas and intercede on our behalf"
There is no scriptural basis for this statement. Hebrews 12:1 states that we are surrounded by a great company of witnesses but it does not say that they hear our pleas or intercede on our behalf. By making this statement you are adding to the word of God.
Heb 7:25
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
He - Christ ever liveth to make intercessession for us.
"But it is always good to have some allies in Heaven."
We need only one "ally" - Jesus himself
1Tim 2:5
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
One mediator - not many. If you think you need "some allies" other than Christ you minimize his great sacrifice.
"If it be according to Your Will, glorify Your servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, by granting the favor I now request through his powerful intercession"
Addressed to God asking Him to "glorify Sheen" through his (Sheens) powerful intercession.
Who's having reading comprehension problems?
I'm not bashing anyone but I do reject the traditions of men when they stand in contradiction to the word of God.
Let God be true but every man a liar!
Rom 3:4
God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
I join you, and the Friars, and the Archbishop in prayer that God will save Terri's life.
You are correct in everything you have said. The bible is very clear.
Amen!!
I second your AMEN.
I second your AMEN.
Catholics and some other Christians believe that the ability to make intercession on others' behalf, before the throne of God's Mercy, does not end with death. In fact, one's ability to make intercession is increased. If David, while alive, was a man after God's own Heart, how much more he is while beholding the face of God!
If you read the Franciscans' prayer (above) carefully, it is addressed to God the Father, and it incorporates His Son, Jesus Christ, and also the Holy Spirit. It asks that if it is God's will that He should glorify his servant, Archbishop Sheen, then, please hear and answer the intercession that he is making for this cause.
It is important to see that this prayer acknowleges God as being the Source, and the Almighty, to whom we owe all love, worship, praise, loyalty, obedience, and thanksgiving. For God to "glorify his servant," means that through the answer that God gives to us as a result of Archbishop Sheen's intercession - through the granting of this miracle - God is testifying as to the holiness of his servant, and the esteem in which He holds him.
In turn, this takes NOTHING away from God - it is a glory to Him. It glorifies God when He can say, "This is my good and faithful servant, in whom I am well pleased." By asking Archbishop Sheen for his intercession, we are actually glorifying God by acknowleging His accomplishment of grace in Archbishop Sheen's life for his salvation - we are giving Jesus' Passion and Death the glory, and also the lifelong working of the Holy Spirit in this man's soul, and in ours, too.
I'm pinging you to my post #48 for an explanation as to why anyone would ask for intercession from a "dead person."
Have you ever appreciated a prayer said for you, or asked for prayers, or said a prayer for someone else? Since the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ conquered death, why should the ability to make intercession be ended with death?
If after death the Saints are asleep in the ground, awaiting the Final Judgment and Resurrection of the Dead, then I can see your point. But if after death the saints enter their glory in heaven, and await the Final Judgment and Resurrection there, then I can't.
I appreciate hearing about a good memory. :o)
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