From the Pen of Father Tim - 01/21/2024

Dear Parishioners:

I speak to you of a posterchild for Planned Parenthood:
 
    Once upon a time, there was a prince and a princess. The prince was this strong, powerful warrior – well known for his bravery. The princess was beautiful past imagining. Try as they would, they could not have a baby. So, they had everyone in this little kingdom pray for the prince and the princess.

    And lo and behold, a child was indeed conceived. Everyone in the tiny kingdom was excited: the prince and the princess were going to have a royal child. The time came: a beautiful baby was born. Beautiful in the eyes of God, and anyone with any sense. The baby girl was found to have one leg shorter than another; she had one shoulder out of place; she had a hunchback. And if this was not enough, the poor girl was blind. In short, in our sad modern lack of charity, she would be considered a gimp. And because of her appearance, the prince and the princess were embarrassed. And as the whole town awaited news of this child, the prince and the princess decided to keep the birth secret – embarrassed as they were of the child. They instructed the castle staff to keep the birth of this child secret. The people of the town were never told what became of the child. It is very sad, because this girl, we will name her Marguerite, had a fantastic mind, and was the sweetest young girl you could imagine.

      So, when visiting dignitaries would arrive at the castle of the prince and the princess, they would hide Marguerite in one of the rooms. Finally, concern about the town finding out about this child came to a point where the mother and father decided to brick the child into a room, no way out, and only a space in the rock bricks where the meals would be delivered.

      Finally, the prince and the princess heard of a cure for Marguerite in another town, and decided to see if the cure would work on little Marguerite. By this time, Marguerite was 14, so they secretly loaded her up in the middle of the night so that no one would see her, and took her to the town place for the cure. Sadly, the cure did not work. And when the cure did not work, the prince and the princess abandoned her in that town. Remember, she was blind, lame, and had to get around with a crutch. She spent her first night cold in a door way. And for the remainder of her life, Marguerite would be a homeless beggar.

      Given the attitude of Marguerite’s parents, Marguerite is the poster child for planned parenthood, contraception, and abortion. Planned Parenthood would say, she was unwanted by her parents, a drain on society because of her disabilities, and unable to contribute to society in any meaningful way. If the modern technology to peer into the womb as we can now had existed then, the parents surely would have had Marguerite aborted.

      But Marguerite was a beautiful child: despite what her parents put her through, whenever they or any of the castle staff would call, she would come to them best way she could and lavish great love upon them – amazing under the circumstances. The child also became very prayerful and had a reputation among the castle staff as being incredibly holy. Yes, her parents bricked her into a little tiny room, but the room was in their castle’s private chapel. Marguerite was in effect – despite the parent’s bad motives – what they called an anchorite. Marguerite did not complain; rather she prayed, and her reputation for holiness continued to grow among the castle staff.

     As to the cure: the parents had heard of a grave of a Saint in a nearby town whose reported miracles were many. Knowing of Marguerite’s prayerfulness, Marguerite’s parents thought that since the child was so holy, who could more expect to be cured by the intercession of this saint than she. When it became clear after about 36 hours that no cure was coming, it was then that the parents abandoned Marguerite blind, lame, and unable to easily fend for herself. Despite this Marguerite prayed for people, and helped those who were in an even worse condition than she herself. She was even allowed to take the habit of a 3rd Order Dominican Tertiary.

     She died at the age of 33 years of age – the same age as Christ. At her funeral – the entire town knowing of her holiness attended – including a woman who brought her still born baby hoping for a cure. In a moment that is a tad frightening, Marguerite’s hand came out from under the sheet, and the baby, resuscitated, began to cry.

      Yes, Marguerite is a poster child for Planned Parenthood, abortion, and contraception: being unwanted by her parents, a drain on society, and not able to contribute to society in any meaningful way. But in reality, Blessed Marguerite of Costello – who is on her way to canonization – is God’s posterchild to make a liar out of proAbortion, proContraception, proPlanned Parenthood advocates. No, she was not wanted – by we broken humans; yes, she had a tough life, but what this world sees as a soul not worthy of life, God shows us through Blessed Marguerite of Costello that He considers her life, and every life, of value.
 
Let us be careful out there  -  Fr. Tim Henderson