11 years before the throne

Today marks 11 years since Jedidiah passed into glory.  I recorded a bit about being his mama on my podcast.  Lectio & Lattés

I continue to pray and offer up thanksgiving for everyone- foreign and domestic- who prayed for us during his short time

here.  May you all be blessed with a smooth journey home and sit with Jedi- gazing into that Beatific Vision of The Face of God.

 

Jedidiah's 6th birthday

We couldn't go out on Saturday- his birthday- because there was a funeral and the path wouldn't be able to accommodate hikers and car traffic.
So we went on Monday.
Fr Kevin and my mom joined us.
Fr Kevin said mass. It was and still is SO warm. It feels like mid to late September and not November.
I plan on going again next week if there is no funeral.

Seattle #womenbetrayed rally speech

The mic wasn't working so imagine me holding a ridiculous big bullhorn in one hand and my phone in the other. That's right, a bullhorn. No bras were burned during this rally but it felt like it could have easily gone that way...

This is the first time I've addressed such a rally as this- so I'm going to use my phone for notes- let me get it situated on the right page so I don't start accidentally reading my safeway shopping list.


My name is Elizabeth Arendale -
I have 8 children ---that I got to keep. And one that I had to say goodbye to too early. I've been on the crisis pregnancy side of things twice in my life.

Once with my first child - as an unmarried scholarship soccer player in college.

And once when carrying my 7th child who was called at one ultrasound- "incompatible with life". He proved them all wrong when he was very compatible with life for 13 love filled days.

I now work with the Be Not Afraid- a peer outreach that helps women who have been given a poor prenatal diagnosis carry their pregnancy to term.


Watching the video- my initial response was shock, disgust, anger, then sadness

My immediate thought was "now planned parenthood can't hide behind their 'we care about women' mantra.

Now their true colors are shown.
Now instead of pink- they should wear green.

Why are we shocked? This is planned parenthood after all?
They can go from tearing a baby limb from limb- to stepping out into the hall to add their order for jimmy johns for their lunch break.
It's but a small baby step to selling the "byproduct" of the "procedure"

You know- I think what disgusted me the most was the casualness- the drinking wine- the talking around a mouthful of food- the mention of "presenting the clients with a 'menu' of body parts".

I'm angry with planned parenthood for cheapening life. In cheapening and destroying life, they have *weakened* the fabric of humanity. We are all a little weak because of this.
But our humanity is made in the image and likeness of God.
God gave us LIFE and he *is* LOVE
For HE so LOVED the world that he put down his LIFE.
There is no greater LOVE than to put down your LIFE for a friend.

LIfe EQUALS Love
And if planned parenthood is going to be the killers of LIFE and LOVE
We need to be the defenders of LIFE and LOVE.

So planned parenthood weakens the fabric of humanity. How can we strengthen it again?
By lining our response up more closely with God- our response needs not to be one of anger- but one of love.

And since God's fatherly love is equal parts justice and mercy we should follow suit.

We can renew the fabric of humanity
by being merciful- praying for all the executives and employees of planned parenthood. Asking God to help us to see them as He sees them. - with his fatherly eyes, they are His children.
He sees them with both mercy and justice.

And We can show justice by demanding they be held accountable. By asking the state of Washington to launch a full investigation of planned parenthood practices and to defund planned parenthood immediately.

Because as long as planned parenthood is open, women- at a very scary and vulnerable time in their lives- are in danger of being pushed into something they will regret.

This will take work- and dedication. It's going to require some sacrifice. Most of you look equal to the task. Some of you probably wished I had read out my shopping list instead.
But we need to keep at it because WE are the defenders of LIFE and LOVE.

Jedi Master: a poem

this is a poem written by one of my sister's colleagues- Eddie Mulholland.  I nearly forgot about it until she reminded me of it today.

Jedi Master



I don't aspire to use The Force

Blindfolded, a light saber

Wielding, while I lift some rocks

Through grueling mental labor.

That notwithstanding, I would love

To fly from earth, and yet I

Have higher aspirations still:

To be another Jedi.



Though not the type like Qui-gon

Like Mace Windu or like Obi-wan

My master is a baby boy

And I his bumbling padawan.

Young Jedidiah Arendale

In thirteen earthly days

Learned all he ever needed

To face his Maker's gaze.



He brandished his new baptized grace

He parried sin's rebellions

He triumphed through Christ's victory

and vanquished fiendish hellions.

His body wracked with illness,

Abnormalities trisomic,

Did not impede his inner strength

Which went beyond atomic.



When I was young I wished Yoda

Had taught me all his skills

But now one insignificant

in worldly eyes who thrills

from having entered heaven's gates

like lightning, even faster,

has schooled me in the ways of light,

Well done, my Jedi Master!

--
Peace,
Elizabeth

A eulogy for my niece and nephew

---JMJT---

Hail Mary - 

I never really had a close relationship with the Blessed Mother growing up.  ---She's perfectly perfect.  

---She has always found it easy to pray for hours.  

---And hours and hours and hours- 

(she prays without ceasing really) 

---She's meek and mild. 

---She's unassuming but confident in God's graces and love.  

I cannot relate to those things.  But, despite all of the many ways I differ with the blessed mother, as I grew, I prayed that a relationship might develop. 

 

Being a mother brought me a little closer to her.  I often ask myself "what would Mary do?"

But The true deepening of my relationship with The mother of God  came after losing my son Jedidiah when he was 13 days old-

I could finally relate with her.

 

The surprising realization that a relationship had grown came when I was walking out of my bedroom one morning.  I glanced down onto a dresser set there by the door- 

on it stood a few statues- some flowers- some cards.  

A plaque I think someone in my homeschool group gifted laid there- 

The plaque had a cross on it and under the cross John 3:16 was written.

" For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

And it hit me then and there.

  It wasn't just God who watched Jesus die for us.

Mary watched him die too.

And losing a child is the tie that bound me to her.  

To my sister Regina and Christina and my brothers-in-law Jose and Mike-this lent is going to be a lent you will never forget.  You have given up more than anyone.

  I pray that it brings you closer to God through Mary- because -how could it not?

And in the coming weeks life will carry on.  Life will require us to keep on truckin'.  But in dark moments of sadness- when you feel your pain is solitary and able to blot out the sun, find a crucifix- and Remember our Blessed Mother's pain.  And remember she is there.  

And I want you to look around you now.  Look at all the many people who come to show that they care.  

And all the many cards, emails, and texts that people have sent and will send.  

So many people are caring for you and praying for you.  Hold that close to you in those tough moments.  Feel the body of Christ strengthen and flex about you.  

There are lyrics from one of my favorite bands- over the rhine - these lyrics I find to be true- "pain is our mother- she helps us recognize one another".  We can relate to each other through our pain because we have - **all of us**- lost something.   Jesus was in pain on the cross when he made John recognize Mary as his mother and our mother too.  The Body of Christ- here and now in this church - is feeling the pain of loss- and we are unified more than ever because of it.

Anytime I think of the Body of Christ I am reminded of the time when Father Kevin- then just plain old Kevin - 

told us we merely had to hike 15 miles (more like 20)through Denver suburbs in our unshowered filth while carrying a sleeping bag and a can of chef boyardee.  At the end of our hike we would set up camp and see Pope John Paul the second - and also find out that we didn't bring a can opener- or spoons and (someone may have stolen my sleeping bag)

  We sang "we are one body" over and over again on hike- the song was sung somewhat deliriously over the last few miles but the mental capacities of the people singing it made it no less true.  we are-

 we are one body- 

one body in Christ.  

And we do not stand alone.

You are not alone in your grief.  

The Blessed Mother is there.  

And so are we.

For my sisters

I began this blog for a few reasons. one reason was to share my story and by doing so help future moms navigate certain aspects of losing a baby.  I never believed I'd be writing for my sisters.  I am praying for them almost constantly- from the depth of my soul.
Jeremiah Joseph- your mommy loves you and wishes she could hold you and look into your eyes- please ask before the throne of God- that she get some consolations here before she can hold you again.  Ask God to hold her close and whisper love into her ear.  Ask God to also look out for your siblings- this will be one of many requests that we ask of you Jeremiah- so stay tuned.

Sweet Gaabriella Immaculada- first of all what a beautiful name!  You too have some work to do.  Comfort and console your mama.  Help her to go through the coming days and weeks and months.  Ask God to gently protect her and keep her in His palms- safe and loved.  She also longs to hold you again.  Ask God to look after your siblings- you are their advocate now beautiful girl.

Father Joseph's prayer warrior blog

Updates are posted a few times a week to Father Joseph Peek's prayer warrior blog.
Click HERE.