Pro-life Awkwardness

[ToJesusMyHeart]

I posted this thread in Vocation Station, but I wanted more opinions since VS has such a small audience. 

 

Just wanted to share some awkwardness going on in my life currently.

I'm in the application process to the convent right now and one of the things we need to do is get a "letter of reference" from a "professional associate." I decided to ask a former professor of mine, whom I also worked with in tutoring his students. I emailed him, asking if he would mind writing the letter for me and he  agreed, stating (he says he is freaking out because I told him "Now, don't freak out, but I'm applying to enter a convent!") :

 

Quote

 

Hi Katie,  I'm only freaking out a little bit. I am however happy to recommend you for anything you choose for yourself. Please send any relevant information I.e. the qualifications they are looking for and a link to the place.  

Best wishes.

 

 

"Great!", I thought to myself. Then, today I got another email from him, saying: 

 

Quote

 

Katie,

 

I know that I said I would support you in anything that you want for yourself but I am struggling to write this letter and may need to retract my offer.  As I think about it, can I ask you a few questions?  May I ask whey you have chosen this pathway for yourself?  Do you plan to stay there forever?  And can I ask a very personal question about your philosophy?  Do you think that there is ever a reasonable time for an abortion, e.g. in cases of rape when the mother to be wishes to have an abortion?

 

 

OH NO.   :sos:

 

Anyway, the main purpose of this thread is to see if you think I replied to his inquiries in an acceptable manner or if I totally messed up. I replied: 

 

Quote

 

Dr. ------,

Of course you are welcome to ask me questions. I have chosen this for myself because I have felt an invitation from Jesus Christ to give my whole life to Him. In marriage, you give a large portion of your heart to your spouse and your children, but I feel Jesus asking me to give Him the entirety of my heart, and this can be accomplished in the convent. With the Sisters, I can give myself exclusively and wholly to Jesus as a bride of Christ. In this way, I can give Him all my love and offer my life as a sacrifice for the salvation of souls. 

Yes, I plan to stay with the Sisters forever, if it is the will of God. I sure hope it is!  :)

As for my philosophy about unborn children--I believe that every person, born or unborn, is a child of God and worthy of great respect. All humans have immense dignity because we are children of God, created in His image, and therefore it is never okay to kill another human. It is our responsibility as humans to work for the protection and enhancement of the sacredness of every human life--born or unborn. No matter where a human person is currently living--whether inside the womb of their mother or outside the womb--they have unfathomable dignity and must not be killed. So no matter the circumstances in which a baby was created in the womb of their mother, they must not be killed. Aborting a baby that has been created through rape will not solve the immense harm caused by the rape. It will only add trauma and pain to the life of the mother, and the life of the baby will be lost entirely. The baby did nothing to cause itself to be created, and the baby should not be punished for the crimes of the rapist father. I have friends who were raped, and conceived a child, and out of great courage and love for that baby, did not choose to kill the child, but rather placed the baby for adoption. I also have friends who were themselves the product of a rape. Thank goodness that their parents did not abort them, or else I would be missing a great friendship in my life. The child is never to blame in rape situations and should not be killed because of the crime of the rapist. All human life has unspeakable value and dignity, and we must protect all humans-- especially the weakest and most vulnerable among us, including those who cannot protect themselves because they are in the womb.

Sincerely and with respect,
Katie

 

If he needs to retract his offer, I have others whom I can ask. But man, talk about awkward, right?! 

 

Anyway, just needed to share..   :unsure:

 

[Lil Red]

it sounds fine. :) 

[Basilisa Marie]

You did a great job. :)  

[WillT]

Looks good to me. Always good to have a backup when you're asking for references!

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Update:

 

He replied with: 

 

Thanks Katie,

 

Sorry to pry.  I'll send a letter directly to the convent on Monday.

 

I replied with:

 

Not a problem at all. I'm glad you asked the questions that were concerning you. I hope my reply was clear and sufficient. 

Thank you for writing this letter for me. I really appreciate it! 

Have a wonderful summer,
Katie

 

And he replied again with:

 

Katie,

 

A strong letter of support is in the mail for you.  Please keep me posted, stay in touch, and let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.

 

Looks like this has turned out well. I hope Jesus will use our conversation and the letter to touch my professor's heart. 

 

Thank you for listening, pham! :)

[Basilisa Marie]

Wonderful! :) 

[brianthephysicist]

I posted this thread in Vocation Station, but I wanted more opinions since VS has such a small audience. 

 

Just wanted to share some awkwardness going on in my life currently.

I'm in the application process to the convent right now and one of the things we need to do is get a "letter of reference" from a "professional associate." I decided to ask a former professor of mine, whom I also worked with in tutoring his students. I emailed him, asking if he would mind writing the letter for me and he  agreed, stating (he says he is freaking out because I told him "Now, don't freak out, but I'm applying to enter a convent!") :

 

Quote

 

"Great!", I thought to myself. Then, today I got another email from him, saying: 

 

Quote

 

OH NO.   :sos:

 

Anyway, the main purpose of this thread is to see if you think I replied to his inquiries in an acceptable manner or if I totally messed up. I replied: 

 

Quote

If he needs to retract his offer, I have others whom I can ask. But man, talk about awkward, right?! 

 

Anyway, just needed to share..   :unsure:

 

 

*Hugs*

 

Stuff like that is always difficult but you did amazing.  

 

 

Update:

 

He replied with: 

 

I replied with:

 

And he replied again with:

 

Looks like this has turned out well. I hope Jesus will use our conversation and the letter to touch my professor's heart. 

 

Thank you for listening, pham! :)

 

Glad to hear the good news :)

[Papist]

Razzle dazzle. Great job. Perhaps a heart was changed. 

[Gabriela]

Katie, I assume you are applying to enter the Sisters of Life? Do you know if they have an apostolate to prostitutes or women who have been trafficked or otherwise forced into slavery?

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Katie, I assume you are applying to enter the Sisters of Life? Do you know if they have an apostolate to prostitutes or women who have been trafficked or otherwise forced into slavery?

 

If they're pregnant, they will help them, but they don't have a ministry strictly devoted to helping prostitutes or stopping trafficking/human slavery.

 

Their main apostolates include:

 

1. Holy Respite--Home for pregnant mothers: A “Holy Respite,” it provides pregnant women an opportunity to be nurtured as they live side-by-side with Sisters in the convent, immersed in a deeply spiritual setting. They take in anyone who is pregnant and she is allowed to live with them until a few months after the baby is born. They help women find a job or get back into college or get a GED. 

 

2. Visitation Mission--Pregnancy Help: Since the very beginning of our community, the Sisters of Life have been reaching out with practical assistance and spiritual and emotional support to pregnant women in crisis. They provide free material (diapers, clothing, etc), spiritual and emotional help to anyone in need. (Like a CPC without doctors, although 13 Sisters are nurses currently).

 

3. Retreats at Villa Maria Guadalupe: Public welcome…retreats, educational opportunities, seminars and weekend programs for young people, married couples, families, priests and religious. Drawing from the liturgy and teachings of the Catholic Church. They have young adult retreats, post-abortion healing retreats, vocation retreats, true masculinity/femininity retreats, Days of enrichment for married couples, retreats on prayer, high school women retreats, etc (To see full list and register: http://www.sistersoflife.org/villa-maria-guadalupe-retreats/vmg-html)

 

4, Healing after abortion: For men and women who have experienced the suffering of abortion. Helping them to experience the joy of healing in Christ; directed by faithful priests with a heart for those who suffer. 

 

5. Family Life/Respect Life Office of NYC: The Sisters guide the development of efforts including the NYC Respect Life Institute, teach marriage preparation programs and numerous other services to families in the Archdiocese of New York.

 

6. Evangelization and Conferences:  This was one of their very first missions. They give presentations on the sanctity of human life and love to many and varied audiences, nationally and internationally. (Full list of events: http://www.sistersoflife.org/archive)

 

 

:)

[Jesus_lol]

Its not easy to think of it that way, but logically any prolife except for rape view is going to be unsound, assuming you are prolife because you dont want human beings to be killed, born or not. In case of rape, it affects the mother differently, but if you are basing your argument off the safety and rights of the child, it has no effect on those.

 

 

The only reasoning that actually is internally consistent, would be if you only wanted to prevent abortions in order to make life harder on the mothers, to punish them for having sex.

 

And that is just stupid and cruel, and it doesnt apply to you.

 

 

 

 

However. It takes a fair amount of thought, and casting off of pre held convictions in order to realize that, so you should always be careful in how you explain it to people, lest you come across like the second example i gave there. I think you did well.

Edited June 18, 2013 by Jesus_lol