Self-Knowledge is crucial for growth in the Christian life, as well as for basic, joyful Christian living.  The Saints all saw the importance of self-knowledge. Without self-knowledge informed by faith, a person is forced to suffer through an endless maze: He wonders why he is so prone to self-destructive tendencies even though he has sworn them off; she wonders why she is still so prone to sin, even after a regular habit of Confession and other spiritual exercises. In short, we wonder why our actions are so out of step with the faith we profess. We may have a lot of "head" knowledge, but we can be blind to our own tendencies, insecurities and ways of reacting to life that are innate and, therefore, barely noticeable at times.

We are each born with a basic temperament, which is the sum of our natural preferences; it shapes our thoughts, ideas, impressions, and the way we tend to react to our environment and to other people. It is our predisposition to react in certain ways, hardwired in us. It is not learned or acquired through contact with our environment. In short, temperament is what comes naturally. Some people are naturally the life of the party, while others are more reserved and slow to warm up; some are natural leaders, while others tend to be followers; some are naturally optimistic, while others tend to always expect the worst, and so on.

Temperaments are not an excuse though for our unsavory behaviors, and attitudes. Rather, the study of the temperaments is an exercise in self-knowledge and humility so that you will be better able to discern what disciplines you must acquire in life in order to bring yourself into balance.

Understanding our temperaments is important not just for our sake but for those around us, those for whom we love and care.  Whatever state of life we live in, whatever state of life we feel called to, knowledge of ourself will help lead us along the path of peace and virtue to the love that God has planned for us.

To discover which mix of temperaments you are. Read the article, Learn to Understand the Four Basic Temperaments.

For those who would like to read more on the temperaments, we recommend the books, 'The Temperament God Gave You' and 'The Temperament God Gave Your Spouse'.

A special moral objection has long been attached to the sale of human genetic material and a number of declarations by international bodies have explicitly ruled out commerce in human embryos. These include UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) which has ruled that the transfer of human embryos can never be a commercial transaction and the European Union, which has insisted that the prohibition on making the human body and its parts a source of financial gain must be respected. (Article 21 of the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine.)

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In a family of ten, though, laundry is an everyday, ongoing process of washing drying, folding, and putting away.

One of the best things I ever did for myself was to stop trying to get the laundry "done." It never will be "done," I realized and trying to accomplish the impossible was only frustrating me.

These days, I consider myself a success if I have completed 2-3 loads in a day and the clothing has been returned to dresser drawers or hung in closets by bedtime.

Another laundry favor I did myself this year was to ask my husband to put up a clothesline.

Shortly after he put it up, my dear father-in-law stopped by the house, noticed the line, and winced. "Is Dan making you hang clothes to dry?" he asked with sympathy.

What my father-in-law doesn't know, though, is that I LOVE my clothesline...

• Prayer and fasting
• Constant vigil
• Community outreach

40 Days for Life takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods.  It puts into action a desire to cooperate with God in the carrying out of His plan for the end of abortion.

The 40-day campaign follows Biblical history, where God used 40-day periods to transform individuals, communities ... and the entire world. From Noah in the flood to Moses on the mountain to the disciples after Christ's resurrection, it is clear that God sees the transformative value of His people accepting and meeting a 40-day challenge.

The campaign began in Texas, USA in 2004 and the first National event took place in 2007 with more than 80 US cities participating. 40 Days for Life campaigns have now being held in over 280 cities of the US and they have been blessed with results such as:

• Over 200,000 have joined together in an historic display of unity to pray and fast for an end to abortion
• More than 70,000 people have taken to the streets, forming peaceful 40-day prayer vigils outside of Planned Parenthood centers and abortion facilities
• Reports document 2,168 lives that have been spared from abortion - and those are just the ones we know about
• Twenty-six abortion workers have quit their jobs and walked away from the abortion industry
• Five abortion facilities completely shut down following local 40 Days for Life campaigns
• Hundreds of women and men have been spared from the tragic effects of abortion, including a lifetime of regrets
• More than 600 news stories have been featured in newspapers, magazines, radio shows and TV programs
• Many people with past abortion experiences have stepped forward to begin post-abortion healing and recovery

This year from 17 February to 28 March 40 Days for Life is coming to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.  In Sydney the campaign will involve peaceful prayer vigils 24 hours a day outside an abortion facility in Surry Hills, just a short walk from Central train station. Bishop Julian Porteous, auxiliary bishop of Sydney, is the official patron of the campaign.  

The slogan for the 40 Days for Life Campaign is 'Pray to End Abortion'.  It implies a trust that we can bring an end to the 90,000 abortions that occur each year in Australia.  It also acknowledges that the only way of doing this is through prayer and fasting.  Abortion is an evil because it takes the lives of unborn children but also because it destroys the lives of mothers, fathers, families and entire communities. This campaign is not about condemning those in need but about offering true support to those considering abortion and authentic education to the wider community.

Consider if you can help make a difference in Sydney during this campaign, log onto the website here. You will find contact details and further information.

Sometimes we ask, "What did I do to deserve this" or "Why did this happen to me"? Here is one explanation...

A daughter is telling her mother how everything is going wrong in her life.  She's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.

But that is why, he continued, we are living in a glorious time, "an era of Christian heroes". Anyone who stands up for Catholic principles, especially in the area of marriage, sexuality, and respect for life, will do so heroically, precisely because it is so difficult to do so, especially for young people. And indeed, this age is producing heroes, and I am finding it easier to spot the three or four of them at least, in my classroom each year.

One such hero related to me what life is like for him at a typical Canadian secular university. He speaks of his academic colleagues who brag about their almost daily sexual conquests and pursuit of the coveted "V badge", an "honor" they receive for taking a girl's virginity -- some having earned as many as six within the short span of a week. All of them drink to excess, and virtually none of them attend Mass, and many of them simply don't believe in God.

He also pointed out that within his first week of university, he was propositioned four times while at parties with friends. A young girl would approach, kiss him on the cheek, and whisper in his ear: "You'd better take advantage of me now, because I might not be available later".  

'[The] pre-pubescent girls in this ad...are portrayed as music video skanks,' the mother of three writes scathingly at mamamia.com.au.

Freedman quickly explained why her blood boiled so quickly at the sight of the ad. She was in the midst of reading Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls, edited by Melinda Tankard Reist. It is a sombre new look at 'how we are eroding what was once the sacred space of childhood with a bombardment of appalling imagery and sexually suggestive ideas'.

The effects of such advertising on girls is well documented. In addition to Tankard Reist's book, recent books on the subject include The Lolita Effect by M. Gigi Durham, So Sexy So Soon by Diane Levin and Jean Kilbourne and What's Happening to Our Girls? Too Much, Too Soon - How Our Kids are Overstimulated, Oversold and Oversexed by Australian researcher Maggie Hamilton.

Hamilton's exhaustive research found that girls as young as nine are worrying whether or not they look sexy or considering having their first Brazilian wax, that at the age of 13 girls were 'sexting' X-rated images of themselves and, by 14, many had already had a staggering number of sexual partners.