Midwest March for Life

This Week on Knight Life

…we hear often about Knights and pro-life; it’s part of who we are – and this week is no exception. Courage and Charity go hand in glove with Knights on life issues. And as iron sharpens iron, members of the Knights “sharpen” each other in various ways

Hello, I’m Mike Gaspers back with you for a half hour of information, inspiration and invitation around the activities of this band of brothers the Iowa Knights of Columbus.

This is Knight Life…our Mission is Be Men of Courage and to do everything with LOVE for our fellow man, woman, child and unborn child.

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To listen to the full podcast click the play arrow.

Overview of the Podcast – Love Amazing

Later this week many will be gathered in Washington DC to March for Life this past Saturday. In Solidarity with these witnesses we begin with a prayer for life from Fr Dan Greving of the Sts Mary and Joseph Cluster in the Sioux City Diocese.

Melissa Ohden

Yours truly and many Knights were at the Midwest March for Life in Des Moines. We heard from a number of people – it is always good to be reminded that our Governor Branstad is a Knight and on the side of life. However it was Melissa Ohden’s keynote talk which really touched me. Although I’ve heard her speak before, Melissa has given new depth to her experience incorporating more facts surrounding her mother’s action to abort her as well as focusing on moving forward with the amazing life God is writing for her now. I was most impressed with her emphatic mission to love those who hurt her and attempt to bring healing to broken family members over 30 years after the abortion. Love amazing was what I heard in the Iowa Events center Saturday. I recommend visiting her blog page http://melissaohden.com/

We will hear from others who attended the Midwest March in the coming weeks and also look forward to reports from our own Christopher Hoffman who will be traveling to the national March for Life this week.

I saw Christopher at the Midwest March but also had a chance to talk with Mike Schmidt while visiting one of the workshops. Mike is a younger Knight from the Iowa City area and serves as our Social Media promoter. We spoke about the march but also touched on the importance of the Knights in Mike’s faith journey.

Mike reveals something which we have heard many times – the friendship of other Catholic men in the Knights has a positive influence on many a man’s faith journey.

Another Knight I’ve crossed paths with many times over the years is Don Kenyon. Don and I first met in association with his work on the degree staff and I’ve always admired his delivery of the lesson on unity. Don is currently serving his 5th year as District Deputy #18 and I had the opportunity to visit with him after his district meeting this past December.

I again thank Don for all his Knightly dedication especially to the degree work and also give a special shout out to his wife Marita for allowing Don to share his faith in action with the rest of us.

The degree work of the Knights of Columbus is a key part of a man’s experience in the Knights of Columbus. Learning about authentic Knighthood – all facets of it – is something expected of every Knight. Lessons first envisioned by Fr McGivney are passed along to new knights and all of us are challenged to better exemplify our principles of charity, unity and fraternity. With knowledge comes confidence and with confidence we can act courageously to be the Catholic men God created us to be.

This conversation of inviting men to continue on their journey to full Knighthood engaged Don Hauser and myself one Saturday afternoon recently.

What do you think? Should we expect everyone to aspire to the fullness of the path they started when they became a knight? Is the principle of charity sufficient or must it be supported by unity and fraternity to last through troubled times? Post your thoughts in the discussion section on www.iowakofc.org.

I always enjoy Steve’s reflections as they hit home on the issues. I think it’s key that we assist those in unexpected and unplanned pregnancies to always choose life.

Getting the story out to others – your story as told by you is very important to everyone including the Knights. To find out more on the Iowa Knights visit our website www.iowakofc.org. You can follow Iowa Knights of Columbus on Facebook or on Twitter @IAKnights for the latest news and updates. Consider posting a comment about your experience with the Knights of Columbus.

I’m Mike Gaspers, thank you for listening. Feeling inspired? Then act courageously and with love to put your faith into action by word and by deeds. Don’t forget to March with us this Saturday!

Interested in the Band of Brothers? Contact a Knight or your parish priest and we will bring you into this fraternity of Catholic men.

Knight Life is a production of the Iowa Knights of Columbus.