DAY 38
DAY 38
Early this morning, I joined the faithful prayer volunteers shivering in the 29-degree weather at the Everett, Washington, 40 Days for Life vigil outside a Planned Parenthood abortion facility.
Clinic workers came out to protest our presence and tried to intimidate people by taking numerous photos of the 40 Days for Life volunteers (I actually think that Planned Parenthood now has a better photo album of my family than we do… )
Then it was down to the Seattle vigil where a big group of prayer warriors was gathered. We prayed together, fielded questions from passers-by, and the local people shared the many blessings they have experienced during 40 Days for Life.
Again, Planned Parenthood had organized a protest of 40 Days for Life, wearing bright orange shirts and trying to get people to honk in support of their abortion business.
After that, it was off to Tacoma. Upon arrival, more than 75 pro-lifers were gathered in peaceful prayer and song, despite the taunts, jeers, and yelling of just over a dozen Planned Parenthood workers trying to disrupt the vigil.
In every case, the pro-lifers did not respond to the protests. They simply prayed harder — for the lives of the children at risk of abortion, for their mothers and fathers, and yes, for those people who have been misled and advocate for abortion.
I’m on my way now to join the 40 Days for Life efforts in Olympia, and am looking forward to hearing many more success stories.
The blessings and victories continue to add up all across America. Here are just a couple more:
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA:
We had approximately 50 people join us this morning between 5 – 7:30 AM. This was our largest crowd to date! We had much success too. Two turn-arounds! We had one husband who motioned for me to step to his truck. I did and he wanted to tell me that his wife has decided to keep her baby because of our group gathered in prayer. Hallelujah! I asked if they needed any assistance. He said thank you, but we’ll do just fine. We can make a difference! I really think it was the children that touched this woman’s heart. They were singing, “Jesus Loves the Little Babies. All the Babies of the World.” It was beautiful!
OMAHA, NEBRASKA / COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA:
A week ago this Thursday, we had four verified saved mom’s and babies. One of the mom’s went directly to the Woman’s Touch CPC for and ultra sound and was amazed to meet her child. On the all Hallows Eve, a 7PM candle light prayer service in front of the same facility, a car drove by and saw the service, circled around and came back. The man said, “Thank you for being here. Seven months ago my woman and I came by to have an abortion several times, but you people and a priest were always there, so we never did the deed. We are so happy with our son, thanks, again.”
Since September 26, I have been blessed to join in the 40 Days for Life efforts in 34 of the participating cities, and I have been inspired by the incredible impact of faithful people who selflessly go to the street and lovingly “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”
It’s not always easy — and yes, some people may oppose us – but it is worth it!
As we gather in record numbers for the final two days of 40 Days for Life — including the nationwide “Unity Vigil” being held Saturday outside of every Planned Parenthood facility and abortion center possible – let’s ask God to continue blessing and multiplying these efforts!
Here’s the link to the press release with details about tomorrow’s events:
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/866024662.html
And here’s your daily devotional by Fr. Frank Pavone…
INTENTION:
Pray that we fully recognize in the unborn child our brother, our sister, and we recommit ourselves to care for them.
SCRIPTURE:
“Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’
‘I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’
The LORD said, ‘What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.” — Genesis 4:8-11
REFLECTION:
After Cain committed the first murder in human history, God asked him, “Where is your brother?” He replied by saying, “I don’t know.”
In 1973, the Supreme Court was asked the same question, and gave the same answer.
Unable to admit that the unborn children are our brothers and sisters, the Supreme Court said, “We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins. When those trained in the respective disciplines of medicine, philosophy, and theology are unable to arrive at any consensus, the judiciary, at this point in the development of man’s knowledge, is not in a position to speculate as to the answer”(Roe vs. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 159).
Boil all that down to three words, and it’s, “I don’t know.”
The question of when life begins, of course, is not difficult to answer at all. The difficulty comes in accepting the responsibility for our brother, our sister, whose life has begun.
The same question, “Where is your brother?”, is asked of each of us today. By participating in the 40 Days for Life, we have been answering that question each day, going to where our brothers and sisters are killed, and proclaiming that we have a responsibility to them.
By all the pro-life work we will continue to do, we likewise answer that question which reaches from one end of human history to the other.
The question, “Where is your brother?”, will be asked at the final judgment. Each person will answer it and be judged by it.
May we be judged to have recognized and loved all our brothers and sisters, born and unborn.
PRAYER:
Father, today we hear your voice, and we respond to the question you ask each of us: “Where is your brother?”
We recognize in the unborn child our brother, our sister, and we recommit ourselves today to care for them. Yes, Father, you have entrusted us to the care of one another. We rejoice that you have given us the grace to respond.
As we work to renew our culture, we look forward to the great day of the coming of your Son, when every eye will see him, even of those who pierced him, and every knee shall bend, and every tongue confess, to the glory of God the Father, JESUS CHRIST IS LORD! Amen.