DAY 31: Abortion capital of America
Here’s today’s AMAZING video report, this time from Jacksonville, Florida:
If you have trouble watching the video here, watch it on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK2dxclzVtc
In this three-minute clip, you’ll see pastor Ed Martin, local 40 Days for Life campaign coordinator, leading a Jericho March — marching seven times back and forth between two abortion facilities — during which a woman changed her mind and chose life!
Hope you enjoy it!
Well, it’s Friday, and 40 Days for Life campaign director Shawn Carney is on the road headed to New York City — a location described as “the abortion capital of America.”
That phrase is the title of a New York Magazine article. It was published a few years ago, but the story still paints an accurate picture of the uphill battle pro-lifers face in the nation’s largest city.
More than 100,000 abortions are performed in New York City every year. There are almost three dozen abortion facilities there.
To quote from the magazine article:
In absolute terms, there are more abortions performed on minors, more repeat abortions, and more late abortions (over 21 weeks) in New York City than anywhere else in the country. In parts of the city, the ratio of abortions to births is one to one.
Fortunately, people are willing to do something about it. One of those people is Chris Slattery, who runs a group of pregnancy resource centers and a variety of other pro-life outreaches.
Chris is also helping lead 40 Days for Life campaigns in two of New York’s boroughs, Queens (where there are two abortion clinics side by side) and The Bronx.
The New York City team just posted a marvelous slide show of 40 Days for Life in action on the sidewalks of America’s abortion capital. Check it out:
In each of the past 40 Days for Life campaigns in New York City, through God’s blessings, dozens of lives have been saved from abortion through these sidewalk efforts.
One New Yorker, who is known for his strong pro-life stand, headed west this week – and he stopped at the 40 Days for Life vigil in Kalispell, Montana. Fr. Benedict Groeschel had traveled to Montana for speaking engagements.
Karen in Kalispell said Fr. Groeschel’s detour to the vigil there was “unexpected and much appreciated.” Fr. Groeschel is a Franciscan friar who is familiar in Catholic circles through his regular appearances on the EWTN network.
Here’s Fr. Groeschel (second from left) with 40 Days for Life vigil participants in Kalispell:
While the abortion toll in New York City almost defies belief, Fr. Groeschel’s trip to the clinic in Kalispell underscores the fact that abortion would still be a tragedy even if it only claimed one life.
Abortion also remains a deadly reality in Ithaca, New York (roughly a four-hour drive from New York City). The very thought that abortions were being performed in their community brought a small group of Cornell University students out to pray at the 40 Days for Life vigil recently.
A staff physician saw them – and didn’t like it. So she went out to complain to the students that they were “harassing” her customers. “Of course,” said Mary Anne in Ithaca, “they were very peaceful and were doing no such thing.”
The woman came out a second time to complain – and then a third. The last time, she told the students she would call the police if they didn’t leave.
“The students did better and went to the police themselves,” Mary Anne said. “The police said as long as they were not cursing, threatening or following people, that what they were doing was fine. We will keep this physician in our prayers.”
In cities both large and small, 40 Days for Life is having an impact. The power of prayer is very real!
Here’s today’s devotional from Rev. J. Kirk van der Swaagh, Pastor, Conservative Congregational Christian Conference…
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DAY 31 INTENTION
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For the medical community, that the truth they know about the human body may become awe and wonder at the God who made it.
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SCRIPTURE
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Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.
–Psalm 139:16
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REFLECTION by Rev. J. Kirk van der Swaagh
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Human beings — God’s tapestries.
Psalm 139 is a psalm that reveals the enormity and otherness of God. His divine attributes are on display: omniscience (2-4), omnipresence (7-12), loving-kindness (17-18), justice (19-20), righteousness (23-24), and omnipotence.
Yet, when it came to express this last attribute, what example did the psalmist use — God’s creation of mountains, seas, or far-flung galaxies? No, he used none of these. To express the wonder of God’s unparalleled creative power the writer mentions the fashioning of the human in the womb (14-16).
The Hebrew word used to express God’s forming of us in the womb, raqam, is the same term for needlework or embroidery. In other words, we are a tapestry that displays God’s artistic mastery.
And, like the artist who knows his creation down to the last detail, God intimately knows us. This reality provokes the writer to awe and wonder. He proclaims, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
What is true for this psalmist is true for each human being. Each is fashioned by God and known by him and we can proclaim on behalf of each, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
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PRAYER
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Gracious God, help us to appreciate the wonder and beauty of Your creation. Help us proclaim on behalf of every one of our fellow human beings, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” May the knowledge that we are intimately known by You shape our lives and actions. Amen.
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PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
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To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:
http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2009day31print.pdf
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For Life,
David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:23 am
Lwt us all pray for an end to abortion.
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:16 am
Amen to all my brothers & sisters out there doing what you are doing, God Bless all of you and may your prayers not go unanswered.
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:19 am
What seems like an insurmountable obstacle is POSSIBLE with God. Keep praying…so will I. My heart is full with the knowledge of what 40 Days for Life is doing. God bless!
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:21 am
Very inspiring!! Great job. It helps us to keep us going inspite of difficulty in getting volunteers to keep the vigil open slots.
We saved one baby.
One guy asked one volunteer to help him pray to aeve his baby.
He wanted to keep the baby but he cannot stop the girlfriend. lo and behold after praying together the girlfriend came out and changed her mind.
God bless.
Lita
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:28 am
Praying everyday for those who are out there on the streets praying… some weather here in Nebraska has made me not stop thinking of our people praying on the sidewalks — cold, wet, very challenging as I have prayer walked the streets here in Kearney… “Jesus, I plead Your blood over my sins and the sins of my nation. God, end abortion and send revival to America.” And, a special “Thank You” to all the students who prayed Tuesday in their schools… my son was so blessed to have 3 guys join him in prayer over the lunch time… and he was so excited to receive the report that 27 babies were saved, directly related to the testimonies of the prayers…. web site http://www.silentday.org/ God is awesome, great in power, rich in mercy.
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, WITH A SEVEN PERFECTION OF PROTECTION OF ALL IN PRO-LIFE FOR TODAY & INTO YOUR ETERNITY, ABBA FATHER, AMEN.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:07 pm
It is special to pray with our brothers and sisters at the abortion clinics. They come from all over the city and all denominations. It helps me to feel supported in our efforts to end abortion. Thank the Lord for all those who are participating as we continue to support one another in Christ’s name, Amen!
October 23rd, 2009 at 3:29 pm
I am so happy to see the pictures of people coming together to save the unborn. Thank you and God bless you. I was blown away by many of the photos. I felt so many emotions, thank you. You are beautiful I have nothing but love for you all.
And I love the Jesus t-shirt that says, live pure, love pure, heart pure that was shown on the day 31 slide show. I searched for one and was unsuccessful. So I’d love to find one or a picture, etc. Keep up the good work. God’s love and peace to us all. Tranquillo. Love, Kathy
October 23rd, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Thanks for posting this – it is very encouraging to see progress being made and babies being saved from abortion.. May the Lord bless you as you continue to pray and work for an end to abortion.
I will keep this intention in my Rosary and other prayers, and especially the Saturday EWTN Rosary for Life.
Love & Blessings in Christ,
Patty Theresa McDermott, SFO
October 23rd, 2009 at 5:47 pm
I have asked everybody at Saint Claire of Assisi to Pray for everyone who is involved in the Forty Days For Life.May God Bless all our Christian brothers and sisters.Carlos from Phoenix Az
October 23rd, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Thank you David, Ed Martin, Chris Slattery, Fr Groeschel, all of you are praying, fasting, witnessing, organizing, speaking up for the little ones, all who have made such tremendous efforts during this 40 Days For Life. My keyboard is drowning in my response–you have filled my heart with joy! I so want EVERY person to experience the profound blessings of this campaign! God’s sweetness is beyond words!
joanne/RI
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Life is precious and God offers it as His Gift to us, but we as his servants must serve God by protecting the littlest one’s whom have no voice to fully reject the evil of abortion. May God continue to bless, strenghten all who hear His call to shed light on this evil.
October 23rd, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Today was one of the happiest days in all my life!!!. I was praying outside The Parenthood Clinic (Houston, Tx) when 3 women came out of the clinic and one of them was crying. The first thought I had was that she had made an abortion, but when they were about to drive away, they rolled the window down and one of them said, ” She didn’t do it.” At that moment my heart was filled with joy and was beating so hard!!!and I thanked God that she didn’t do it. It made me very happy to actually witness it and to see that all our prayers are making a difference! It is my third participation with “40 Days for Life” and I am really happy to share it with you all!.
Please pray for her and her family!! she chose life!!!
October 23rd, 2009 at 9:20 pm
I regularly check this site and view the videos which are so revealing. The love of God pours out in each and everyone of your prayers. How great is the power of God! You are all messengers sent to proclaim the sanctity of human life to those blinded by false information. We have no idea of how many people this 40 days of prayer are affecting. The diminishing of aborted babies and the peace of those mothers who dare to protect their lives is amazingly God’s work of mercy and forgiveness. When we dare to do God’s work, He is there to bless us and to give us the courage to carry on. This is an outstanding project for the world to hear about.
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Thank-you Holy Spirit for David’s heart –always ready to receive your grace of wisdom. It is through your infinite goodness that he is in full armor ready to do battle with 40 Days for Life.
I will continue to pray for his leadership. Blessing and thanks to everyone he has inspired.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:49 am
Today as we were praying outside Planned Parenthood
three of the aborsinists came to start their day “at work”
one of them gave us a very ugly look.
I think we are getting in their nerves and I like it
let us pray for him, may God change his heart.
October 24th, 2009 at 3:22 am
It is so inspiring to see Fr. Groeschel @ 40 Days! God bless him! Thank you for posting!
October 24th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Oh my! That was the clinic I was at 17 years ago! Oh, how I wish you would have been there when I went in on that dreadful June 30th 1992. Praise God for his grace and mercy. I am training to lead post abortive women through a Bible study! God is so good. He is so a God of second chances. Thank you all for being brave enough to do the work you do,
Amy
October 24th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
It is so encouraging to see souls standing in the gap for the unborn!!!!!!
Praise God!