DAY 39
DAY 39
Today, record numbers of believers across our nation are taking to the streets and sidewalks of their towns, holding coordinated prayer vigils outside of Planned Parenthood centers and other abortion facilities.
Tomorrow, the 40 Days for Life campaign draws to a close, with events and celebrations in many cities.
So where do we go from here?
The abortion industry believes that we are going to simply fade away. They fully expect us to settle back into complacency, leaving them free to continue their deadly business without hindrance.
After all of the miracles we’ve seen God accomplish throughout 40 Days for Life, are we going to allow that to happen?
Last night I spoke to a large gathering of enthusiastic 40 Days for Life participants from across the state of Washington in their capital, Olympia, and I addressed that exact question.
The intensity in the room was electrifying.
I want you to take a few minutes — right now, or before 40 Days for Life ends tomorrow — to listen to the audio recording of that event:
Listen online (click “Play” button):
Download MP3 (right-click to save to your computer):
http://www.40daysforlife.com/blog/audio/washington.mp3
You’ll hear inspiring stories of some of the local heroes of 40 Days for Life…
…You’ll learn about many of the amazing victories God has accomplished during this initiative — including some that have never been publicly shared before…
…And you’ll have an opportunity to prayerfully discern how God can use YOU to make a lifesaving impact on days 41 and beyond.
Even if you’ve never done anything else I’ve ever asked, please listen to this recording as a personal favor for me today.
Many, many pro-life leaders around the country have shared with me their belief that 40 Days for Life is just the tip of the iceberg, and that America is about to experience a revolutionary breakthrough for life.
I completely agree.
I have never been more hopeful about the future than I am today, and I truly believe the seeds that have been planted during 40 Days for Life will lead to tremendous revival across our land.
And I am deeply honored — and humbled — to be working side-by-side with you in this vital cause.
Thank you for taking this amazing journey with me.
Here’s your daily devotional by Fr. Frank Pavone…
INTENTION:
Pray for those who work in the abortion industry, and for those who have repented of committing abortions and have resolved to defend life.
SCRIPTURE:
Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. — Luke 23:46-48
REFLECTION:
“The Centurion who stood at the foot of the cross of Christ suddenly became horrified at the crucifixion he was ordered to carry out. When Christ died, this Centurion dropped his sword and fell to his knees exclaiming, ‘Surely, this was an innocent man!’
“Those of us who have participated in the killing of unborn children are the Centurions of today. We have dropped our swords against the unborn child. Now we must recognize the depth of our guilt and deal with the ramifications…To revitalize our humanity we need to forgive and be forgiven, to reconcile and be healed.”
These words come from a brochure of the “Society of Centurions,” an organization for former abortion providers. These words convey in a beautiful and moving way what is happening across the nation as hundreds of abortionists and their staff experience repentance, conversion, and healing.
The former abortionists you may already know -– like Bernard Nathanson, Carol Everett, and Tony Levatino –- are only the “tip of the iceberg.” There are so many others, and more continue to come to the light of Christ each day.
Priests for Life, which operates the world’s largest abortion recovery program, Rachel’s Vineyard, likewise assists former abortionists in their journey of repentance.
I (Fr. Frank) will never forget sitting with a group of these men and women for a period of several days one Holy Week, and listening to them resolve that when they got back home, they would attempt to contact every woman on whom they had ever performed an abortion, and apologize to her.
I also heard them tell of how, after their conversion, they would dedicate each passing day to another of the children they had killed. They would name those children, write them letters, and pray a profound prayer of apology.
How does this conversion begin?
My experience confirms what Dr. Philip Ney has also found. He writes, “The factors that changed their opinion on performing abortions, in the following order of frequency, were: evidence of the infant’s humanity, a spiritual experience, personal distress, evidence of the mother’s distress, scientific articles, being accepted as a person, a personal relationship with a pro-lifer, pro-life pickets. For most…there was more than one factor” (The Centurion’s Pathway, p. 77).
The journey is not easy. There is so much pain and guilt to deal with and so many rationalizations to undo that the Centurion will be tempted to say, “Everything is OK now; Jesus has healed me, and I’m just going to forget the past.”
But the Jesus who heals us calls us to face the truth of what we’ve done, make restitution where possible, and engage in the hard work of mending relationships.
Let’s pray for the Centurions, and may their numbers increase!
PRAYER:
Lord, we thank you for those who have repented of committing abortions and have resolved to defend life.
We too repent and resolve.
We repent of every instance in which fear has made us silent when we should have spoken.
We repent of the ongoing bloodshed in our land, and for thinking that we can deprive the unborn of protection but keep it for ourselves.
We resolve that we will work more generously to advance your Kingdom.
We resolve that we will advance the cause of righteous candidates for public office, and that we will be more afraid of offending you by our silence than of offending others by our speech.
We resolve that we will serve you faithfully in the pro-life cause all the days of our lives, and proclaim your name to the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord, AMEN.
November 3rd, 2007 at 6:59 pm
AMEN AMEN!
November 3rd, 2007 at 7:31 pm
Hi David,
Thank you so much for your marvelous leadership, drive, commitment and
hardwork. It has truly been inspiring.
Here on the homefront of Ft. Ashby, WV, my meager participation has been
prayer, fasting and using the internet and writing a few letters to particular
people from my standpoint as a post abortive woman.
Based on the map provided, WV has only one abortion facility, I learned.
I will to follow the Lord to pray for it’s closure.
I believe abortion will end in America. David, I am sure it will. The question is how will the Lord do it. Will we repent and receive His mercy, or will
God do it in His wrath? We serve a Mighty God, David. I stand in fear of the Lord.
Blessings to you and your family and the continuing efforts.
Patricia E. Marseglia
November 3rd, 2007 at 7:51 pm
It is hard to believe that day 40 is tomorrow….I have been quite emotional these past 40 days, and I’m afraid now that the days are over…..I will do my bit, but will it be enough? I don’t know. Doing a physical deed is so much easier than putting trust in The Lord….HE has done great things these 40 days….I know I need to do more, but what? I don’t know yet. My physical staus is not as good as it was long ago.
Over 50+ years ago, my baby (3months) was flushed down a toilet by a young Navy corpsman. I’m sure he did not know what he was doing, after he told me it wasn’t a baby only a bunch of tissue and blood…I had gone to the hospital for help. Instead, I could not stop his awful deed..It was only during these 40 days, that I finally had courage to tell my husband and others what really happened, way back 50 + years….If I held that as guilt, what suffering other women must be going through who delberately had an abortion.
I personally feel that these past 40 days should only be considered as The 1st Annual Nationwide 40 Days Against Abortion…….David, can we look forward to the 2nd Annual Nationwide 40 days Against Abortion?
God Bless you David for answering HIS invitation. Bless your wife and children for being willing followers.
May God Bless us each and all.
November 3rd, 2007 at 8:09 pm
May God Bless everyone for their sacrifice given for the 40 Days for Life.
Our chance to be His hands, feet and mouth to save the babies and their mothers from the terrible action of the hands of the abortionists and their employees. As Jesus said, “Father forgive them they know not what they are doing”. Praise be to God, now and forever. Amen.
November 3rd, 2007 at 8:20 pm
Dear David:
You and your family have certainly been very blessed in being chosen to be the leader of this wonderful challenging endeavor to change the world in giving a voice to the precious unborn and their families.
I will continue to pray for the end to abortion in the whole world, one abortion mill at a time. Praise God.
November 3rd, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Dear All
Thank you for all you’ve done these past 39 days. I thank God for you and everyone else that is giving their everything for an end to this travesty. I myself became involved with Right to Life for the first time because of a message from a freind who heard of your effort. Now I know that it cannot stop after 40 days. It must continue forever until abortion is stopped and Jesus is once again the Lord of Life. When once and forever we Americans realize that We are the People and the politicians who support the killing of Innocent lives are not elected ever again
I Promise not to stand by anymore. Prayer has changed my life and i will defend anyway I can the unalienable Right to Life of All Americans
God Bless America
Abortion Will End in The United States and I am going to be part of the effort……So Help Me God
Patrick M Gohl
November 3rd, 2007 at 9:20 pm
thank you David for all your hard work and also all the others.
Today at Planned Parenthood several people stopped by to pray awhile. some had small children and another Mother had her teenagers with her.
May God hear our prayers and soon abortions will be no more.
God Bless,
Marian
November 3rd, 2007 at 10:09 pm
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
November 4th, 2007 at 1:49 am
Dear David,
I thank you and your family for all you’ve done for the honor and glory of God. I believe it all started with an answer, and that answer was “yes.” Just as our Blessed Mother said “yes” in one moment in history, and change had begun, we, as children of God, are called to say “yes.” It is only then that change can begin. I continue to pray to God, through His holy son, Our Lord, for His continued mercy and gift of time as change unfolds in this “mixed up” land when it comes to abortion, because God, in all His understanding, knows the human condition. God Bless you, your family, and all the 40 days for life intentions.
November 4th, 2007 at 2:42 am
Thank you for your efforts. I have been interested in pro-life activities, but haven’t known of any organized efforts in my area. You have helped with this. Today, my husband and our four children went to our Planned Parenthood building in Salem, OR for the first time, and prayed for an hour, while walking around the building. It was a beautiful thing to see my 2 eight year olds, and my seven year old sending up prayers as well. One hour. It wasn’t much, but its a start. Thank you for your hard work, and encouragement. I just finished listening to the audio from Olympia WA. Keep up the good work.
May God bless you,
Karmyn
November 4th, 2007 at 9:06 am
Dear David,
Thanks for all you do, for the unborn. I just found out about this 40 days for life, I say the rosary everyday, I asked the Lord to transport me there in spirit, at the abortion centers, in my state. Warrensburg NY is the closes to me. I have been reading all the things on your have on this web sight, I just wish I could do more. God Bless you all.
November 4th, 2007 at 9:49 am
Dear David,
Please let’s do it again. Consider beginning 1/2/08, so that we can gather steam leading up to the march on the capitol. Then, we could do it again for Lent.
God bless you and all you do!
November 4th, 2007 at 10:06 am
The 40 days for life project was a great success here, at our PP in Warminster, PA. I’m not sure how many babies were saved, but a lot more people came out to pray. I signed up for an hour when my parish took a day, and stop by when I can. I’m not sure what the next step is, but I definitly want to do more.
November 4th, 2007 at 10:33 am
Dear David,
On behalf of all of us who labor in the pro-life arena, I want to say thank you. I am the Executive Director of an organization that has 5 pregnancy resource centers in a high impact abortion community. Your work is so encouraging. We know that prayer is the answer because the battle is a spiritual one. I listened to the broadcast today and just wept for joy as you told the stories of people all across this country, standing together in prayer. Thank you for your work on behalf of the women and unborn children in our nation. May God continue to bless your efforts…may God continue to wake up His Church.
November 4th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
Dear David,
I listened to the recording on Nov. 4. I feel speechless with awe, admiration, hope. love, prayer power, faith and every emotion that can take us forward in the strugle to save the babies and this country. I heard a sermon today about using our God given talents. David, you have a God given talent, and YOU ARE USING IT. Thank you so much for all that you are doing and will do in the future. My prayers are with you, your family and all who are working for the cause. May God continue to bless us all.
November 4th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I will continue to be present weekly at the Hebron site to give testimony for the need to follow Christ and his teachings by decrying abortion at every level.
David, Andrea and Katherine, I thank you for your leadership and conviction for such a worthy cause.
November 4th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Dear David,
I thank God for you and your family, God is allowing you to work for the Kingdom in a very special way. I listened to the audio and was so touched. Thank you and God bless.
November 4th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
The Word of the Lord:
Psalm 11:3
When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do ?”
_________________________________________
David, I want to thank you and your family for leading this 40 Days for Life effort.
It has given me renewed strength and faith that my prayers are joined with others of like mind and spirit. I know that God hears and answers the prayers of His children. I know that God forgives and God heals because He has done so in my life. I also know that He will do the same for others that will trust and obey Him. The decieved as well as the deciever can both come to Christ and receive forgiveness and healing.
My prayer is that those of us that are pro-life would not only continue to fast and pray for the end of abortion but that we would refuse to cast a vote for any candidate that is supportive of this assault on the lives of our unborn children.
The very foundation of our society is being destroyed by this barbaric practice.
No one should have the choice to kill a defenseless unborn child. Once we are desensitized to killing the unborn will the next step be to give the legal decision to the experts in the field of medicine; or worse will the politicians decide which children live and which ones die?
Where will it end if now here and not now?
Let us all pray that this is not the end of 40 Days for Life but rather the beginning of the end of abortion in our nation. Let us pray that it is the end of politicians that would sacrifice the life of a child to further their political or economical success and deguise it as a womans choice.
I for one am quite weary of hearing politicians fight over medical benefits for the child on one hand and then on the other hand giving billions of dollars of tax payers money to organizations like Planned Parenthood to kill the unborn child. Women are being scarred emotionally and mentally for life by this tragedy in our society.
Admittedly most of the political acumen coming out of Washington D.C. escapes; but one thing I do understand. I know first hand the pain and destruction of the aftermath of abortion. It is a wound that goes to the depth of a women’s soul and effects every aspect of her life negatively. It is a wound that only God can heal.
What would our society be like if we spent the money given to organizations like Planned Parenthood to educate and protect women and children by teaching them how to make healthy choices that lead to a better life before they were faced with the decision of whether or not their child could live.
The campaign crys that I would like to hear in 2008 is “Stop Destroying Our Foundations” and “Save Our Children from Abortion”.
In God We Trust? If it be so, let the righteous rise up and say with their vote “Stop Abortions in America”!
God does His work on earth through us.
Let us continue to pray and fast. Let us also make our voices heard at the polls when we join together and vote in favor of protecting the life that God has created!
God Bless you and your family David and—
God Bless America!
November 4th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
May you feel a torrent of blessings from God, Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit for you and your family and may the biggest one be a miracle of many children saved. Again, God bless you all, Anna
November 4th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
Hi David,
I know you must be very tired, but still lifted by what God has done through in partnership with the 40 Days for Life results. My story is that of being convicted, much like you were back in 2001. The latest conviction is part of my journey from being a quiet pro-life backer, to helping some crisis pregnancy centers financially. Then this past summer I spent a week in Joliet, IL visiting churches to encourage them to support the local pregnancy center, which was going through its own crisis in having to relocate. Now that, I’m back home in Texas I will continue working with another pregnancy center. But the 40 Days for Life campaign pushed me over the edge on this past Saturday, when I was in front of an abortion mill for the first time in my life in McAllen, TX. I met some wonderful pro-life people who have been before that facility since last July, but I see where they need greater help to cover all the hours that clinic is open at least on the days the abortionist is in to do his bloody work. The organizer, who I met for the first time, asked me to be a recruiter of older retired people who will be committed to standing in the gap before that clinic. Who knows what God may do in the days ahead. My hope is that God will not just encourage us to continue on, but push us, including me to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. Herb Moering
November 4th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Dear David and Family,
Today is day 40. It has been incredible. The power of prayer and unity has delivered 65 saves at the abortion mill in Charleston, SC. All praise and thanksgiving to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, the blessed Trinity. The prayer vigil today did not end the hope for the protection of human life but generated a sincere commitment to continue in even greater numbers and strategy as David against Goliath. We will defeat the evil of abortion, it’s death and destruction with love, gentleness, kindness, hard work, and by the great mercy of God.
Many blessings to you, your family, and all our faithful brothers and sisters in this most important work of love to protect humanity.
November 5th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Mr. Bereit,
It has been so amazing to participate in 40 Days for Life. I for one am not calling it quits just because the 40 Days are over. My mom and I will hopefully be able to go to Washington for the March for Life this winter!
Thanks so much for letting the Holy Spirit work so powerfully in your life. And thanks for encouraging me to listen to the audio recording of the closing event. It rekindled my dedication and hope that the end of abortion in America is near!
November 5th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
May God bless you and your family and all of you who have devoted so much time in the 40 Days for Life.
I thank you so much for all your e-mail to let me know the success of
the project.
Eternal God , in who mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion
inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in
difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but
with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love
and Mercy itself. Amen
November 7th, 2007 at 10:35 am
I only learned about the 40 Days for Life campaign after it was almost half over. I was very moved by what I was reading was going on all over the country. Unfortunately I was unable to make a personal presence at any of the clinics, but I have been praying daily for an end to abortion and for the closing of abortion clinics, and I will continue to do so.
I read daily in your emails about the volunteers saying the rosary. I hope you have all heard about the “Rosary of the Unborn” and are using it. If not, it is a rosary that was given to a visionary in Ohio by the Blessed Mother. This rosary comes with a promise from the Blessed Mother that while using the rosary, every Hail Mary said on it will save the life of one unborn child. Imagine the numbers of babies being saved just by saving the rosary! It is a beautiful rosary that has the beads shaped like tears (tears of the Blessed Mother for her children who have been aborted), with tiny fetuses inside.
This rosary is available through http://www.holylove.org. Go into the site, hit Enter, then pick Ministry & Shrine, then Gift Shop to learn how to purchase this rosary. It is my prayer that many of you will take the time to look into this website and purchase the rosary if you don’t already have it.
God bless you all for all of your efforts.