September 25, 2009
Today, I felt God urging me to walk to the vigil site. I told God I don't have time now, my lunch break is over. Later in the afternoon, there was a fire alarm in my office building. I exited my building, and as I had lost sight of my coworkers, I decided to go to the vigil site for five minutes just to pray.
I spotted two women protesters standing beside the door of 65 Bank Street on the other side of the security guard. I engaged them in conversation. I asked them if they were staff at the clinic. They said no. I also asked them individually if they had an abortion themselves. They said no. One of them actually had a baby as a young single woman and told me she was scorned by religious people over raising a child on her own. She argued basically that it is okay to kill a fetus or zygote, that it isn't a baby. I told her it is a baby from conception. She said that a tumour is alive, and the other woman nodded. I replied that a baby is a separate individual. She told me that no woman should be forced to be a walking incubator. She asked me if I would strap a woman down and force her to have a baby. I said no. She said my God tells me what to do, but she feels she can do whatever she wants. She said those people over there (meaning the 40 days for life vigillers) are upsetting woman and putting them to shame. She went into how homosexuals and others should be able to adopt. I told her that babies are dying here and these will not be adopted to anyone.
We had a civil discussion until the security guard came over and told them to take the conversation to another place, as it was upsetting the clients. One of the woman told me that goes for me also. At that point, we ended our conversation as she decided to stay in her spot right beside the door and remain silent. As I left and crossed the street, I gave a word of encouragement to the sole pro-lifer at the vigil. Praise God.
SG
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Many different projects characterize the life of God's people in Ottawa. One of those that is an extraordinary witness to Christians embracing a culture of life is witnessing to life publicly, outside most people's comfort zone.
One such occasion is the semi-annual "40 Days for Life" that we held in Ottawa earlier this year during Lent.
This fall Ottawa is holding another forty days of fasting, prayer and witnessing in an effort to reduce and eventually eliminate abortion. This will also be the case in other cities in Canada, the USA and, for the first time this year, in Denmark.
Because of other commitments I was not able to attend the launch of the "40 Days" (a biblically-rooted period for devotional practices) on Parliament Hill, with prayers led by Bruce Clemenger, head of the Evangelical Christian Fellowship of Canada, and other religious and lay leaders earlier this week. On October 13 at 7PM in St. Patrick's Basilica, I will celebrate Mass to mark the approximate mid-point of the "40 Days".
Yesterday afternoon, I took advantage of the bright sunny weather to walk over to the witness being held opposite the abortion facility on Bank Street, to pray with those silently praying there and to thank them for their witness to the sacredness of life in the womb.
(Source)
SG
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Many different projects characterize the life of God's people in Ottawa. One of those that is an extraordinary witness to Christians embracing a culture of life is witnessing to life publicly, outside most people's comfort zone.
One such occasion is the semi-annual "40 Days for Life" that we held in Ottawa earlier this year during Lent. This fall Ottawa is holding another forty days of fasting, prayer and witnessing in an effort to reduce and eventually eliminate abortion. This will also be the case in other cities in Canada, the USA and, for the first time this year, in Denmark.
Because of other commitments I was not able to attend the launch of the "40 Days" (a biblically-rooted period for devotional practices) on Parliament Hill, with prayers led by Bruce Clemenger, head of the Evangelical Christian Fellowship of Canada, and other religious and lay leaders earlier this week. On October 13 at 7PM in St. Patrick's Basilica, I will celebrate Mass to mark the approximate mid-point of the "40 Days".
Yesterday afternoon, I took advantage of the bright sunny weather to walk over to the witness being held opposite the abortion facility on Bank Street, to pray with those silently praying there and to thank them for their witness to the sacredness of life in the womb.
(Source)
Archbishop Terence Prendergast
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It was quite a day, with many occurrences, mostly ,because the pro-choice folk are attempting to distract our witness, with all kinds of silly tactics, such as attempts at standing in front of the other group who have been walking and praying Rosaries for 9 years, and then having someone of their group film these folk as they had to step outside the sidewalk boundary because of the pro-choicer who stepped in front of them and stood there, so they could," document "it and later call the police to lie yet once again about,- excuse me -yawn, yawn-being "obstructed".
Oh come on!! The enemy picks on those who don't see his tactics being to swift.
Anyway, I justsay, pray against all the spiritual forces out there of deception, in ANY form, bind it up in the authority of Jesus cast it back where it came from and for that matter- do the same thing for Any attempts of the evil one,and then pray and ask the Holy Spirit to come with HIS Truth, Wisdom, Power and Love. We ask for Our Blessed Mother Mary's intercession and of course pray the Rosary, and ask the help of all out Saints and Angels. (That is why we are so Blessed to be Catholic! Look how Our God equips us for Spiritual battle.)
We must put on the Armour of God, and pray many Rosaries. The Rosary as Padre Pio said is our weapon, of weapons!!!. We must trust God, and be not afraid or put off course at the tactics of the enemy to distract us from why we are there. I left the site at around 2:30p.m. and there were about 6 0r 7 different people who were there on our side of the street, during my time there, including Father CR, so sorry Father if I didn"t), which was really great to see because we need our Priests out there, as well as Doris our Faithful sidewalk counselors.
The police came by again, because of the calls made by the pro-choice folk, and I also heard one of them, saying quite loudly, to a young girl who they were attempting to recruit, Thanks! bring others we need volunteers."
So, go figure, they will probably continue to build their opposition, by means such as that. Truth is this should not instill fear, in God's Faithful. We need only remember David and Goliath. We must pray and Trust, Trust and Pray and of course remain in One Truth, One Love _HIM- and we WILL win this battle, one day at a time.
Thank You Blessed Holy Trinity, Iam truly nothing without You, and YOU, My Loving Father, Son and Holy Sprit are EVERYTHING!!!
In Him For Life,
Frances
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While walking in front of the abortuary Fri. morning my eyes caught a gentleman who was reading the sign as I walked toward him. After he passed me I turned to walk the other way and noticed him turn back and look at our sign that states " abortion clinic" and the arrow. In that moment I suddenly realized that he became aware of this facilty as to the every day persom walking on Bank St. you wouldn't know an abortion clinic existed there as the only visible sign is on the canopy over the door saying "Curves".
"Awareness" is the first step !!!!! Bbefore we can move or take an action, we must be made aware of what is going on- our presence @ 65 Bank is making others very aware that an abortuary exists here in Ottawa !!!!!God spoke in my heart that the baby in the womb on the sign I was carrying was connected to the abortion sign that he read. His facial expression( even from a distance) let me know that he was touched!! Keep on encouraging us John !!!!
- LJ
"Awareness" is the first step !!!!! Bbefore we can move or take an action, we must be made aware of what is going on- our presence @ 65 Bank is making others very aware that an abortuary exists here in Ottawa !!!!!God spoke in my heart that the baby in the womb on the sign I was carrying was connected to the abortion sign that he read. His facial expression( even from a distance) let me know that he was touched!! Keep on encouraging us John !!!!
- LJ
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I had an evening shift. As I arrived, a young man stopped to say that what we were doing was unchristian. I said “But Christianity teaches the right to life from conception to natural death.”He said that he was from an Evangelical background and that our actions were unchristian and that he was disgusted with us and that we were going to hell. His voice was assertive, but not exactly aggressive.
There were four of us praying, and three of us said the rosary out loud close to the street. A couple of ladies took a picture of the entrance to the abortion clinic. They kept to themselves so I never got to hear whether they agreed with us, but I thought maybe they were tourists.
While we were praying close to the street, a black car stopped and the passenger rolled down the window. We braced ourselves. I was so engrossed in preparing myself that I didn’t hear his first words, but then I heard him say something like “God bless you, pray to end abortion.” And the car drove away. We breathed a sigh of relief.
When we were almost finished our Rosary, the gentleman who was praying with me noticed that there appeared to be a red candle placed on the sidewalk with a flickering flame. It seemed to come out of nowhere, because we didn’t see anyone put it there. We couldn’t believe it. But we all concurred it looked like a candle, the kind you would place at a memorial. I said that we should do something because if there’s a flame someone might use it to start a fire and we would be blamed.
The gentleman went to investigate and it turned out to be a McDonald’s French fry box that was being swayed in the wind. The lighting and the reflections made it look exactly like a red votive candle from our vantage point. We had a good laugh and were amazed at how much it really did look like a burning candle. But we took it as a sign. The flame looked like that of a red tabernacle candle to me. God seemed to be saying that he was with us.
( I snapped a couple of pictures. They turned out blurry, so I re-sized them and sharpened them to make them less so. You can use them, or not. It’s tough taking pictures at night.)
Suzanne