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Day 29 - March 21

Intention:

We pray for the grace to be strong when others ridicule or oppose us.

Scripture:

Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

--Luke 14:27

Reflection:

To stand up for what is right means we stand against what is wrong, and that means that those who love what is wrong will oppose us, just as they opposed Christ. Taking up the cross means we continue speaking and standing for the right even when that opposition comes.

We experience this, in particular, when we are out on the streets, where people are not expecting the pro-life message and where they did not go to hear it.

We must remember to never take the opposition personally. When people ridicule or yell at us, we might get a guilty feeling or be tempted to think we did something wrong. We did not. The insults are not being hurled at us personally, but rather at the truth of what we are standing for, and at the demands of the moral law.

There are many who are trying to run away from those demands, or who have managed to tuck the abortion problem away into a distant corner of their minds where it can no longer disturb them. By standing publicly for the cause of life, we have short-circuited that denial and frustrated those efforts to ignore the issue. Therefore, some will be angry, perhaps not fully realizing why.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for the grace of being pro-life, and of standing strong when others may ridicule or oppose me. During this 40 Day campaign, may your peace fill my soul, especially when I may endure the opposition of others, and may I become more like your crucified and risen Son. Amen.

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life and President, National Pro-life Religious Council

A few days ago I mentioned that this is the time
during the 40 Days for Life campaign where we see
abortion workers’ hearts begin to change ...

... and now we know of employees who are leaving the
abortion industry.

In fact, there have been FIVE of them!

I can’t disclose the campaigns — I’m told there are
others who are also considering leaving, and any
publicity could only add to the pressure these people
are currently facing.

One abortion worker met prayer volunteers at the
40 Days for Life vigil outside and said with a smile:
“This is my last day in this hell hole!”

It is not a cliche to say that ending abortion is
about hearts and minds — it’s a reality. Praise God
for these victories ... and keep praying for all
abortion center workers.

BABIES SAVED!

Here’s another story where for privacy reasons, I
can’t give you the location. But we know of a woman
who visited an abortion center to set up an appointment.
40 Days for Life volunteers in the public right-of-way
outside prayed for her as she walked into the building.

Inside the abortion facility, she was given an
ultrasound exam. When a staff member saw the image,
she suggested that the woman NOT have an abortion.

Yes, that’s right. The person who performed the exam
recommended AGAINST an abortion ... because the
ultrasound clearly showed TWINS.

The mother’s next stop was a pro-life pregnancy center.
She still needs prayer — the twins’ father remains
set on abortion. And of course, please pray for that
employee as well.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND

The 40 Days for Life team in Birmingham marked the
middle of the campaign with a Walk for Life through
the streets of the city.

“It was the first time such an event had ever been
organised in this city and we were overjoyed by the
response we received,” said Aline in Birmingham.
“There was a crowd of about a hundred people, some of
whom came from a distance to witness to life in a town
which hosts two abortion centres, one of which is one
of the biggest in Europe.”

The day started with rain, a temperature around
freezing — and heavier rain in the forecast. “As we
always do when things are beyond our control, we left
it all in God’s hands and once again, the sun broke out
just a couple of minutes before we set off,” she said.

Shoppers were amazed at the sight of people walking,
praying, singing hymns. Many people took pictures. And,
Aline said, “there was no sign of hostility.”

The event ended with two minutes of silence in memory
of the 7 million children aborted since Britain
legalized abortion in 1967.

“Finally, as if to show us that the sunshine was all of
God’s making, the rain poured down on us afterwards and
there were even hailstones.” All in all, Aline said,
“what we saw was very encouraging.”

For photos of the Birmingham campaign in England, please
go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3010