40 Days for Life campaign is now under way (February 25 - April 5]

40Daysfor Life.com ^ | n/a | 40Daysfor Life.com

[Salvation]

40 Days for Life campaign is now under way!

More than 130 communities in the United States, Canada, Australia and Northern Ireland are hosting 40 Days for Life events through April 5. Please check out the complete list ... and today's devotional.

40 Days for Life consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion, 40 days of constant, peaceful vigil outside abortion centers and Planned Parenthood offices and 40 days of active pro-life community outreach.

Here are a few of the ways you can participate:

• Use the box at the top right to get daily updates

 

Thanks! May God bless you abundantly!

 

Excitement high for this spring's 40 Days for Life campaign

The pro-life movement is gaining momentum! At national, state and local events, large crowds have been reported at Roe v. Wade memorial events and we’ve been getting reports from across the country about a heightened level of enthusiasm for the current 40 Days for Life campaign.

At one of those events, in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, spring campaign director Shawn Carney spoke to more than 1,800 faithful people who came out to remember the 50 million lives lost to abortion — and to celebrate the accomplishments of 40 Days for Life locally and nationally. The entire 26-minute talk was recorded.

Listen to the audio online (click arrow to start audio):

Download MP3 (right-click to save file to your computer):

http://www.40daysforlife.com/blog/audio/ftwayne.mp3

 

[MountainFlower]

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DAY 15 INTENTION
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Pray that we will not become defeated by the enemy's attacks but rather call on the name of the Lord who is on our side and our help in time of trouble.

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SCRIPTURE
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What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us? They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger.

Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart! Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

-- Psalm 124:2,3,6,8

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REFLECTION by Carmen Pate, Point of View
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The enemy attacks in many ways, but one of his favorites is to slander us with hopes of tarnishing our reputation and character, and ultimately to defeat our good work for the Lord.

It is interesting to note however that it is usually not the slander that causes harm to our testimony, but our response to the slander.

Proverbs 24:10 says, "If you faint in the day of adversity your strength is small."

If we are applying God's truths to our lives moment by moment, we are not swayed by the lies of the enemy and we will be strong. Standing on the front lines, armed with God's truth, places you in the battlefield for the mind.

As you are prepared to present words of love, for the sake of the unborn and for the distraught and confused women and men who are entering the abortion facilities, know that the enemy has prepared his forces to attack your mind.

Unkind words from a protester, or vicious lies in the local paper about who you are and what your mission is, can indeed be hurtful.

But rather than give in to defeat, that is the time to shine for the Lord, standing firm, as you call on Him to defeat the enemy.

Remember the words of Romans 8:31,"If God is for us, who can be against us?"Let's stand strong for those who need us most.

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PRAYER
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Dear Lord, help us to ignore the verbal attacks of the enemy and instead turn to You, our refuge and strength.

Help us to find shelter in the blessed promises and provisions of Your Word.

Thank you that no enemy can defeat us, and we praise You knowing that nothing can separate us from Your love. In the name of Jesus, we come to You, Amen.

[Salvation]

Reflection.

Deny
oneself
Carry
one's cross
To follow
Jesus Christ

If you are ashamed of the Cross of Jesus Christ
he will be ashamed of you before his Father

Love
the Cross
Desire:
crosses
contempt
pain
abuse
insults
disgrace
persecution
humiliations
calumnies
illness
injuries

May Jesus prevail
May his Cross prevail

Divine love
Humility
Submission
Patience
Obedience:
complete
prompt
joyful
blind
persevering

.....St. Louis de Montfort

[MountainFlower]

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DAY 16 INTENTION
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May the mystery of the Incarnation increase our zeal for defending life.

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SCRIPTURE
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Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

-- Luke 1:30-33

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REFLECTION by Randolph Sly
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"God has assumed Humanity, joining it with Divinity, and kindled in men's hearts new love of me." These words were written by a Roman poet in the Fourth Century. He spent his life finding ways to express the greatest mystery of the world: the incarnation, in which God became man.

The womb has been referred to as the "first home of the whole human race." It is the place where life begins, where our stories start.

In the womb the great men and women of history began their magnificent march through life.

In the womb Divinity met humanity, and God the Son was born into the world.

As one of the Fathers of the early church, St. Leo the Great, declared, "Within her spotless womb Wisdom built itself a house and the Word became flesh."

Recently, I was at the hospital for the birth of my fourth grandchild. Looking through the nursery window at the rows of newly born babies, I began to think of the great stories that would be written about these tiny lives.

During his visitation with the Virgin Mary, the angel prophesied to Mary about the life of her child. Here in this hospital, I pondered, what would he say about each of these?

Would they meet the one who also came from His mother's womb to redeem the world and kindle our hearts afresh for God?

I thanked God for each baby alive and prayed for each story yet to be written.

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PRAYER
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Heavenly Father, you have made the womb of each woman a very special place.

Help us to hold fast to the sanctity of this first home of humanity, remembering the wonderful mystery, that God inhabited the womb of a young woman and came forth as the savior and deliverer of the world.

We ask this in the Name of the one who came forth, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

[MountainFlower]

#62 is beautiful! TY for posting it!

[Salvation]

In the Cathedral of Lubeck in Germany is a Lenten Monitory which may be taken as God's answer to such blasphemy:

Ye call Me Master, and obey Me not:
Ye call Me Light, and see Me not;
Ye call Me Way, and walk Me not;
Ye call Me Life, and desire Me not;
Ye call Me Wise, and follow Me not:
Ye call Me Fair, and love Me not;
Ye call Me Rich, and ask Me not:
Ye call Me Eternal, and seek Me not;
Ye call Me Gracious, and trust Me not;
Ye call Me Noble, and serve Me not;
Ye call Me God, and fear Me not;
If I condemn you—blame Me not. Amen

Excerpted from Message of the Gospels

[Salvation]

Most welcome, FRiend.

[MountainFlower]

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DAY 17 INTENTION
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Pray that we choose to trust God to bring an end to abortion soon, no matter how impossible that may seem to others.

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SCRIPTURE
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The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.

He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.

He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign Lord, you alone know."

-- Ezekiel 37:1-3

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REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life
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You and I are standing in a world today over a field of dry bones: those who have been killed by abortion, those who have been killed by so many other things attacking the dignity of human life. And God has placed us here; we find ourselves here in the midst of this incredible tragedy.

Like Ezekiel, you and I are in a dilemma because God says to us: "Speak and proclaim the Word of Life. Keep doing it. Let nothing deter you."

People can say, "This is humanly foolish, humanly impossible. How can we transform the world from the path of death that it's on?"

Yet we choose to do the "foolish" thing rather than the dangerous thing.

If you ever doubt that we can bring an end to this culture of death, this destruction of the family, this destruction of life by abortion, if you ever think for a moment that it's impossible, then ask yourself this: Can a man who has been scourged, crowned with thorns, nailed hands and feet to a cross, pierced with a lance, has died and been buried; can such a man ever live again?

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PRAYER
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Lord, I thank you for giving me the holy dilemma of having to choose between the foolish thing or the dangerous thing.

Yet for me the solution is clear.

Lord, I will obey you, even if it means aiming for a goal which, in the eyes of others, seems foolish.

I will obey you, and will hope for the end of abortion soon, no matter how impossible that may seem to others. I dare not mistrust you; I dare not doubt your power; I dare not fail to follow your call. In you, who raise the dead, all hope comes alive. Amen.

[MountainFlower]

In January of 2007 I lost my job. God called me at that moment to another job, praying in front of PP Mon-Sat mornings, for nearly a year. The amount of time I was there varied. During the -27 degrees the most I could handle was 20 minutes. During the other seasons, there were days where I was there for hours before I felt the HS release me from the need for my praying presence there.

Sometimes God gives us signs of things. I noticed when I was praying on Saturdays in 2006, before this year call on my life, that the sidewalk in front of PP was quite new. Over the course of 2007 I often prayed walking back and forth on that sidewalk. Many others did the same. At the start of my 2007 vigil there grew to be a hairline crack in that new sidewalk. It grew in length through the middle of the sidewalk, almost all the way from the driveway to the end of the building, through that year. I noted in February of this year (2009) when I was there with the Bishop and a group of others praying, that the fine hairline crack has now grown to a wide crack and upheaving of the ground. There is no mistaking the change! Over the past few years, the feet of prayer warriors that have tread that sidewalk have impacted it. To me, it signifies the cracking of the foundation of PP. I want to encourage everyone. Though our prayers may not show visible evidence of change, the change is happening. Never lose hope! Never give up! Ours is a faithful God to carry out and perform His Word!!

[Salvation]

40 Days for Life Organizers Say Silent No More, Post-Abortion Day a Success

[MountainFlower]

Thank you for the link!! Blessings!

[MountainFlower]

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DAY 18 INTENTION
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May we absorb the truth that God is paying attention to us, and to each human life, personally and individually

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SCRIPTURE
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When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.

-- Psalm 8:3-9

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REFLECTION by Fr. Terry Gensemer
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How often we ignore the phrase, "stop and smell the roses" and instead submit to the all too "urgent" task at hand.

Is this tendency what keeps us, at least in part, from acknowledging that God's care for His sacred creation is paramount in His own mind?

The Psalmist speaks of God's handiwork: the heavens, the work of his "fingers," and then points to God's masterpiece -- human life. He declares to us that God is mindful of us. God keeps His masterpiece in His thoughts.

God, the creator of the awe-inspiring heavens, is not distracted by the tasks before Him. He is not pulled away, as we might be, by thoughts of something "more important."

God is paying attention to and attending to His crowning glory, His masterpiece of creation, which cannot be duplicated or replaced, which surpasses the beauty of all other created things -- the human being.

There is no way to adequately describe how God feels about us as human beings. There are no words to fully portray His love, compassion or desire to be in communion with us.

Perhaps, the closest we can come, is to contemplate the thoughts of a mother as she gazes for the first time at her newborn child.

God cares for Life. We, as His followers, should take time to consider the life He has created and called upon us to love and protect.

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PRAYER
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Lord, you are the creator of all things. Guide my thoughts to consider your creation in all of its majesty, beauty and holiness. Guide my heart especially to your creation of precious human life.

Help me to comprehend how essential life is in your own heart. Teach me to appreciate, love and protect all human life through your son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[MHGinTN]

“There is no way to adequately describe how God feels about us as human beings.” But, there is something so astonishing that shows it ... He died for us; to make us whole in His plan, He arose from the dead to proclaim our freedom from the wages of sin nature!

[Salvation]

Prayer to End Abortion

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.

I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death
by the Resurrection of Your Son.

I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Today I commit myself
Never to be silent,
Never to be passive,
Never to be forgetful of the unborn.

I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,
And never to stop defending life
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
And our nation once again becomes
A nation with liberty and justice
Not just for some, but for all.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen!

[MountainFlower]

AMEN, MHG! TY for posting.

[MountainFlower]

Amen!! If all the people who 'talked' the talk actually got active, what followed it would be amazing!

Father, waken your children. Shake them from their complacency into activity, constructive activity, to bring an end to killing of the unborn. Raise them up. Lay the burden on their hearts so they can no longer sit back and do nothing. Give them Your leading, Your wisdom and guidance, cause them to hear Your voice instructing them on what to do. Give them the boldness to carry through. Protect all of Your children who are active in the Pro-Life movement from any plans the enemy has for harm or destruction, causing those plans to fall to the ground null, void and powerless to be carried out. In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

[MountainFlower]

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DAY 19 INTENTION
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Pray that when those representing Planned Parenthood and other abortion groups see volunteers for 40 Days for Life, they see ambassadors of Christ, and may each volunteer be consciously aware at all times of Whom we represent.

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SCRIPTURE
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I...beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness, and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.

-- Ephesians 4:1b-2

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REFLECTION
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When Carol Everett, a former abortionist and post-abortive woman, was asked what turned her heart from death to life in Christ, she said, "Unconditional love," shown by a man who prayed daily for her in front of the abortion clinic where she worked.

He told Carol that "God had sent him" because there was someone in there that God wanted out.

She left 27 days later and now serves as Christ's ambassador to help others.

We too have been sent by Christ as an ambassador to love unconditionally those God seeks to "get out" of their bondage and sin.

What a high calling it is -- much higher than any presidential appointment to another country.

In his book, Fishers of Men, Dr. Sumner Wemp describes what it means to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings:

* God has chosen us (John 15:16)
* We are sent into a world that is not our home (1 Peter 2:11)
* Our walk must match our talk (1 Timothy 3:7)
* We must abide in Him for daily instruction (John 15:5)
* Know our purpose -- to seek and to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10)
* We are to reconcile others to God with His authority (Matthew 28:19-20)
* Do not let kindness and truth leave you (Proverbs 3:3-4)
* Our service is to be grounded and rooted in love (Ephesians 3:17)

Pray that we each will walk worthy of the calling with which we were called!

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PRAYER
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Dear Heavenly Father, we are humbled that you have called us and appointed us to be ambassadors of Christ in a world that is not our home.

We pray that your Holy Spirit will empower us to walk worthy of the calling. We pray that Your unconditional love will flow through us to those who desperately need Your saving grace.

In the name of Christ who is worthy, Amen.

[Salvation]

[Pomona] College Buckles Under Public Pressure, Lifts Campus Ban On Pro-Life Students Who Videotaped Planned Parenthood Event

[MountainFlower]

thanks!

[MountainFlower]

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DAY 20 INTENTION
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We pray for humility in our work for God's Kingdom.

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SCRIPTURE
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Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

-- Philippians 2:5-8

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REFLECTION by Ernest Ohlhoff, National Right to Life
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There is no limit to what we can accomplish when we don't care who gets the credit.

Jesus Christ's life on earth exemplifies a total submission to the will of the Father. His humility, compassion, gentleness and thoughtfulness are reflected over and over again in the New Testament.

He was God incarnate, yet He chose to be born to a humble, working class home.

How absurd it must have seemed to the rich and powerful that the Son of God, the Messiah, the one foretold by the prophets, the 'King of the Jews' was born and raised as a simple peasant.

During His thirty-three years on earth, He sought no riches, claimed no secular power and gathered no possessions.

His short time on earth changed more lives, softened more hearts, and gave hope to more people, than all the rich and powerful human 'kings' combined.

And, at the end of His life on earth, by dying on the cross, He opened the door to eternal life for those who heed his words and follow in his footsteps.

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PRAYER
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O Lord, help us follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

Let us humbly and diligently work to restore legal protection for the unborn, the disabled, the medically dependent and all innocent children of God whose lives are threatened.

Let us remember the old adage that "He can never lead who has not first learned to obey."

And, Lord, grant us a peaceful heart as we labor in your name, Amen.

[Salvation]

Everyone Against Abortion, Raise Your Hand!