We pray for the conversion of all those who refuse to acknowledge that human life belongs only to God.
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SCRIPTURE
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Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."
-- Jeremiah 1:4-5
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REFLECTION by Rev. J. Kirk van der Swaagh
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To be or not to be?
There is no question!
The question of "being" is something philosophers have long pondered.
What is the meaning of being and what is the source? In the passage before us, we have our answer.
We have being because we are known by God.
For God to declare that he knows and sets apart the prophet Jeremiah even before he is conceived indicates that our being rests in God's own being.
Because He is and because He wills we, therefore, are and do.
The Apostle Paul says as much when he declares before the philosophers of his day, "In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
One of the tragedies of the abortion culture is that life in the womb has been so heartbreakingly devalued.
To embrace the arguments of the "pro-choice" crowd one must conclude that the child in the womb doesn't exist, isn't there, has no being.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
That child is known by God and, as such, has being.
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PRAYER
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Lord God, we confess that in You we live and move and have our being.
Because You are, we are.
May we find grace from You to affirm the being of every human and may we labor to make this truth known to the world around us. Amen.
Commentary by Shawn Carney, Spring Campaign Director, 40 Days for Life
April 1, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - I won't tell you where this is happening, but there is a woman we know of who's pondering a career change.
An abortion center employee has been talking to the 40 Days for Life prayer volunteers outside of her workplace - and she wants out!
Her message was simple - she just couldn't take it any longer. It was time to look for a new job.
She asked the vigil participants to pray for her. She said she couldn't simply quit her job, because she needs the income. Her prayer request was that she be able to find a suitable position elsewhere so she could give her notice at the clinic.
She also said the prayers of the vigil participants have a definite impact at the clinic. "When there are prayers happening outside, she said the tone of what happens inside changes," the local campaign coordinator told me. "Everyone is aware of their presence, and she for one, can no longer pretend that what is happening is OK."
There are women in Carson City, Nevada who "can't take it any longer" either. Because of 40 Days for Life, they've learned the shocking truth that the ob/gyn practice they go to for routine health care also does abortions.
It is indeed a fact that many people are simply unaware that abortions are going on in their own communities - even at their own doctors' offices. But thanks to vigil participants and pro-life supporters, 40 Days for Life is opening their eyes.
This ob/gyn practice is "feeling the heat of our presence," said Carol Marie, one of the local 40 Days for Life coordinators. "We know of at least three patients who have left the practice once they learned that abortions are performed."
One of those women told the abortion clinic staff she would no longer be their patient and the receptionist gave her a stack of forms to fill out. But the woman's response was that she was only interested in one form - a form where she could explain to this medical practice why she was going away.
"She then proceeded to put a long note in writing as to exactly what she thought of an ob/gyn center performing abortions as a part of their regular practice," Carol Marie said.
"This wonderful woman has ensured that they fully appreciate the reason they have lost her as a patient. By being present at the sidewalk, we are informing their patients about what is being done behind closed doors," she said. "With enough patients lost, they could rethink their commitment to performing abortions."
She added, "If you ever wondered if what we've been doing has been making a difference, well the Lord has given us an answer, loud and clear. Lives are being saved, people are leaving the business and we are costing