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DAY 41+ INTENTION
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Pray that the witness of 40 Days for Life bears abundant fruit, and that we begin again each day to storm the gates of hell until God welcomes us into the gates of heaven.
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SCRIPTURE
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He will wipe every tear from their eyes. On this rock I will build my church; the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
-- Matthew 16:18
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REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life
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When we read this verse, we usually think that the Lord is promising that the church, which is His Body, will withstand all the attacks launched against it.
Of course, that is true. But when we think about it more carefully, we realize that in a battle, the gates do not run out into the battlefield to attack the enemy. Rather, they stand still to defend the city from the enemy attacking it.
So when the Lord says that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, who is doing the attacking?
It is the church storming the gates!
The church, all of God's people in Christ, is called to take the offensive, to run into enemy territory, and to gain ground for Jesus Christ.
We do not wait for an invitation; we already have a command.
We prepare, but we do not wait for circumstances to be perfect; we already have one who has gone before us.
During these 40 days, we have stormed the gates. We have taken the offensive. We have pushed forward the boundaries of the kingdom. And we must keep doing so, in numerous ways.
Indeed, the gates of hell will not prevail. The gates of falsehood will flee in the presence of truth. The gates of sin will melt in the presence of grace. The gates of death will fall in the presence of the church, the People of Life!
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PRAYER
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Father, we praise you. We have heard the voice of your Son, and therefore we can make our voices heard.
We have done battle with the power of evil, and therefore we can have compassion on those still within its grip. We have been freed from the kingdom of darkness, and therefore we can bear witness to your Kingdom of Light.
May the witness of all your people through these 40 Days for Life bear abundant fruit, and may we begin again each day to storm the gates of hell until You welcome us into the gates of heaven.
We pray in the victorious name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Is 40 Days for Life really over?
Clearly, this particular coordinated campaign has come to an end. But people in city after city have come to see that the ongoing needs are great.
There is much work to be done -- and much willingness to dive in!
Here are just a very few of the Day 41+ efforts that are already beginning...
ABILENE, TEXAS: Vigil participants are making plans to establish the West Texas Coalition for Life. The Abilene News Reporter quoted local 40 Days for Life campaign coordinator Paula Matchen, who said momentum from the spring campaign has been the catalyst for this new project. "The goal is to bring an end to abortion," she said, "and do whatever we can to help bring that about."
RENO, NEVADA:40 Days for Life vigil participants are saying, "We're not stopping!" One volunteer senses that "something has changed in the pro-life effort, and that there is speculation that the prayer component of 40 Days for Life has shifted the balance of the entire debate."
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: This city is already making plans for the fall 40 Days for Life campaign (the dates are September 23 - November 1). To maintain momentum, they're organizing at least two days of prayer each week at the abortion facility. During this 40 Days for Life campaign, Virginia's governor signed legislation authorizing "choose life" license plates that will help fund pregnancy resource centers.
AUGUSTA, MAINE: Participants in this community's first 40 Days for Life campaign have made a commitment to continue the effort by holding a weekly prayer vigil outside the abortion facility.
CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY: The campaign's results have encouraged efforts to solidify an increased regular presence at the abortion center. The number of abortion patients appeared to drop by more than half, and the clinic began closing early. It's clear that prayer works -- and it simply cannot stop!
There are many other communities with big plans that can't be revealed yet; but they are all showing faithfulness to God's call -- and the local abortion businesses are going to be in for some big surprises in the not-too-distant future!
Please prayerfully discern how God can use YOU and your community in these ongoing efforts -- and when He reveals His plans, be willing to say, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!"
As a final thought, we are constantly reminded that through 40 Days for Life, God does much more in addition to saving babies.
He saves souls!
Again during this campaign, even with all these big plans that local groups are contemplating, the biggest, most lasting effects are often profoundly spiritual and profoundly individual.
Of all the letters I've received, perhaps none is quite as touching as one from Anne, who wrote about the excitement of getting ready to go pray in front of a Planned Parenthood abortion center for the first time ever.
"I can hardly wait to experience what you've been talking about," she said, "that special feeling of doing something to stop this legalized killing that goes on behind those closed doors. I can feel God smiling down on me." She said that answering God's call "is a lasting feeling -- saving lives and changing hearts."
Praying outside Planned Parenthood is not the only change in Anne's life.
Anne has also returned to church -- for the first time in 50 years!
Praise and glory to our wondrous God, who makes all things new!