[Salvation]

Day 18 - October 9

 

Intention:

We pray for a flowering of the joy of parenthood.

Scripture:

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

-- Psalm 127:3-5

Reflection:

I still vividly remember the day my first child was born. As she came into the world I gazed upon the most beautiful little baby I'd ever seen. Later I was driving home from the hospital for a shower and a fresh change of clothes when a song came on the radio, "The Men in My Little Girl's Life" -- a ballad about being a father as he watches his daughter grow through childhood to womanhood. I wept as I listened, knowing those years would go by very fast… and they did.

Being a father, whenever I read the Psalm quoted above I'm always captivated by one word - "heritage." It basically means "something passed down from a preceding generation." That little girl I watched being born and wept for is not mine to give to God like a product of our fertility, but rather His, which he has entrusted to us. So are all her siblings.

My wife and I share a great treasure: precious lives, which are placed in our lineage that His life with us might be perpetuated. To the psalmist, this was a blessing from the Lawgiver, God Himself, who blessed Israel with another generation intended to continue their covenantal promise. For us in Christ, it is his gift of succeeding generations for His Church and her families.

These days I'm looking upon my grandchildren, and rejoicing that my children and their spouses will pass on the greatness of Christ's gospel to them and thus will continue the work of God in the world. What a blessing. What a heritage!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, please keep me from taking for granted the gift of children. Help us to remember this heritage that you have given us. Make us faithful stewards of these precious lives, that each generation might be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Randolph Sly
National Pro-life Religious Council

[Salvation]

Today’s email:

Prayer makes a difference — especially in front of
the very places where innocent lives are taken. That
is a constant theme of this 40 Days for Life campaign.

That message comes through loud and clear in some of
the many thoughtful comments that have been posted on
the 40 Days for Life blog.

“We all know that our presence and our prayers and
fasting make a difference, yet we don’t always see
it,” wrote Lisa. While she was praying at the vigil,
a car pulled into the clinic drive and stopped right
at the entrance.

“A young woman got out,” she said, “and wanted to
thank us for being there. Four years ago, she came for
an abortion — and did not go through with it because
we were there praying. She pointed to her son in her
car. Then she hugged me. Praise God!”

Something similar happened to Kathy: a taxi driver gave
vigil participants a thumbs-up ... then got out of his
taxi to tell a story. “He said 19 years ago, he and his
wife were very poor when she got pregnant ... and made
an appointment for an abortion.”

When they arrived for the appointment, there were
people praying outside. “This caused him to change his
mind. He showed me pictures of his two children, now
ages 18 and 19,” she said. “We do make a difference.”

Linda wrote that the 40 Days for Life campaign had
inspired her to go pray at the local abortion facility
for the first time ever. “When I realized how many
good people do not like to discuss abortion and its
horrors,” she wrote, “I knew I had to take another
step forward to raise the awareness of this crime
against life.”

Linda said she will pray that she will respond the
way Jesus would want. “Please pray,” she said, “that
I may continue to grow in strength and courage to
become like so many of you who devote time, fasting
and prayer for the respect of all life.”

A number of the people participating in 40 Days for
Life have experienced abortion, and now realize
the impact.

“I made two horrendous mistakes,” Margarita wrote.
“Following the lead of women older than me advising
me, I fell for the deception that promised wisdom and
finances and I aborted two of my precious babies.”

Margarita added that she has gained wisdom over the
years and has come to see that children are indeed a
gift from God. “I have since had eight more beautiful
children that love me unconditionally like only a
child can love its mother.”

Cheryl wrote of kneeling on the sidewalk in prayer
while holding a sign that reads, “Abortion hurts women.”

“Most people were respectful as they drove by, and
some thanked us for being there. There were a few,
though, who chose to use bad language,” she wrote.

“I prayed harder, because the sign I chose to hold
stated who I was — a woman hurt by abortion — and
I don’t want it to happen to anybody else.”

“Whether or not you personally receive a sign,
encouragement or words of thanks,” wrote Jean,
another 40 Days for Life participant, “we can know
with certainty that God is with us, and be
encouraged by each other through these daily
messages. Thank you all!”