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Day 17 - March 25

Intention:

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

Scripture:

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

Reflection:

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?

Prayer:

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.

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

Abortion centers closing, cutting back
as 40 Days for Life begins in 247 cities

WASHINGTON, DC – “Recent abortion center closings have added momentum to the kickoff of the largest 40 Days for Life campaign in history – which launches tomorrow in 247 cities across the United States and eight other countries,” said Shawn Carney, campaign director of 40 Days for Life.

40 Days for Life, a 40-day campaign of prayer and fasting, peaceful vigil and community outreach, launches tomorrow at 247 locations in the United States, Canada, Australia, England, Ireland, Spain, Belize, Armenia and Georgia. This represents a 47% increase in the number of locations over last spring. The campaign will run through April 17.

“We know of nine abortion facilities where 40 Days for Life prayer vigils have been conducted that are now closed,” said Carney, “and following other peaceful vigils, more abortion centers may soon be added to that list.”

Just last week, Golden Gate Community Health, a collection of abortion facilities in the San Francisco Bay area that was once part of the Planned Parenthood network, announced it was shutting down – at least temporarily, and possibly forever. That chain includes abortion centers in San Francisco and San Mateo where 40 Days for Life campaigns have been held, as well as three other locations.

In Columbia, Missouri, several peaceful 40 Days for Life vigils have been held outside a Planned Parenthood abortion center. Another prayer campaign is starting this week. Because of staffing issues, this location was unable to offer abortions for several months last year. Abortions resumed on an every-other-week basis in the fall, but now sources in Columbia say no abortions have taken place there since January 26.

“Abortions are only available right now at one place in the entire state of Missouri – Planned Parenthood in St. Louis, where another 40 Days for Life vigil begins tomorrow,” Carney said.

Since 40 Days for Life began as a national – and then international – effort in 2007, more than 400,000 people have participated and confirmed reports have documented that 3,599 babies have been saved from abortion. “When people respond to abortion as a local problem,” said Carney, “they see the local results of a peaceful vigil: lives saved, hearts changed – and abortion centers closed.”

The list of participating communities is posted online at: http://www.40daysforlife.com/location.cfm