[Salvation]

©2013 — 40 Days for Life www.40daysforlife.com

Devotional for Day 4, September 28, 2013

Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life

Intention:

We ask God that we may understand

the concept of justice, as a gift he gives

and as a responsibility that shapes our

work.

Scripture:

Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness

like a never-failing stream!

—Amos 5:24

Reflection:

Justice, a key theme of the Scriptures, is

something God does and that we too

must do.

When God intervenes to save his people

when they are helpless and in slavery

in Egypt, he “does justice.”

He manifested his justice in the plagues

that were sent upon Egypt, whereby

Pharaoh was convinced that he must

let the people go.

Justice is manifested as, in awe and

wonder, God’s people see the Red Sea

open before them, allow them to pass

without even getting their feet wet, and

then close again to drown their powerful

enemies.

God is a God of Justice; he rescues us

when we cannot save ourselves.

His justice, above all, is seen in Jesus

Christ, who, when we could not save

ourselves, rescued us from the kingdom

of sin, Satan, death, and hell.

The mighty work of Christ on the cross

and in the resurrection is the perfect

manifestation of God as the God of justice.

We, then, are to be the people of

justice; we are to “do justice” by intervening

to save the helpless in the name

and by the power of the God who saves

us who are helpless ourselves.

That’s why we have a pro-life movement;

that’s why we have a 40 Days for

Life Campaign; that’s why saving the

unborn is our business.

Prayer:

Loving heavenly Father, help us to see

the worth of all human beings by the

way in which you provide for us.

We would ask that you provide also the

faith, grace and courage to enable us to

protect that which is so precious to

you. Through Christ our Lord, amen.

[Salvation]

DAY 4: Off and running

September 28th, 2013 by admin

Today, I speak at the Central California Walk for Life — an event that 40 Days for Life volunteers helped organize. More than 1,000 people are expected to pray at an abortion facility and then march. I’m looking forward to a very inspiring day!

I’m turning the rest of today’s report over to our national director, David Bereit, as he describes his whirlwind visits across two Southern states in the first 24 hours of this campaign:

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BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
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Upon arriving in Birmingham, I met with numerous local pro-life leaders, as well as EWTN radio show hosts Jim and Joy Pinto, at a local pregnancy center. Then we all headed out to join the big crowd of excited volunteers at the local 40 Days for Life kickoff event.

It was raining until minutes before the event, when the rain stopped and the sky cleared. Many clergy were in attendance, including the retired Catholic bishop of Birmingham, David Foley, as well as Charismatic Episcopal Church Bishop Chuck Pierce.

The event was a top story on the local television news.

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TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA
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After the rally, I drove an hour to Tuscaloosa, where a Knights of Columbus hall was packed with local pro-lifers and students from the University of Alabama for breakfast and to kick off their 40 Days for Life campaign — which is being directed by a dynamic college student named Claire.

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MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
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Next, I drove two hours to Montgomery, where a large group from numerous different churches gathered across the street from a facility that has been aborting children in Alabama’s capital city for 30 years. It was amazing to meet local volunteers from many different faith traditions all working together for a common cause!

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COLUMBUS, GEORGIA
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From Montgomery, I drove 90 minutes and across the state line to Columbus, Georgia — also in a different time zone! I prayed with the group of volunteers and shared encouraging stories of some of the earliest victories that have already been happening during this campaign.

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ATLANTA, GEORGIA
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Then it was a two-hour drive to Atlanta, where I met with many local and state pro-life leaders for a brief dinner before going out to a large kickoff rally outside a notorious late-term abortion center.

Once again, I was blessed to see tremendous diversity at this event — people from different churches, races and backgrounds, all standing arm in arm to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

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MARIETTA, GEORGIA
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The day ended with a 30-minute drive to Marietta, a suburb of Atlanta, where the 40 Days for Life vigil is being held outside an office park that houses a large abortion business.

More than 100 joyful people were gathered in the dark along the very busy road with candles. Nearly half of them were Spanish speaking! Fortunately, the local leader and others were able to translate the message of hope to all attendees.

In just the first 24 hours of this campaign, I drove 408 miles with stops in 6 cities to meet hundreds of amazing people with ONE focused mission — ending abortion. I have GREAT hope for our future!

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Thanks to David Bereit for all that good news!