Devotional for Day 26, March 30, 2014
Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life
Intention: Pray that we fully recognize in the unborn child our brother, our sister, and we recommit ourselves to care for them.
Scripture: Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper” he Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” — Genesis 4:8-10
Reflection: After Cain committed the first murder in human history, God asked him, “Where is your brother” He replied y saying, “I don’t know.” In 1973, the Supreme Court was asked the same question, and gave the same answer. Unable to admit that the unborn children are our brothers and sisters, the Supreme Court said in its Roe v. Wade ruling, “We need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins.” Boil all that down to three words, and it’s, “I don’t know.”
he question, “Where is your brother” will be asked at the final judgment. Each person will answer it and be judged by it. May we be judged to have recognized and loved all our brothers and sisters, born and unborn. By participating in the 40 Days for Life, we have been answering that question each day, going to where our brothers and sisters are killed, and proclaiming that we have a responsibility to them. By all the pro-life work we will continue to do, we likewise answer that question which reaches from one end of human history to the other.
Prayer: Father, today we hear your voice, and we respond to the question you ask each of us “Where is your brother” We recognize in the unborn child our brother, our sister, and we recommit ourselves today to care for them. Yes, Father, you have entrusted us to the care of one another. We rejoice that you have given us the grace to respond. As we work to renew our culture, we look forward to the great day of the coming of your Son, when every eye will see him, even of those who pierced him, and every knee shall bend, and every tongue confess, to the glory of God the Father, that Jesus Christ is Lord! Amen.
I was in Charlotte, North Carolina last week and have amazing news from that city. But first, there is even better news
Already in this 40 Days for Life campaign, we’ve had reports of ...
… 321 babies that have been saved from abortion! Praise God for His mercy and love!
There are two reports today. One shows the power of a strong, consistent pro-life witness. The other shows the agony a woman goes through when it’s clear the “choice” to have an abortion is not her own.
Charlotte, North Carolina
John in Charlotte sent a quick note as a follow-up to my recent stop there: “46 saves! Praise God!”
It helps that a local pregnancy center parks its mobile ultrasound RV outside the abortion center – an impossible-to-ignore, positive resource that has encouraged so many women reject abortion.
I had a great visit with the Charlotte team, including Katherine and Andrea, the two women who first brought 40 Days for Life to the area … even before it became a national campaign (their story of courage and success is featured in the 40 Days for Life book).
The abortion center knows the combination of prayer and a determined, life-affirming witness on the sidewalk is hurting business. So their security guard is outside regularly, yelling at volunteers and turning up loud rap music on his car’s sound system in an attempt to silence the prayers.
I saw this for myself! But it isn’t working. Since March 5, it has failed on at least 46 occasions!
Brisbane, Australia
As Carrie, her friend Laura and their children prayed at the 40 Days for Life vigil in Brisbane, a drama played out before their eyes outside the Dr. Marie abortion facility.
“A young woman and her boyfriend were walking in and out of the front door for 10 minutes or so,” Carrie said. “The man kept trying to comfort the woman and hold her hand – and also lead her into the clinic.”
It certainly looked like the woman had no interest in going inside. So they turned away and sat in the garden for a while. Carrie and Laura smiled at them, prayed quietly, and kept watch with the children.
After a time, they walked towards the door again. The man walked up the steps, but the woman stopped, threw her bags down and started crying. She kept looking at the vigil participants’ faces … and the children. “We were just being there,” Carrie said.
They approached the door one more time and the woman still refused to go in again. This time, they left and did not return. The volunteers prayed that this woman would continue to be brave and refuse to abort her child.
“It was profound to be there, keeping watch,” Carrie said. “It is a very sad place to be in the world, but we were there — being light in a dark place.