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Today we focus on people who are not famous — and
probably never will be.

Far away from the spotlights of our celebrity-driven
culture, they’re regular people, humbly doing the little
things — and often, doing them with enormous courage.

They’re the heart of 40 Days for Life ... and they
deserve a big THANK YOU ... ALL of you!

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA

I recently spoke at the 40 Days for Life vigil in Fort
Wayne — one of SEVEN campaigns in the Hoosier state.

At the vigil, a woman walked up ... gave me a hug ...
and shared that she had an abortion years ago. She
knew she needed healing when she got involved with
40 Days for Life in 2010.

“After coming out here and praying,” she said, “I got
connected to local post-abortion healing along with
the Silent No More awareness campaign. I shared my
story for the first time at the 40 Days for Life
vigil site.”

I told her, “Thank you for your courage.” It reminded
me that it was the powerful testimonies of women who’d
had abortions that had really drawn me into the
pro-life movement when I was in college.

To see a photo from my visit to the Fort Wayne vigil,
go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3096

SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA

Ginny in Santa Cruz is thankful for everyone who’s
been praying at the 40 Days for Life vigil — but she
noted a couple of people who go the extra mile.

One is Rae Ellen, whom she described as a real trouper.
Rae Ellen uses a wheel chair. “For the last three
years, she has come down almost every Saturday to pray
outside of Planned Parenthood. For all four of our
40 Days for Life campaigns, she has come down 5 or 6
days a week — even in the rain.”

Ginny also mentioned Bob, another volunteer who uses
a wheelchair. He’s a regular at the vigil outside
Planned Parenthood every Saturday. Bob has been a bit
under the weather of late, so “please pray for him,”
she said. “All the babies need this powerful prayer
warrior back again.”

To see a photo from the 40 Days for Life campaign in
Santa Cruz, please go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3096

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI

Kathy in Columbia sent a picture of students from
St. Joseph Cathedral School in Jefferson City who
visited the 40 Days for Life vigil. “The children
came to pray,” she said, “and pray they did!”

Kathy also mentioned a woman who had visited Planned
Parenthood more than a year ago. She wanted to have a
baby, and figured a place called “Planned Parenthood”
could help her. She told them she wanted to get
pregnant. They told her to come back when she did.

“Well,” Kathy said, “she still hasn’t gotten pregnant.
And when she went in this time, they told her they
don’t help with things like that. So we are still
trying to figure out what ‘Planned Parenthood’
actually means.”

To see the picture of the school group in Columbia,
please go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3096

Day 37 - March 29

Intention:

We are the defenders of true freedom. May our witness unveil the deception of the "pro-choice" slogan.

Scripture:

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

--2 Corinthians 3:17

Reflection:

Norma McCorvey (the former Jane Roe of Roe v. Wade) used to work at an abortion mill named "A Choice for Women." She now realizes what a cruel irony that title was. She saw first hand, just as pregnancy resource center counselors see, that women don't get abortions because of freedom of choice, but rather because they feel they have no freedom and no choice. They feel trapped, abandoned, desperate and afraid, and have been led to believe that abortion is their only option.

As Frederica Mathewes-Green has written, no want wants an abortion like she wants a Porsche or an ice cream; rather, she wants it like an animal caught in a trap wants to gnaw off its own leg.

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." That doesn't mean that the Spirit allows us to do whatever we want or to decide for ourselves what's right and wrong.

Rather, it means that the Spirit gives us the freedom to do what is right, the power to choose what is good, when we see it before us and yet feel pulled in the opposite direction. Liberty means that we no longer have to feel doomed to do what we know is wrong.

We are the people of the Spirit of the Lord, and when we take action on behalf of life, especially by being present at abortion mills, we are acting on behalf of true freedom, and imparting to those who are in bondage the power to do what is right.

Prayer:

Come, Holy Spirit. You are the Spirit of freedom, the source of all that is good, the power to do what is right. Fill us, and fill those who are in bondage today, feeling doomed to do what is wrong. Set them free, and help us to hasten them on the road to freedom, where your grace overcomes every temptation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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