[Salvation]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2987896/posts?page=36#36

Prayers for Dr. Benson

[Salvation]

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

Devotional for Day 11, February 23, 2013

Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life

Intention:

Pray that people of faith will have their

strength renewed even in the face of

the violence of abortion.

Scripture:

The favors of the Lord are not exhausted,

his mercies are not spent. They are

renewed each morning, so great is his

faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord

is my portion; therefore I will wait for

him.” The Lord is good to those whose

hope is in him, to the one who seeks

him; it is good to wait in silence for the

saving help of the Lord.

—Lamentations 3:22-26

Reflection:

The Book of Lamentations, a short

book of only five chapters, contains

some of the most poignant expressions

of human grief.

These verses are used in many churches

on Good Friday, since they can be

seen to express a prophecy of the suffering

of the Lord and the lamentation

of his followers on that dark day. But in

the midst of his grief, Jeremiah writes

the verses quoted above. “The favors of

the Lord are not exhausted.” It is a call

to hope that no matter how much violence

there is, life will prevail in the

end.

Why does he say, however, that God’s

mercies are renewed each morning?

Because early in the morning, on the

first day of the week, the women came

to the tomb -- and they found that the

events of that morning changed everything.

Christ’s victory over death came in the

morning, and therefore each day we

can renew our confidence that life has

the final victory.

Prayer:

Lord, look kindly on your people who

weep and mourn amidst the vast devastation

that abortion has brought upon

our land. We cannot even count the

children killed, and the mothers and fathers

wounded.

We cannot measure the devastation

and corruption abortion has brought

upon the very fabric of our society. But

we declare today that your favors have

not been exhausted, your mercies have

not been spent. They are renewed each

morning.

Give us new strength today, in the resurrection

of Christ your Son, that we

may bear effective witness to the victory

of life! In His name we pray, amen.