Dear Deacon, Planned Parenthood is in trouble. And they have YOU to blame. Their federal funding (which accounts for one third of
their total income) is threatened. They’re getting tons
of bad publicity. AND ... ... there are people right now praying outside more than
100 Planned Parenthood offices during 40 Days for Life. I've always paid close attention to the nation's largest
abortion chain. The first time I prayed in front of an
abortion facility, it was a Planned Parenthood location. That same Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas was also the
birthplace of 40 Days for Life in 2004 and the location
where Abby Johnson was the director before quitting her
job after witnessing an ultrasound abortion. So here's an update on what Planned Parenthood is saying
-- and doing -- in response to YOUR presence outside,
praying for an end to abortion.
-------------------------------------------------------
ST. LOUIS and COLUMBIA, MISSOURI
------------------------------------------------------- These Missouri cities were visited by Planned Parenthood's
"big pink bus" recently. It's basically a combination pep
rally wagon / fundraising machine on wheels. Of course, 40 Days for Life participants were on hand
to pray for an end to abortion while Planned Parenthood
supporters were praising abortion. The bus has numbers painted on its side -- numbers of
cancer screenings Planned Parenthood has offered, HIV tests
conducted, and so forth. The number that is NOT posted is 5,320,095 -- the number
of abortions Planned Parenthood has done since 1970. To see some pictures from the 40 Days for Life vigil in
St. Louis, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1744
-------------------------------------------------------
HOUSTON, TEXAS
------------------------------------------------------- The Planned Parenthood affiliate in Houston calls the
prayer vigil outside its iron gates and glass tower
"40 Days of Harassment." "From March 9 to April 17," announces the Planned
Parenthood Gulf Coast web site, "protesters will attempt
to keep women from coming to Planned Parenthood." As these "protesters" allegedly stand outside and "bully
clients," Planned Parenthood is asking its friends to
stand with them and "support healthcare without
harassment." It's all just a ploy to ask for donations. To see a photo of the 40 Days for Life vigil in Houston
-- a picture showing a few groups of people quietly
praying on the sidewalk, almost unnoticed -- please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1744
By the way, Planned Parenthood has a special name for
this building, which is the largest abortion center in
the Western Hemisphere -- "Prevention Park." I think they
really believe that. Please keep praying for these folks!
-------------------------------------------------------
AUGUSTA, MAINE
------------------------------------------------------- The 40 Days for Life vigil in Augusta is in progress
outside Family Planning Association of Maine. It is not
part of Planned Parenthood, but its director once
worked for Planned Parenthood, and has adopted many
of its practices. This abortion center is lashing out against the campaign,
calling it "40 Days of Lies." Quite honestly, however, there isn't a whole lot of truth
coming out of this business. "For the next forty days," reads an entry on FPA’s web
site, "each time any of us come into or leave the
building, we will be the targets of angry shouts and
sign waving by anti-choice protesters." The truth is that the building is set far back from a
lonely road, and the vigil is held on the opposite side
of that road -- an aerial photo posted on the Catholic
Maine web site shows how far the vigil is from the
front door -- and how ridiculous is the allegation of
harassment. For a link to see the aerial photo, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1744
This business is also trying to use 40 Days for Life
to raise funds -- they’re calling their effort "Defend the
Truth." That’s about as honest as calling an abortion
megaplex "Prevention Plaza." Please, please pray harder!
Today's devotional is from Fr. Frank Pavone, national
director of Priests for Life.
------------------------------------------------------
DAY 17 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 by Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life
------------------------------------------------------ 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.
------------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
------------------------------------------------------ To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/spring2011day17print.pdf
------------------------------------------------------ Yours for Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
PS: Even as we pray for an end to abortion, the
efforts to strip Planned Parenthood (which performed
332,278 abortions in its most recent fiscal year) of
its $362 MILLION in annual taxpayer funding are heating
up. This week, your U.S. Representative is back home,
specifically to hear from constituents. Please take
one minute RIGHT NOW to call your representative's
district office, telling what you think about taxpayer
funding for Planned Parenthood. Learn more, look up
your representative's info, and find out what to say
when you call by going to: http://exposeplannedparenthood.net/contact-congress
PPS: If YOU have a story to share about your
experiences during this 40 Days for Life, please
submit it as a reply to today's blog posting at: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1744
40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
Suite 102229
Fredericksburg, VA
22408
US
