Dear Deacon, It's Day 40 -- you made it! As we close the largest 40 Days for Life campaign in
history ... the following things can be said about what
God can do in just 40 days: 40 days ago ...
... there were children scheduled to be aborted who
are alive today -- 465 that we know of! 40 days ago ...
... women were making abortion appointments -- but now,
they're preparing their lives to welcome a new baby boy
or baby girl. 40 days ago ...
... cold hearts that were annoyed at your peaceful
presence at the abortion facility are now open to
joining you in prayer. 40 days ago ...
... you may have doubted what God could accomplish; and
yet through your prayer, fasting and vigil ... YOU have
been spiritually blessed. Babies ... women ... workers ... hearts ... minds --
these are all impacted when we pray and bring light
into the darkness!
-------------------------------------------------------
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
------------------------------------------------------- Carolyn writes that a taxi driver pulled up in front of
Planned Parenthood while she was praying at the 40 Days
for Life vigil. She was carrying a sign reading, "we
choose life." "The cab driver got out, said that he supported my
effort, but asked me what was going on HERE that I
should be standing HERE," she said. "I told him I was
praying for the end of abortion out in front of the
Planned Parenthood offices here where abortions are
done and pointed to the windows of the waiting room." He said he was aware of the evil of abortion because
he knew that more than 50 million babies have died
since Roe v. Wade, but he had no idea that abortions
were done in that building. "He was rather shocked," said Carolyn, "and then he
thanked me for my witness." To see a photo of the 40 Days for Life vigil in
Annapolis, please go to:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2565
-------------------------------------------------------
SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
------------------------------------------------------- "Prior to 40 Days for Life," said Diane, "I wanted to
get involved in prolife work but didn't know how or
thought I didn't have the time to do so. The Lord
changed that for me and opened a big door so that I
am now able to be involved in 40 Days for Life and
pro-life work." Through these 40 days, Diane has experienced changes
in her life. "I'm willing to stand up for my faith and
to be a witness,” she said. "I'm willing to take a
risk and share my ideas with people. I have the
opportunity to pray with people on the street who need
God's love and healing. I have new prayer partners and
have made new friends." Diane's 40 Days for Life campaign is certainly
finishing strong. "Thank you for all of your prayers,"
she said. "As you can see, they are working."
-------------------------------------------------------
ON THE ROAD WITH DAVID BEREIT
------------------------------------------------------- Speaking of finishing strong -- David Bereit, the
national director of 40 Days for Life, left his home
in the Washington, DC area and drove to FIVE different
40 Days for Life vigil sites in eastern New York,
spending 17 hours in the car driving between vigil
sites in one day! Also, over these final few days of this campaign, he
visited 40 Days for Life locations in Virginia, North
Carolina and Illinois. To see photos of each of David's stops, go to:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2565
Here's today's devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone,
national director of Priests for Life.
-----------------------------------------------------
DAY 40 INTENTION
----------------------------------------------------- Let us keep our eyes fixed on the New Jerusalem,
where death will be no more.
-----------------------------------------------------
SCRIPTURE
----------------------------------------------------- He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will
be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for
the old order of things has passed away." He who was
seated on the throne said, "I am making everything
new!" --Revelation 21:4-5
-----------------------------------------------------
REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone
----------------------------------------------------- Every activity we undertake in defense of the
sanctity of life is prophetic, inasmuch as it points
to the day when "death will be no more." Every victory we have when an act of abortion is
prevented is prophetic of that day when death itself
will be definitively conquered. Every triumph of grace in this world, whereby someone
is brought to see the value of life and given the
strength to welcome it, is a breaking into our
history of that definitive future in which the old
order of things will have passed, and all things will
be made new. As pro-life warriors, we must keep our eyes fixed on
heaven, and our hearts secure in the hope that the
day is coming when all evil will be conquered. It is
the future that shapes the present; it is victory
that informs the battle; it is the destination that
determines the journey. Daily, we are called to reflect on heaven. When we
weep, we are to think of the day when every tear will
be wiped away. When we face the destructive power of death, we are
to think of the day when death is swallowed up in
victory.
When we labor against abortion, we are to think of
the day when we will have the rest and peace of the
final triumph of life. Heaven is as real as earth, and its joys will be as
real as our present sorrows.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRAYER
----------------------------------------------------- Father, you are the God of hope. Your word fills us
with the vision of the world to come, when every tear
will be wiped away, and death will be no more.
Father, how we need that hope, how we are
strengthened by that vision! Keep our hearts focused on heaven, and diligent in
the labors of earth. As we struggle against the
culture of death, root our souls in the assurance of
victory. We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.
-----------------------------------------------------
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
----------------------------------------------------- To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2011day40print.pdf ----------------------------------------------------- For Life, Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
PS: If you have good news to share from YOUR 40 Days
for Life campaign, please leave a comment at
today's blog entry: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2565
40 Days for Life 10908 Courthouse Road
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