 Dear Deacon, Today I have some great pictures from vigils across the country and across the pond ... including one from my visit to the new Planned Parenthood location in Memphis. MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE  I had a chance to visit volunteers in Memphis, where about 75 people turned out in freezing drizzle for a candlelight vigil.The location is a relatively new Planned Parenthood office. After a previous 40 Days for Life campaign, which was led by a very courageous 19-year-old woman named Devanie, Planned Parenthood lost their lease at their original location. The lease was not renewed because of the unwanted attention that the peaceful vigil brought to the office building. Discover the legal threats the local campaign faced -- and be moved by the faith and ultimate victory that Devanie won -- in chapter 24 of the 40 Days for Life book. Planned Parenthood can't be evicted from this building -- they own it. They don't use the whole place, though. Local team members in Memphis say they've heard talk about Planned Parenthood leasing space to the government. Perhaps this can serve as a reminder to also pray for the defunding of Planned Parenthood. In one year alone, America's largest abortion chain took in $542 million in your tax money from federal, state and local sources. CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA  Abortions in the Cedar Rapids area are down 37 percent since 40 Days for Life came to town in 2008.Planned Parenthood obviously doesn’t like that. One of their employees quit a while back and told the local 40 Days for Life coordinator an interesting story. She was told to drive to work, even though she lived across the street. They didn’t want her talking to any of the prayer volunteers – and they also didn’t want their parking lot to look empty. BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND  Birmingham is one of ten locations holding 40 Days for Life vigils in the UK – it’s the fourth campaign in Birmingham. The picture shows Archbishop Bernard Longley leading prayer at the vigil site on a rainy day.The 40 Days for Life team is supporting Birmingham’s March for Life today. It will feature prayer and testimonies at local church followed by a walk through the city, ending with a balloon release. DEARBORN, MICHIGAN  Matt in Dearborn says snow, biting wind and below-freezing temperatures doesn’t discourage prayer volunteers. How could it, when the blessings are so evident?The abortion business has declined at the 40 Days for Life vigil site. A few years ago, this facility did about 25 abortions each week. Now, that number is down to around 10 … and the place is open fewer hours each week. There is only the abortionist and two other employees now. Volunteers will continue to pray, and hope that God will use their peaceful efforts and close the facility for good. ITHACA, NEW YORK  Mary Anne in Ithaca says the 40 Days for Life vigil is having an excellent turnout of prayer volunteers – “including two ladies, 87 and 84. They are the bulwark of our strength,” she said. “If they can stand for two hours in the bitter cold and snow, what's wrong with us ‘youngsters’?”She said the community is “finally feeling our presence and it is making an impact. Do you make a difference? Yes, you do!”
Today's devotional is from Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life. DAY 26 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?" The 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 by 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." The 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. PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL To download today's devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/ ------------------------------ Have a blessed Sunday, and know how much I appreciate you, Deacon! Yours for Life, Shawn Carney Campaign Director 40 Days for Life PS: Are there special people in your town who are making a difference with your 40 Days for Life campaign? Please share the good news by replying to today's blog entry: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/ | |||||||||
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