40 Days for Life Campaign - DAY 10: The Abortionist Didn't Show Up!

From Shawn Carney
Campaign Director

For the abortion industry, abortion is a business – and businesses need customers. We have observed a trend … and so has the abortion industry:

 

40 Days for Life vigils are bad for business.

 

Some abortion centers have cut their hours. Others have cancelled abortion days. God uses your prayerful presence in ways you might not be aware of.

 

But first – here’s a special treat!

 

EWTN News Nightly

 

The global network’s news program recently had a 40 Days for Life double feature – a report from the sidewalk featuring Mike Baldwin, the 40 Days for Life coordinator in Manassas, Virginia along with several prayer volunteers ... followed by an in-studio interview with our national director, David Bereit.

 

We’ve posted the program on our blog, so – go take a look and enjoy! (You can certainly feel free to watch the entire program, but you can zip ahead to the 40 Days for Life portion at the 22:20 mark.) Click below to watch ... 



          

Thousand Oaks, California

Curt notes that it's hard to reach the women approaching the Planned Parenthood abortion center in Thousand Oaks, so early one morning the volunteers prayed that God would do something -- anything!

"We prayed there would be confusion among the staff," he said. "We prayed that clients would not find the facility. We prayed that the abortionist's car would not start. Or she would lose her keys.  You get the idea, right?"

About two hours later, a car stopped in front of the vigil participants on its way out of the parking lot. The driver rolled down his window and said, "You guys got lucky today. The abortion doctor never showed up!"

"We stood there in awe for a moment as he drove away," Curt said, "then realized that God had just answered our prayer! Hallelujah! Oh, what a great and faithful God we serve!"

Virginia Beach, Virginia 

"Good news!!!" read the email from Marcia in Virginia Beach.

What news was so good that it rated three exclamation marks? "There were no abortions done today at Planned Parenthood," she said. "This is the first Tuesday in memory that they have not committed abortions on a Tuesday. Praise God!"

Riverside, California 

Even on non-abortion days, prayer volunteers are seeing a decline in business.

"A nurse did not show up at Planned Parenthood and they were having to turn people away," said Hannah in Riverside. "The parking lot looked deserted."

 

Please join all the volunteers in 306 communities in prayer and fasting for an end to abortion. Here's the link to the list of locations:

http://40daysforlife.com/location 


Today's devotional is from Rev. John Ensor of Heartbeat International.

Day 10 intention

Pray for your local pregnancy help center: for those who answer calls from women considering abortion, those who provide ultrasounds, and those who personally help mothers prepare to parent or place for adoption.

Scripture

Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

--Psalm 82:4

Reflection by Rev. John Ensor

When a woman arrives at her local pregnancy help center, the hard work of "rescuing the weak" begins.

They listen to her. What desperate circumstance is driving her?

They act. A professional ultrasound and medical care is provided.

They pray, "God use us." Then, they take up her burdens and work towards life.

It is cross-bearing for the child-bearing.

Recently, I prayed for one volunteer who was working with one mother in her struggle. Here is what "rescue the weak" looked like in this one case:

• Aug 3: She made an appointment for Thursday to get an abortion and while she feels terrible about it, she also feels like she has no choice. Pray that her heart is changed!
• Aug 10: She is 12 weeks along but missed her appointment. She had some good conversations with people at the pregnancy center. She is now considering adoption.
• Aug 13: Things are down again. She now has an abortion scheduled for Monday. Pray!
• Aug 17: Missed appointment! God is working in her life.
• Sept 1: We've hit another rocky period. She has an abortion scheduled for tomorrow. She found out today that her parents are planning a trip to visit her and she is panicking.
• Sept 15: Missed third appointment. But feels like she has no choice. Please pray today
• Sept 20: She fears her parents but has agreed to another ultrasound (a breakthrough).
• Sept 22: I was there with her for her ultrasound. She saw her baby moving and made the realization that she wants to carry her baby.

Please keep praying against attack by the enemy. We are overwhelmed by seeing God's hand move in this situation and are so very thankful for the prayers lifted up by each one of you. God is good!

 

Prayer

Father, we praise you for this one sister who gave herself, heart and soul, to rescue this one mother and baby. O may you empower the hundreds more today who are serving in our pregnancy help centers. Grant those answering calls, providing ultrasound and following up with a bold spirit of truth, love and perseverance.

Printable devotional

To download today's devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2013day10print.pdf 

 

40 Days for Life Campaign: DAY 9: God Works - Even at a Distance

From Shawn Carney
Campaign Director

I’ve been to hundreds of 40 Days for Life locations. While the peaceful nature of each vigil is similar, the logistics can be very different and very challenging.

 

Some places have it easier, if you will, with large public rights-of-way and great visibility. But in other places, participants have to stand far away. This allows little opportunity to be seen by the men and women entering the facility.

 

In those situations, we simply have to trust that despite the logistics, hope will find a way to reach those seeking abortions.

 

At the end of the day, the Holy Spirit is in charge - and can work through ANY circumstance to save a life. Here are some examples.

Fort Myers, Florida

Paula in Fort Myers reports the first baby saved from abortion - in the city's third 40 Days for Life campaign.

"Our campaign location is a very difficult one to connect with women going in and out of Planned Parenthood," she said. "Our sidewalk is along two of the busiest streets in Fort Myers with traffic zooming by at 45 miles an hour and Planned Parenthood is tucked away 500 feet off the street."  

But prayer works. A woman pulled up in a car just to tell Maria, one of the prayer volunteers, that her daughter was scheduled to have an abortion ...  but did not go through with it because of the people praying outside. Maria said it was the fastest answer to prayer she has ever had!

"We are so delighted," Paula said, "and praise God for His goodness."

Manchester, England

Dave in Manchester says he's seen a good turnout at the 40 Days for Life vigil thus far - and he also believes he’s seen God's handiwork.

"The Marie Stopes clinic is visibly less busy than it ever was, compared to the first campaign we did," he said. This time he's hoping to see an even larger turnout - and an even more profound impact on business
at Marie Stopes.

There have also been visible blessings. Three young women have changed their minds about abortion.

John in Manchester tells of one woman who arrived with a companion and took information from the volunteers on her way into the facility. It wasn't long before they exited. "They left the clinic with big smiles," he said, "saying they would not come back again."


Here's today's devotional from Day Gardner, president of the National Black Pro-life Union...

Day 9 intention

May we grow in joy, knowing we serve a living God.

Scripture

 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

-- John 1:14

Reflection by Day Gardner

The Word of God came to us in human form in Jesus Christ. Every time I contemplate this fact I get chills! And I think it is something that we, as Christians, tend to gloss over. I can only imagine how the first disciples felt when they were looking into the eyes of the one and only Almighty God who created them.

The first disciples developed a close relationship with Him as they daily walked and talked with Him. They ate with Him, prayed with Him and rested when He rested. As they listened to the Word of God, who was and is  Jesus....they believed and "beheld His glory."

Today, this is something we can still do because we serve a living God. Remember, Jesus died on the cross but rose from the dead in victory! Jesus is every bit as real and alive for all of us as He was to the first disciples. He wants us to develop a close relationship with Him in the very same way. Jesus wants us to know Him personally. He wants us to walk with Him and talk with Him on a daily basis.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for your love and saving grace in Christ Jesus. Help us to realize every day the great blessing we have in our Savior.

I pray that we will rise every morning with excitement and zeal, looking forward to walking another day in your footsteps fully knowing that you continue to dwell among us. Amen.

Printable devotional

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http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2013day09print.pdf

The Special Privilege of Being the Parent of a Child With Down Syndrome

By Eileen Haupt


October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. It is a time when scores of advocacy organizations and individuals across the country do their utmost to raise awareness about this genetic condition.

I was thinking about Awareness and how unaware I was about Down syndrome prior to the birth of Sadie, my second daughter, almost 15 years ago. It got me thinking, what are some of the things I would like others to be aware of?

In particular, because such a high percentage of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted—estimates run as high as 90%– I thought I’d use this post to talk to the mothers carrying babies with Down syndrome. There is so much information available now, but unfortunately a lot of it is misinformation.

So, to the mother who has recently been told by her doctor that her unborn baby has Down syndrome, here’s what I would like her to know:

You will love your baby. Really. You have received many subtle and not so subtle negative messages about individuals with this condition. These messages are distorted; they are not the truth. The truth is that you will fall in love with your baby, just as you would any of your children.

 article continues at http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org

“They are home”: Three Abandoned Newborns Buried in the “Garden of Innocence”

Many were in line Saturday to scatter rose petals at the gravesites of the first burials at the Garden of Innocence for Gabriella, Michael and David at the Historic Union Cemetery.

By Dave Andrusko

Many were in line Saturday to scatter rose petals at the gravesites of the first burials at the Garden of Innocence for Gabriella, Michael and David at the Historic Union Cemetery.

There are few stories harder to write about than newborn babies dumped into trashcans like so much refuse. For whatever reason, we’ve heard about more of these tragedies in the past few months.

However every so often, we are uplifted when a community rises up to make sure that babies who were found dead do not remain a faceless, nameless statistic in the coroner’s office.

Last Saturday three abandoned babies were laid to rest at the “Garden of Innocence” in Bakersfield, California.

“The three children were found dead with no clues to who they were or what had happened to them,” wrote Lesley Marin. “Therefore, the community came together to start a Garden of Innocence in July.” All three were given names: Michael, David, and Gabriella.

continue reading at http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/

How to Mourn with the Parents of Stillborn and Miscarried Children

October is pregnancy and infant loss Awareness Month

July 10, 2013. It was the day I was supposed to go to the hospital and find out the gender of my unborn child, a mid-point milestone of pregnancy in the 21st century. Every day, mothers and fathers walk into the doctor's office and wait with eager anticipation as the ultrasound technician helps them discover whether they will paint their nursery blue or pink. Will they plan for the creative destruction of a little boy or the emotional tempest of a teenage daughter? Will they clean peas and cheese smashed into the floor or entertain intense disquisitions about mermaids?
 

My wife and I already have three children and chose to forego this knowledge with each of them. We were happily surprised with a daughter and then two sons. Our fourth child, the fourth in only four-and-a-half years, threw our life into utter chaos. The baby was a surprise, actually a complete shock, and yet we had adjusted to the logistically nightmarish shape our life took on in March when we discovered this baby's existence. We had four months to talk about a different house, different car, and contemplate the possibility of three kids simultaneously in diapers. We came to love the chaos brought on by the mysterious and awful power of new life. Who were we to judge what God had chosen to do in his providence?

continue reading at http://thegospelcoalition.org 

DAY 8: One Week, Two California Trips

 From Shawn Carney

Campaign Director

Last week, I started off with campaign rallies in California on Sunday ... and then spoke at events in Texas and Pittsburgh before heading back to California for another kickoff event and a march this past Saturday. Here’s a quick look at my second California visit of the week.

 

San Luis Obispo, California

Why two trips to California? Well, it’s not only a big state ... it’s a big state for 40 Days for Life as well. There are 38 California campaigns going on right now – more than any other US state.

 

I visited the 40 Days for Life vigil site in San Luis Obispo ... and took part in a march to Planned Parenthood led by Bishop Richard Garcia of the Catholic diocese of Monterey.

 

Bishop Garcia led the people in prayer and asked God’s blessing over those who gathered – and over Planned Parenthood as well.

 

Flint, Michigan

In many of the communities where 40 Days for Life vigils are held, people aren’t aware that there’s an abortion facility in their neighborhood. That’s the case in Flint.

 

“The clinic is only labeled with an address,” said Tina. “That's why many do not know about it. Our peaceful witness during the vigil is helping change that.” People who’ve driven by and seen volunteers praying have now signed up to be part of 40 Days for Life.

 

The abortion center is so well hidden that even a local pastor who lives right down the road had no idea it was there until he was invited to lead prayer at the vigil.

 

“We are required to stand across a parking lot and cannot get any closer to the clinic,” Tina said. But in the past year, they have still had five mothers that they know of choose life at this clinic – including one with twins.

 

 

Here's today's devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life...

Day 8 intention

May the spirit and example of the Good Samaritan fill the hearts and minds of all our citizens.

Scripture

Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So, too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side."

"But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'"

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

-- Luke 10:30-37

Reflection by Fr. Frank Pavone

Here Jesus commands us to show mercy to the victims of the culture of violence and death.

But why did the priest and Levite fail to show mercy? Perhaps they feared that the robbers were hiding just around the next corner to attack them. They asked themselves, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?"

The Samaritan, however, reversed the question, and asked, "If I don't stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"

In working to save the unborn, let's not worry about what will happen to us if we act; let's worry about what will happen to the unborn if we don't.

Prayer

Father, we are moved by the lesson of the Good Samaritan, who allowed compassion to influence him more than fear. Give us the same heart.

Grant that we may never count the cost of standing up and speaking out for the unborn. 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/fall2013day08print.pdf 

Retired Abortionist Says Pro-Life Movement, Abortion Stigma Stronger Than Ever

by Sarah Terzo 

On September 29, Live Action writer Cassy Fiano talked about an article in which late term abortionist Susan Robinson said that abortion providers deal with a lot of stigma from other doctors.
Robinson is not the only abortionist who has discussed the stigma that abortionists face. The pro-abortion website Jezebel also addressed the issue in an interview with retired abortionist, Dr. Robert Livingston.

Livingston has been involved in the abortion industry for over 45 years. Before Roe v. Wade, he performed illegal abortions. When Roe was decided, he simply hung up his shingle and began practicing legally. This was a common phenomenon – often the same abortionists who did back alley abortions simply performed legal ones after Roe.


The article discussed Livingston’s claim that abortion stigma is worse now than it was when abortion was legalized:

article continues here http://liveactionnews.org

Kermit Gosnell’s Babies

"From the time of his arrest three years ago, the charges against Kermit Gosnell were almost too grisly to digest. But was he a madman, or something else? Here, Steve Volk unravels the decades-long saga of the notorious abortion doctor—and the war he believed he was waging."

By Steve Volk
Philadelphia Magazine

Part I: The Monster Smiles

The phone rang near 8:30 one night, and an automated message played: “You have a call from a federal inmate,” and then, patched in, his voice, high and a little singsong, the name “Kermit Gosnell.”

We had only briefly exchanged hellos, our first words to each other, when he made a request.

“I wonder,” he said, “could you send me a picture of yourself?”

“A picture?” I asked.


“They won’t let you send a Polaroid,” he said, “but if you can send some image of yourself, I just feel it would help me get to know you.”

I’ve spoken to many prison inmates in my career, but none of them ever asked for a photo. Gosnell, sensing my hesitation, said, “It’s really just to be able to see who I’m going to be talking to. I want to be very open and answer all your questions, and if we’re not going to see each other in person for an interview, this will help me to do that. If you could send something out in the next day or two, it will help me feel comfortable enough to talk.”

By the time of the phone call, Kermit Gosnell was a familiar figure to me. Last spring, I sat in a Philadelphia courtroom for his eight-week trial, watching as he was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder in the deaths of three babies; one involuntary manslaughter count; and more than 200 counts of violating Pennsylvania’s Abortion Control Act. Following the trial, Gosnell and I began exchanging letters. Eventually I was placed on his phone list—the only journalist he’s spoken with since his trial.

Over the ensuing weeks I received 12 letters from Kermit Gosnell, more than 50 emails, and more than two dozen phone calls. (The Federal Bureau of Prisons denied my visitation requests.) I learned much about his life, how he feels after losing his case, and how he came to be standing over multiple babies with surgical scissors in his hand.

As a narrator of his own life, Gosnell is both open and confounding, honest and unreliable. His manner is relaxed and even breezy, his tone more like that of a man with no serious cares than one incarcerated for life, his name now looming alongside the most infamous murderers in this city’s history. “I am committed to proving my innocence,” Gosnell wrote in an email to me, “no matter how long it takes.”

But Gosnell never sounded like other inmates I’d interviewed over the years. At one point, I remarked upon this to him—about his lack of anger, bitterness and desperation. “No, I’m not bitter,” he said. “I hold no ill will toward the district attorney, the witnesses and my former colleagues, or even the prosecutors. I think about George Tiller, who was assassinated in his church, and I am appreciative that I did not meet the same fate.”

Continue reading at http://www.phillymag.com

 Steve Volk is a longtime staff writer and regular contributor at Philadelphia Magazine.

40 Days for Life Campaign - Day 7

From Shawn Carney
Campaign Director

It's now a week that this campaign has been under way in 306 cities in ten countries on four continents.
 
Even with all of those locations, you probably participate in the one closest to you. But some travelers have visited vigils in other cites -- and some, even vigils in other countries!

 

Memphis, Tennessee

 

 

Stephanie in Memphis says their 40 Days for Life vigil got off to a great start -- boosted by some visitors from Australia.

She said a man on a bus waved at the prayer volunteers, which isn't unusual. But a few minutes later, she saw that same man and a companion approaching on foot.

"He said he knew as soon as he saw us," she said, "that he and his traveling partner had to get off and come and pray with us. So they got off at the next bus stop and walked all the way back."

Michael and his friend Terese are both from Australia and have taken part in 40 Days for Life at home. As the bus drove past Planned Parenthood, they saw the people praying outside.

"Within ten seconds, we said 'let's get off and join them,'" Michael told her. "It was the Holy Spirit."

"You know sometimes people don't appreciate the gift of life," Therese said. When she saw the group praying, she said, "What a great job these people are doing. It's hard work."
 
Not long afterward, word reached the volunteers that a young mom had rejected abortion.

Stephanie said, "I stand in awe and in amazement of how God uses us on the sidewalk!"

Sarasota, Florida

 

 

A group of more than 60 helped launch the 40 Days for Life vigil in Sarasota... praying in front of the largest Planned Parenthood abortion center in Florida -- a building that also serves as Planned Parenthood's state and regional headquarters.

The opening event was a show of Christian unity, with six members of the clergy from different faith communities sharing reflections and leading prayers.

 

And now here's today's devotional from Fr. Terry Gensemer, the National Director of the Charismatic Episcopal Church for Life...

Day 7 intention

May we have a heart and a zeal to save the poor and release the oppressed.

Scripture

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.

-- Luke 4:18-19

Reflection by Fr. Terry Gensemer

This passage is a very familiar one. It has been preached on many occasions, even made popular in books and songs. Though the quote is about Jesus, all Christians take this commission seriously as a directive on how to reach the world with the gospel.

We, like our Savior, are to bring the good news to the poor, the brokenhearted, those in captivity, those who cannot see, and the oppressed.

The commission given to us in this passage is clearly a charge to care for those for whom God cares the most. I wonder though, whom do we look for to be touched by the Holy Spirit as we go out into the world?

Who are the poor, if not those unborn children who have been abandoned by their parents before they ever leave the womb?

Who are the brokenhearted, if not those unborn children whose only example of love is having their mother take them to an abortion clinic to be destroyed, or the mother of a child who has been deceived by everyone around her into believing that what she is doing is best for her and her child?

Who are the captives, if not those unborn children who are bound over to death by the "choice" of abortion?

Who is more blind than an unborn child in the darkness of a womb that has become a waiting room for their death?

And who is more oppressed than those unborn children whose oppression has been legitimized by their government, their church and even their family and loved ones?

Prayer

Lord, You empower us with Your Spirit to do your will in the earth. Send us to the poorest, the most broken, the most captive, the most blind and the most oppressed in the world, the innocent pre-born children in their mother's wombs that are scheduled for destruction. Help us to bring them healing, liberty, sight and justice through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Printable devotional

To download today's devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2013day07print.pdf

 

Thought On Pictures Of Aborted Children

The following is a letter one of my Facebook friends, Jim Mitchell, wrote to Homiletic & Pastoral Review Magazine some time ago.  I’m sharing it here with his permission.

Dear Father Baker,

Though I have immense admiration for Fr. Michael Orsi's clear dedication to the rights of unborn children, I would like to comment on his article which appeared in the June, 2004, Homiletic & Pastoral Review. Frankly "Food for thought for Catholic Protesters" gave me a bad case if indigestion.

 
He comments on the uncouth assertiveness of some pro-life protesters [...]

Mother Teresa asks us to discover the image of our crucified Lord in the distressing guise of the poor and I see His image in those hugely oversized photograph posters of aborted, dismembered children; so imagine my reaction when the article mentions an "unabashedly pro-life" Catholic woman who "voiced her concern" about those posters being displayed in front of her church as people file in to attend Mass. How will people find spiritual uplift in the liturgy after viewing these revolting images? What about the children (the living ones exposed to those posters, not the dead ones portrayed)?

We display often realistic images of martyrs undergoing bloody trials for love of God along with the central image of our crucified Lord in churches and homes, and we object to graphic posters reminding us of how our Lord is being crucified repeatedly today, sometimes within blocks of our homes, churches, and places of business?

Did the rich man also wonder whether the sight of the poor leper Lazarus just outside his front gates might disenchant his visitors and scare the children?

Maybe this woman is right. Maybe those ugly signs don't belong out on the street. The rich man should have brought Lazarus inside, cleaned his sores, and fed him a good meal. How else should he have treated someone who deserved to rest in Abraham's bosom?

No, I'm now quite sure of it. Those gruesome signs don't belong out on the street at all. They belong in the sanctuary, surrounded by wonderfully garish and excruciatingly horrific statues of the martyrs; but in a special position of honor – closest to the pierced bosom of our most unlovely, infinitely lovable crucified Jesus.

A piety not enlivened by this tableau should be viewed with suspicion.