Pro-Life Prayers for this weekend

Oremus.com has an excellent collection of pro-life prayers and reflections for today, and beyond. Catholic-oriented but not exclusive. Really, we should all be praying for the unborn and their mothers every day.

Thirty Studies in Five Years Show Abortion Hurts Women’s Mental Health

For abortion providers to offer an unbiased and valid synopsis of the scientific literature on increased risks of abortion, the information must include depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as well as suicide ideation and behaviors.

Over 30 studies have been published in just the last 5 years and they add to a body of literature comprised of hundreds of studies published in major medicine and psychology journals throughout the world.

Read more at LifeNews

He's On His Way

I love this poster!

From NCRegister:

An ecumenical nonprofit in England has come under fire for their upcoming Advent campaign designed to put Christ back into Christmas. Their crime? Creating billboards and posters that show a Baby Jesus as an ultrasound, with a halo. The ads, created by ChurchAds.net say: “He’s on His way. Christmas starts with Christ.”

read the rest...

Abortion Boosts Breast Cancer Risk 193% Study Finds

Researchers in Iran have published the results of a new study showing women who have an abortion face a 193% increased risk of breast cancer. On the other hand, women who carry a pregnancy to term find a lowered breast cancer risk compared with women who have never been pregnant.

The study folllows on the heels of new reports indicating Komen for the Cure gave $7.5 million to the Planned Parenthood abortion business in 2009.

read more...

Race for the Truth about the Susan B. Komen Foundation

From Zenit:

What is the "Race for the Cure"? Why are we not being told the truth about the real risks and prevention for breast cancer? According to the SEER data at the National Cancer Institute, there has been a 400% increase in noninvasive -- or "in situ" (in the same place) -- breast cancer in pre-menopausal women since 1975. How do abortion, hormone replacement therapy, and hormonal contraception factor into the equation?

Read more Race for the Truth about the Susan B. Komen Foundation

From another local pro-life leader:

As a fruit of much prayer in Virginia during our 40 days of prayer and fasting for unborn babies and their moms and for an end to abortion, we have the possibility of changing the face of our state's abortion facilities. As spelled out in Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's recent legal opinion, Gov. Bob McDonnell has the power to simply order the Virginia Department of Health to regulate first trimester abortion facilities. But for some reason, he is refusing to do that.

Please let Gov. McDonnell know that you want him to regulate these facilities!! Below is a link to the online petition, plus a pdf file of a petition you can print out and bring to your churches, your work places, and anywhere else to distribute or gather signatures. Also below is a "Regulation of First Trimester Abortions in Doctors' Offices" information sheet from Del. Bob Marshall.

Please forward this email to all your pro-life family, friends, co-workers and church members in Virginia. Together we truly can change the face of abortion in our state!!

God bless you!

Frances

Please sign the online petition telling Gov. McDonnell that you want him to regulate first trimester abortion facilities in Virginia! Abortionists have said that 17 of the 21 Virginia abortion facilities might have to close as a result of these regulations!

Stand up for LIFE in Virginia!!

Sign online at: http://www.virginiarallyforlife.com/

Printable Petition

Abortion Regulation Q&A

The power of prayer - NEVER give up!

As we bring this 40 Days For Life to a close, it is important to remember that prayer is still vital and still powerful, any day of the year. I have been meaning to write this story down for a long time. It illustrates beautifully the power of prayer, and the importance of remembering that if our efforts affect JUST ONE PERSON, that is meaningful. Even if it seems that your efforts are going nowhere, never give up. God knows what you are doing and what is in your heart, and His power and grace are without limits. We may never know how many babies were truly saved, or how many clinic workers' hearts will be converted by our presence and our prayers.

~~~~~

I was raised by an abortion clinic nurse, and required to work as a patient escort in the clinic parking lot on abortion days. There were many pro-lifers who came out to the clinic on those days; some were sidewalk counselors, some were protestors, some were prayer warriors. There was one woman in particular who never spoke a word, never even interacted with the other pro-lifers. She was a tiny, frail, very elderly woman, who each Friday would walk to the clinic, kneel on the sidewalk at the corner (some distance away from the entrance), and pray the Rosary. Sometimes she would be there for hours, through any weather, with her bony knees on pavement that could be blazing hot, freezing cold, or soaking wet. I saw her every Friday I was there, and she always smiled at me when she arrived and again when she left, but never said a word. One winter day she came and prayed for at least three hours, in freezing rain. The clinic owner came out and saw her, and asked the escorts to ask her to come in for tea when she was done. When she got up from kneeling, I went over and invited her in. She accepted, and I walked her into the clinic and the owner brought over a pot of tea. The three of us sat together on one of the couches in the counseling area. The old lady (I never did find out her name) sipped her tea and smiled peacefully, nodding solemnly as the owner explained that her efforts in prayer were wasted, that she was needlessly inconveniencing or even harming herself by kneeling on the sidewalk, that she would be better off staying at home in comfort since nothing - NOTHING - would ever dissuade the clinic's owner, doctor, or staff to stop performing abortions; and that by just kneeling and praying without interaction, she was hardly going to convince any women to change their minds. When the owner finished speaking, the old lady put her teacup down, and said "God knows what I'm doing out there, and it matters to him even if it doesn't matter to you or anyone else. My prayers have value to God. And if I can change one heart - even ONE" - and she looked straight into my eyes as she said this - "then it will have all been worth it. I know God will reward me in the end." The clinic owner rolled her eyes, sighed, and shook her head. The old lady stood up, thanked us for the tea, and left.

~~~~~

I never forgot her. I was already questioning and doubting my pro-abortion indoctrination; and years later, I would join the pro-life movement as a post-abortive mother, and speak out against abortion and to encourage people to reach out to women considering abortion, people who have been harmed by abortion, and especially to clinic workers. I now pray in front of our local abortion clinic, and I plan to one day pray in front of the clinic where my mother worked. I am certain that the little old lady who used to so faithfully pray there is in Heaven now; and I want to encourage all of us to follow her faithful example. She did change the one heart she hoped for; and who knows how many more?

~ Abigail

The Umbrella

Today I went back to Planned Parenthood to retrieve an umbrella that I had left with a friend earlier in the day.

As I stood in front of the clinic chatting with a fellow pro lifer a group of teenage boys approached us on the sidewalk. We were so engrossed in our conversation that we weren't paying careful attention to the direction the "Pray to end abortion" sign was facing, which happened to be facing away from the teenagers. As the boys walked past us I noticed them looking backward to read the sign.

As my eyes met the last boy in the group I expected him to say something to impress his friends. I remember being a teenager and what can happen when a group of them get together. Peer pressure is a powerful influence.

I had just finished that thought when to my amazement the young man fell to his knees and began praying while his friends continued walking down the sidewalk.

"I've never seen anything like that before." I said to my friend who turned his gaze to the boy and his friends who were now all turning around facing their friend.

As the other four boys stared at their friend on his knees I was certain one of them would say something to discourage him. The approval of your friends is incredibly important as a teenager -- often more important than the approval of your parents and family. And just as I completed that thought another boy in the group fell to his knees and began praying.

"I can't believe my eyes." I said, as the remaining three boys looked on in dismay as their two friends knelt before the Planned Parenthood in prayer.

I wanted to run over and give them both a hug and tell them I was praying for their kind of courage. The courage to serve God even if it means the ridicule of those whose opinions matter most. I have to wonder what the world would be like if everyone were no longer afraid of what their friends and colleagues thought and simply served God when their hearts told them to do it.

The Bible says the prayer of the righteous man availeth much, so I am left to speculate about the effectiveness of my own prayers, but I know the the prayers of those two boys went straight to heaven and into the ears of God.

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'" - Matt. 19:14

-Steve

One Man's Fight to End Abortion

The story of a man's struggle to save children destined for abortion. What an inspiration to us all when we feel we do not have the time or the money to share!

For six years, Phuc has buried the lifeless bodies of children in Nha Trang. Since 2004, he, with the help of his friends, has brought over 9,000 babies or fetuses from hospitals, maternity wards, and even dustbins to a cemetery, which is located on Hon Thom Mountain in Vinh Ngoc commune of Vietnam’s central city of Nha Trang...

Tong Phuoc Phuc said that after having buried so many dead babies, he recognized that it would be better if he could try to save the their lives.

read more...

Tyler's Child

Today was one of the busiest days at Planned Parenthood -- there was only one empty parking spot. The couples that began arriving in the morning had come to abort their babies. Shortly after the abortionist parked her car in the congested parking lot a father came out of the abortion clinic and approached the sidewalk where the pro lifers were praying and holding signs. He said his name was Tyler* and that he didn't want his girlfriend to have an abortion and that he felt he could be a good father.

He said he would never abandon his girlfriend, but that it wasn't his choice since it was her body.

He was told that it wasn't her body or even her baby -- but God's. Tyler was given adoption information and advised that there was a pregnancy center just down the street that could help them in addition to literature showing the development cycle of babies. Earlier, Tyler and his girlfriend had been told that God loved them and their baby and that their child was a blessing.

Tyler eventually agreed to go back into the abortion clinic and attempt to talk his girlfriend out of having an abortion. He was going to tell her, "If you love me you will have this baby." Cell phones lit up as the local pro lifers called everyone they knew to begin praying that Tyler would find the words to reach his girlfriend and that his precious baby would be spared.

"Your baby is waiting for you to be a hero and go into that building and save its life." a pro lifer told him.

Sadly, despite the prayers of God's faithful and words of encouragement to empower a father to save his child, Tyler's baby did not survive. About half an hour later Tyler came out and shook his head "no" when asked if he was successful. He spent the rest of the time around his car -- obviously uncomfortable with being inside the building. Later, he reached over and waved goodbye when he left with his girlfriend -- and began a chapter in his life that only God will be able to heal.

Tyler's baby is safe with God where no harm will come to it and where it will be loved by a heavenly Father that sent some of his very best servants to its rescue.

A few minutes later another couple came out smiling and said they had changed their minds. They were told the same thing that Tyler and his girlfriend had heard and saw the same people praying, but with a very different result. Perhaps God knows that his followers have their emotional limits.

And so there was joy through the tears as a mother and father took a very different path toward the miracle of parenthood. And they were told to praise God because their baby is a blessing.

-Steve

*Name changed to protect identities.

You are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made...

Wow.

God Loves History Teachers

Today at around 6 pm a Charlottesville high school history teacher saw someone holding a "Pray to end abortion" sign and decided to pull over to voice his discontent. It turns out that the history teacher was against abortion but would never impose his morals on someone else. There was a lengthy debate that followed which included attempts to get the teacher to see the contradictions in his own moral philosophy. He admitted that if rape or pedophilia were made legal he would stand against those laws and do more than simply hold a sign, but the same standard did not apply to abortion.

Debates can sometimes be helpful -- but that's not the miracle that occurred.

As twilight approached the pro life volunteer looked up and was shocked to see a brigade of pro lifers surrounding him and more volunteers crossing the street. The clinic was closed and yet God's army was still arriving.

One of the pro lifers walked up and introduced herself to the history teacher. And he asked her why she was there and she told him that she was adopted and that someone loved her rather than choosing abortion. And then she asked if she could introduce him to the other pro lifers and allow them to answer the question. And one by one the history teacher met God's faithful servants and each of them witnessed to him -- including the pastor of the church that made up the pro life brigade.

As darkness fell the pro lifer who originally thought he was trying to reach this man alone marveled at how much God must love that history teacher to send so many earth angels to his rescue.

-Steve

Hour of Power

Friday, Oct. 15 we were inspired by the participation of the Palmyra Knights of Columbus. It was a site to behold. The Knights decided to come back this Friday and the coordinated with other Knights in the area. Then the thought occurred to them — what if we all showed up during rush hour on Friday?

The UVa students were already scheduled to be there — at least one and quite likely two Knights of Columbus groups would be joining them. The stage was set for a tremendous showing of how God's grace can move people.

And there was. Over 70 people showed up to pour out prayers and hope onto this place that so sorely lacks hope.

We had a large crowd from Laurel Hill Baptist Church. There were more than 20 people who made it and even more were trying to get there but couldn't because of the traffic — so they prayed with us while driving. One woman told us how she had handed the sign around at her Sunday school meeting to show how holding a sign isn't nearly as scary as everyone thinks.

We also had a pastor from Calvary Baptist and a priest from Palmyra. The witness of the pastors is powerful in a time when leaders are told to shush and let people sin. Pray for our church leaders, that they will become convicted of the truth and will stand up.

Finally, we had representatives from three groups of Knights, Palmyra, Incarnation and St Thomas and the UVa students came. These are the groups I know of personally. I unfortunately didn't get to talk to all 70 people — so if I missed your group please let me know.

We had people coming out for the first time, and others who are veteran soldiers for Christ. There were folks who knelt in prayer, others who stood. Some waved at the passing cars and prayed for the souls inside. It was a time to meet fellow prayer warriors and give God praise for the power of His hand.

So when you are standing out there alone — remember you are NOT alone. Apart from the countless angels our Lord sends to protect you, all of your brothers and sisters in Christ are there with you in spirit!

Thank you for coming out and being a witness to LIFE!

To see more pictures from this event and others - join our facebook group.

Rape exception "necessary"?

"One study found that 50% of women who became pregnant by rape underwent abortions, 5.9% placed their infants for adoptions, and 32.3% of raped women kept their infants. Another study, conducted in a separate year, found markedly different results, concluding that 26% of women pregnant through rape underwent abortions. Of the 73% of women who carried their pregnancies to term, 36% placed their infants for adoption, and 64% raised the children they conceived through rape."

[…]

"These societal constructions have created a “prototype” of the pregnant raped woman and of the prototypical rape pregnancy experience by which all raped women are judged. […] Proponents of abortion rights used the image of the raped woman to challenge the public opinion that all women who sought abortions were making a choice “against motherhood.” They did this by depicting raped women as having no choice or personal agency in seeking their abortions. Instead, raped women were depicted as “unfortunates who, through no fault of their own, were forced into an abortion” […] by describing the unborn child in terms that suggest the child is a mere extension of the rapist (that is, by labeling the unborn child as the “rapist’s baby”) with the unborn child continuing the rapist’s violence against the woman, this time from within the raped woman’s own womb. By vilifying the rape-conceived child, these proponents depict abortion as a raped woman’s self-defense tool[.]

[…]

Perhaps surprisingly, the only study to ever analyze the effects of pregnancy upon raped women found that raped women are, above all, victims of rape, not pregnancy. […] “it appears that the pregnant victim’s problems stem more from the trauma of rape rather than from the pregnancy itself.” Only 19.2% of raped women stated that they needed to confront feelings of “resentment of the pregnancy” or “hostility towards [the] child.”

Read the entire paper here: Giving Birth to a “Rapist’s Child”: A Discussion and Analysis of the Limited Legal Protections Afforded to Women Who Become Mothers Through Rape (Georgetown Law Journal)

Unwanted. Unsafe. Unfair.

"Coerced abortion is explicitly recognized as a violation of basic rights and principles." – United Nations Population Fund^.

"Some claim that abortion is only 'forced' if physical force— e.g., kidnapping—is involved, and that all other abortions have been 'chosen' ... even where women have been harassed or brutalized to force them to comply. The 'forced' versus 'coerced' argument dismisses the fact that coerced abortions are human rights abuses. It legitimizes abuse of women by implying that any woman who had an abortion because she was unable to withstand being psychologically or physically abused, got what she deserved. ... "Both 'forced' and 'coerced' abortions should be opposed as fundamental human rights abuses."

Learn more at Abortion Is The Unchoice

On Eagle's Wings

I often tell people that it's not always the righteous who find their way to the abortion clinics. It's often unlikely heroes. In fact, I'm fond of saying a lot of the people, myself included, manage to get there despite being spiritually broken. A few of us limp to the battlefield ... and God somehow manages to use us and illustrate His greatness. Today was no different, but with a slight caveat.

When I arrived there were three men praying. I only recognized one of them. All three had driven an hour to stand outside of the Charlottesville abortion clinic.

At the end of their stay one of them mentioned that he was looking forward to addressing a medical issue. It turns out that he has a very rare muscle affliction that causes him considerable pain. And yet there he was standing outside the abortion clinic in prayer despite the pain. It reminded me of a man I had met in Houston that was dying of cancer outside of the abortion clinic, only we didn't know it at the time.

He never told us that he was fighting for his life.

All of us must overcome something to serve God. And for many Americans the struggle is to overcome fear in the battle of good versus evil. Many of us are in perfect health and yet we find reasons why we can't stand up for the unborn. But these men convict us in those moments when we don't feel like holding a sign or praying in the cold rain. These faithful servants of God show up and minister that it's not our strength that will win this war, but God's strength.

If God can give them the strength to overcome physical pain then surely God can give us all the strength we need in our moment of weakness.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the Earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:28-31

-- Steve

Be at peace

"Be at peace.

Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life;
rather look to them with full hope as they arise.

God, whose very own you are, will deliver you from out of them.

He has kept you hitherto, and He will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will bury you in his arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow, the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and everyday.

He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.

Be at peace, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imagination."

-- St Francis de Sales

HT to Lauren

Day 13: Midpoint Rally & the Importance of Prayer

Hi Prayer Warriors!

It's hard to believe that we're already more than a quarter of a way through the 40 days -- in fact day 20 is only a week away! And with this passing of time, the midpoint rally is now at hand!

Midpoint Rally
When: Sunday, Oct 10 from 1pm to ~2:30pm
Where: Albemarle High School with some opening prayers, then doing a prayer march down to Planned Parenthood (1/2 a mile walk)

While talking with a fellow Christian I realized I'd done a poor job of explaining what 40 Days for Life was about. It's not about the vigil at Planned Parenthood, it's not about community outreach, and it's not even about visiting the website and signing up for the daily devotionals. 40 Days for Life is simply about praying and fasting for an end to abortion. One of our most powerful prayer warriors will never make it out to Planned Parenthood or perhaps even witness to the community, for she can barely walk. She'll never receive a single email from me or the national team, for she has no email...nor even a computer.

Yet she is praying, every day, for an end to abortion, for this campaign and for each of us. When she signed her name with an arthritic, shaking hand, I knew it was her prayers, and the prayers of the many more unknown souls like her, that were upholding us. Everything else is an outward, visible sign of this necessary, invisible reality of prayer. Without that prayer nothing will be accomplished!

If your church or community is doing something prayer centered to end abortion, please pass it along so others may join in. Here are two events coming up within the next week:

Holy Hour for the Respect of all human life
When: Sunday, October 10th at 3pm (we'll try to end the rally on time so people can make it to this)
Where: St Thomas Aquinas
What: An hour of private prayer in front of the exposed host.
Who: Anyone may attend - if you have questions please feel free to contact me

Mass offered for 40 Days for Life
When: Tuesday, October 12 at 12:25pm
Where: UVA Chapel on grounds (note: parking can be difficult)
Who: Anyone may attend, but only Catholics who have prepared themselves may receive communion.

Thank you for all your prayers and may the Lord bless you abundantly as you continue to put your trust in Him!

Day Nine: The Monsoon

"Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" - Matt. 19:26

Several inches of rain did not stop God's army from braving the elements outside of Planned Parenthood on Hydraulic Road - among them 84 year old Mary Jo. Despite being a little bit under the weather she brought her umbrella and grabbed a "Pray to end abortion sign" and alongside other volunteers she walked up and down the block in the pouring rain. She walked, and walked, and walked ... and when asked how she was able to do it she attributed it to "good genes".

One onlooker stated, "I hope to have have half her faith when I'm 84."

Later, Mr. and Mrs. Kenney would inherit the signs and pick up where Mary Jo left off -- being joined by fellow parishioner Steven. Hundreds upon hundreds of cars drove by and stared in amazement as men and women illustrated how much God loves the unborn. In the midst of the storm the light of God's love shone through.

We wish to think everyone who has stood for God's truth even when it was uncomfortable and inconvenient.

- Steve

Lost Hope

The reason that people want to kill the unborn is that they have lost hope.

I received a class recently on suicide awareness here at The Basic School. The instructor began by taking a survey of how many people knew someone who had attempted to or who had committed suicide. Almost every hand went up.

St. John Vianney tells us that “The eyes of the world see no further than this life, but the eyes of the Christian see deep into eternity.” The world, therefore, cannot hope for anything more than the pleasures of this life. We Christians, however, see the hope of the next life. We hope not that we will be loved, for we already are, but that, because of Jesus, we will perfectly love God and one another.

When you listen to the reasons espoused by the proponents of abortion, they are always something along the lines of “The child won’t be loved” or “the child won’t have a good life with its disability”. Yet none of these things will preclude the child from our hope, either in this world or the next.

- Martin

Kickoff Rally

Pictures from our Kickoff Rally on Wednesday!







Thank you to all for the prayers and song!

"I didn't survive so I could make everyone comfortable..."

An abortion survivor tells her story...



"Not that I look forward to being hated, but I know that I'm already hated because I declare LIFE."

"How much are you willing to take and how much are you willing to risk to speak the truth in love and graciousness and stand up and at least be willing to be hated? Or at the end of the day is it all about you?"

"The Cerebral Palsy was caused by the lack of oxygen to my brain while I was trying to survive...If abortion is merely about women's rights, ladies and gentlemen, then what were mine? There was not a radical feminist standing up and yelling about how my rights were being violated that day. In fact my life was being snuffed out in the name of women's rights."



"MEN, you are made for greatness. You are made to stand up and be men. You are made to defend women and children and not stand by and turn your head when you know murder is occurring and do nothing about it."

"WOMEN, you are not made for abuse. You are not made to sit and not know your worth and your value. You are made to be fought for."

"So now is your moment, what sort of people will you rise to be. I trust incredible."

Life Before Birth - some good educational resources

"Science Question From A Toddler" - starts out with a beautiful in-the-womb photograph, then shares quite a bit of interesting info about sensory development before birth.

I've also found a few excellent YouTube videos with amazing views of human development from the teeny-tiniest embryo all the way along to adorable toddler. My 3 year old son is obsessed with babies currently and he especially loves seeing the unborn ones, picking out the details of tiny fingers and toes and ears and eyebrows. I hope you'll enjoy these as much as he does!

High-Tech Photos (from Priests For Life)

Fetal Development

Fetal Development (another one)

False Humility

The Following meditation comes from one of the vigil volunteers

There is clearly a false humility. One species in the genus is spite or despite for life itself. We can see where it begins. Dead sand is "clean"; living humus is "dirty." Which would you rather have on your hands, SAE-30 motor oil, purified and dead, or snot? Who among us has escaped the humiliating experience of being pooped on by a bird? Ah! Life! NOT!

Human life can be seen as more of a plague than the occasional avian insult. While cities should be monuments to creativity and civility, yet they too have their excretory functions, and it takes planning and discipline for humans in cities to avoid fouling their nest.

And in this we can see not only our ambivalence, fallen as we are, about the burden and delights of our animal life, but the fell hand of the enemy, and his disastrous thoughts seeping into our minds. "Too many children!" is the cry. Diapers in landfills. Children squalling in restaurants. Babies yowling in church. Parents "punished with a baby," as our president once said -- worried, frustrated, unable fulfill their potential, their dreams.

We must, we are told, prevent fecundity. We must make our beds sterile, while we impose no obstacle to orgasm, however achieved. For the good of life, they tell us, we must adopt the practice of death and snatch, scrape, and tear the pre-nascent human from the place ordained, "appointed" as the Bible charmingly says, for it. Otherwise our lives will be ruined.

But they are not our lives, not OURS, not really. As Lewis says, to pretend this is MY life, MY body is ludicrous. Imagine a prince, the young child of a king. In love the royal father makes him lord of some small principality. He receives the honor, the title, the coronet. But still the principality is really governed by the king and his counsellors.

How foolish would that child be who wanted to exercise for himself the princely power! Before his subjects could hear, laugh, and possibly rebel, the kingly sire would send him to his room without any supper! Yet we claim sovereignty over ourselves, our 'persons' as the old language has it, and seek to extend that sovereignty over the mystery of ensouled life around ourselves, and even in ourselves, all in the name of our dominion.

And the outcome? When we set ourselves against the Lord of Life and Love, what can the outcome be but death and misery? We humans have been given the titles of dominion and many powers. Beguiled by our seeming majesty we exercise this lordship but in pride and disobedience, not in the wonder which Life, mucus, smells, and all, should compel -- does compel when our eyes are open and our hearts alive.

What false charity to destroy our own kind! What false humility to despise the miracle of our life! What sorrow and wrath we bring down on our own heads, and those of our children, when we, as our pagan forebears did, sacrifice our children to ensure our ease!

May we be forgiven. May we be given new hearts. May we bear life-giving Love, the Son of Love, into a world where we are so lost that to many of us the way to joy is through the death of our heirs.

Lord have mercy upon us.
Christ have mercy upon us.
Lord have mercy upon us.

-- Harry

A Ray of Light for Charlottesville

Hello everyone,

40 Days for Life is almost upon us and sometimes it's hard to muster the courage and energy to confront the dark cloud of abortion that hangs over this nation. However, occasionally a ray of light shines through the darkness to remind us that God is still there and His love is triumphant.

When I moved to Charlottesville this summer I met a couple men who had been standing outside of Planned Parenthood for years. In fact, one of them had been standing for so long that he was starting to question his service. He said to me, "It's very rare that I get any positive feedback." I told him that it was a small town, but I knew from my experience in Houston that lives were being changed simply by the presence of men and women outside of the abortion clinic praying and handing out literature.

No sooner had he crossed the street than a woman pulled up into the Planned Parenthood parking lot and started yelling at me. At first I thought she angry with me... but then she told me she wanted to tell me something. She pointed to the backseat of her car and said she had a grandson in a car seat that was alive because people were standing outside of the clinic and she wanted to say "thank you".

I ran across the street to the parking lot where my friend was parked to tell him the good news... but God wasn't done!

A week later a young woman pulled off the side of the road to tell me that she too had changed her mind because people were standing outside of the clinic. This time I was prepared and I asked if I could get pictures of her baby so that we could see with our own eyes why we stand. All the pictures are of her beautiful baby girl.

I'm also including the email she sent me (see below) since it was intended for everyone who stands in the rain and in the hot sun and suffers the slings and arrows of those who wish to persecute the innocent. So when your feet start to hurt and your back begins to ache just remember this sweet baby is alive today because a group of people overcame their fears, anxieties, and personal plans to help others.

And not just the babies... but the mothers and fathers whose lives are forever changed by the miracle of childbirth. And the generations of Americans who we will never meet that will trace their family tree to ancestors who survived abortion because God sent his very best into the battlefield.

-Steve

Hello Steve,

I remember speaking with you that day. I'm not sure why I was so inclined to stop and speak to you but remember feeling like I needed to tell someone my story, someone who changed my thought process when I was trying to decide whether or not I should carry my child to term.

I cannot thank you and others like you enough for standing up for what you believe in, because had it not been for you all I may have made a horrible decision and terminated my pregnancy. My girl is my entire world, and everything I do now is so that I can create a better life for her.

Please, do not stop doing what you are doing. I know it may seem like your messages are falling on deaf eyes and blind eyes, but I can assure you that me and my daughter are proof of the power that you all have. I am attaching some pictures of her, so enjoy! She just turned 4 months old.

”Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.” -Orison Swett Marden

40 Days is Coming Soon!

September 22 is the start of the vigil, and it's only two weeks away! It's amazing how quickly it's coming and yet far more amazing how much more the Lord is accomplishing. This is truly His Work and He will provide all that is needed, yet so humble that He chooses to provide by cooperating with us. It seems that whatever skills and items we truly need, He brings forward members of the Body of Christ who can meet those needs.

How is God desiring to cooperate with you to bring about the success of this campaign? There are a several ways ways you can get involved even now:

Start Praying

The work we are doing in preparing for this fall campaign is God's work and the devil seeks to discourage us and stop it. Please pray that the Lord will provide us all with the Graces we need to accomplish His Will in our lives.

Listen to the Radio

On July 29th, Steve appeared on the Shilling Show (1070 WINA) to talk about this upcoming fall campaign. On Wednesday, September 16 at shortly after noon he will be joined by Abigail and myself. Please pray for us as we seek to brings this message of love and healing to those listening and for them that their hearts will be moved by the words the Lord gives us.

To listen to the archived show on the web after the fact, go to the station's website and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Sign up for the Vigil

The vigil calendar is up and running! This year we will be using a provided calendar that has the added benefit of sending out a reminder email the day before! There are three easy steps to signing up - to learn more check out our vigil sign-up instructions.

Start spreading the Word

The most effective witness for this event is word of mouth. Encourage people to visit our website to learn more about the national and local campaign.

Encourage people to sign up for the national emails by visiting the website and filling out the form in the upper right by the picture. They send out daily devotionals during the campaign that are a wonderful combination of scripture, meditation and prayer. This will also put them on the local list so they will have updates locally. The national team sends out very few emails outside of the campaigns and neither of us will give away your email address.

Donate

Part of the campaign is the educational and local outreach. We will be providing literature and educational materials. If you areinterested in helping us provide these items please contact me at cville40days@gmail.com

Note on donations: There is a 2 for 1 sale until the end of this month for 40 Days for Life materials - so your donation will have a double impact if submitted by the end of the month!

Other Talents?

Is God putting something else on your heart? If you feel called to do something that I've not listed here? Then I ask you to pray and act. If you see a need that you can fill, let us know!

Above all, please continue to pray that we will have the wisdom and courage to continue to do God's work.

God bless,
Christina

Remember who we are praying for

A volunteer sent this reminder of who we are praying for, please continue to pray.

If you are alone, confused and don’t know were to turn, I am praying for you!
If you are contemplating an abortion and looking for help, I am praying for you!
If you believe you do not have any “choices”, I am praying for you!
If you had an abortion and looking for help, I am praying for you!
If you are the father of the person in the womb, I am praying for you!
If you perform abortions, I am praying for you!
If you work in an abortion mill, I am praying for you!
If you are looking for the truth, I am praying for you!

If you are standing beside me praying, I am praying for you!

Selling Abortions

It's all about the Benjamins. It's not a secret. Planned Parenthood sells a product, and that product is abortion. In order for their coropration to be sucessful, they need money. In order to get money, they need "clients," that is, they need women to come to them with crisis pregnancies. For the abortion providers, they are not concerned with choice. There is one choice they care about - the choice to end a child's life. Many women are forced, pushed, pressured to abort - this is not a concern for the money-driven organization.

Just ask Abby Johnson, who got involved with Planned Parenthood because she wanted to help women. As a Planned Parenthood Executive Director for almost a decade, she learned first hand about the blood-money. She was told by her boss that they needed more abortions because they needed more money. Clearly, it's never been about choice, or else the advocates of choice would voice disapproval. It's always been about money. Hear Abby explain.

"Planned Parenthood gets money..." is the sign PP often places on their property as we gather to pray. That is supposed to deter us? We already know this. On top of all the money they make, we know our tax money goes to fund this genocide. We stand and pray, and they rack in the dough for killing off innocent children.

Don't think it's really about money? Don't take my word for it. Just hear all the former Planned Parenthood employees tell you themselves.

Abortion is a false solution. We offer an alternative - HOPE.

PRO-LIFE AMENDMENTS NEEDED FOR STATE BUDGET!

TAKE ACTION to ban state funding of abortion, Planned Parenthood, and life-ending research!: On March 14, the Virginia General Assembly approved a budget to guide state spending for the next two fiscal years. This budget fails to prevent the use of state taxpayers’ money for abortions, Planned Parenthood projects, or research that requires a newly conceived life to be destroyed. Together, the Governor and the General Assembly have a final opportunity to amend the budget on April 21. Between now and then, it is critical for us, as constituents and taxpayers, to let our state leaders know we do not want to be forced to pay for life-ending practices and providers. Virginia currently funds one abortion every two days, and your input is needed to stop this practice! To take timely action, visit the Virginia Catholic Conference website (www.vacatholic.org) and use the alert linked at the top of the page.

Babies are a Blessing!

Life is beautiful! Babies are a blessing!

Sadly, most think of babies not as a blessing but a burden. As a new parent, I can tell you that most of the comments you receive when you're having a baby reflect this overall negative view of life. People talk about losing sleep, changing diapers, financial burdens, and other challenges. Even if someone is joking, it often shows how they really view something. People ask if this baby was an "accident." The most incredible thing we can do with our lives is bring a new life into existence - a life that did not exist before, and will exist for all eternity. And all some people can come up with is, "Was this planned?" This lame response reduces the most exciting thing to a business transaction.

Having and raising children are difficult things. So is getting married. But the key is that the difficulties and sacrifices you make are worth the joy you receive. It's part of the package deal. The hardships are part of the whole picture, but they are not the whole picture in themselves. Marriage is difficult - but worth it! Having children can be tough - but great joy comes through great sacrifice. If you want to have joy, you need to make sacrifices.

Babies are not a burden but a joy!


This is the best sign you can have - a smiling baby! He's saying, "It may be cold, but I'm glad I'm here!"



Our final attempt to show that life is joyful, no matter the circumstances.

Pornography and Abortion

Recently I went to the mall -- for the first time in a while. I was absolutely appalled at the pornography plastered on the windows of Victoria's Secret. Every 11-year-old boy in our society is learning to treat women as objects. Every 11-year-old girl is learning that if she wants to be valued, she has to take off her clothes. Advertisements constantly reduce women to objects of gratification. The message to their audience is simple: this is what a woman is for.

With such a message so shamelessly proclaimed, are we surprised that sex has become completely divorced from the life-long commitment it requires (marriage) and openness to life? We are told that sex has nothing to do with marriage or bringing new life into this world -- unless you want it to. By removing these intrinsic meanings from sex, we reduce it to mere physical recreation. If it's only physical, why treat that person with dignity? If sex doesn't require a life-long commitment, or openness to life, it is just fertile ground for use and abuse. Are we surprised that divorce, rape, abortion, and contraception parallel the extensive pornography across our country and globe?

These selfish substitutions for true love reduce something beautiful to something cheap. Love becomes lust. Lust tells us that a person is to be used like a machine and can thus be disposed of afterward. And what if a new human is created by this sexual union? Well that one must be disposed of too. Abortion follows unbridled lust -- the lust that companies like Victoria's Secret tell us is normal, the lustful gratification they insist we deserve, the lust at the eye-level of a 6-year-old at every grocery store.

In this way, men are told women are sex objects. And this is one man that is very angry about it. Women are reduced to animals and men are reduced with them. We are told, as one "expert" said on the Today Show, "Men are hard wired to have lots of sex with multiple partners." Self-control! What's that? Fortitude? Temperance? "Do whatever feels good" is society's mantra: starting with lust and leading to abortion, leaving women, men, and children broken in its wake.

Is there an alternative to this lust-laden way of life where self-satisfaction only leads to destruction and misery? Yes!

A chaste woman who values modesty -- now there's something attractive. Anyone can take her clothes off, and reduce herself to an object. But a woman who respects her body, that's hot. A courageous man with fortitude who doesn't want to be sold sex -- there's the moral fiber that will bring an end to abortion.

That man and that woman are the kind who will seek to do the right thing, even when its difficult. Abortion and its precursor, lust, are about convenience. Child-rearing and its precursor, virtue, are about sacrifice. And that's true love.

"Have you read your sign?"

"Have you read your sign?"

It was an extraordinary sort of question, which perhaps excuses our slowness to respond. Finally someone replied: "I beg your pardon?"

The woman repeated her question and, when we assured her that we had certainly read our own sign (which begs readers not to believe the lies, and declares forthrightly that abortion kills babies), she continued: "Of course abortion kills babies. That's why people have abortions. Everyone knows that. Do you think people are stupid?"

The conversation did not become less bizarre as the minutes passed. When asked whether she was comfortable with the brutal dismemberment of babies, the woman discarded the term which she herself had used. They were no longer "babies" -- they were "fetuses". A few minutes later, they were "babies" again, and in a flash they were reduced to "parasites". She denounced unwanted infants in the womb as "inconvenient", then proudly noted that she had four children. She objected to our protesting of Planned Parenthood because of "all the good things they do" (which, from what she said, consists of providing contraceptives and having vaguely positive notions as to women). She almost angrily dismissed points made by Chris Gilbert saying: "You don't have uterus, so you can't have an opinion." She laughed when we likened accepting abortion to tacit acceptance of slavery, awkwardly waved off any references to the racist agenda inherent in abortion and particularly in the history of Planned Parenthood, and generally changed the subject every time she became uncomfortable (which was approximately every twenty seconds). She demanded to know if we had seen an abortion and when we all said that we had insisted that videos were not accurate; we could only understand abortion if we had had one or if we had stood beside someone as her baby was dismembered. Finally she shrugged us off, made a vague reference to war and to Iraq, and walked to her car, only to be confronted by two remarkably unfriendly Planned Parenthood employees who pointed out that she was trespassing on private property and must remove her car and herself immediately.

The entire conversation lasted five or ten minutes. It left us a bit stunned -- if not incredulous -- and rather thoughtful. There is so much ignorance, so much confusion, and so much pain. There are many who would not even have had the conflicted courage (or the longing) to stop and speak with us.

God bless her, whoever she is.

Have you read our sign today? Abortion kills babies.

Yes. It does.

Slavery and Abortion

Homily given by the Very Reverend Father, Greg Maturi, O.P. on Sunday, Jan. 17th at St. Dominic's in Youngstown Ohio:

This Friday, several hundred thousand people will march in Washington DC in the Pro-Life March. They have done so every year for the past 36 years. They march because in this great country of ours, babies are being sacrificed simply for the sake of convenience. Those who march love this great country of ours. And as with the prophet Isaiah in today’s first reading, for the sake of this country they will not be silent, they will not be quiet. They will not be silent as long as our government calls a constitutional right that which is manifestly evil.

Yes, it’s sad that in this great country of ours, the evil of abortion has darkened the minds of so many. Our country has overcome evil in the past. One thinks of the great evil of slavery. The parallels between slavery and abortion are stunning. It’s as if history is repeating itself. 150 years ago, in 1857 the supreme court of the US passed the Dred Scott decision which held that slaves are not citizens and therefore not protected by the constitution. The president of the US at the time, James Buchanan, had hoped that the supreme court decision would finally put to rest the slavery issue. But it did not. In fact, it made it worse. The decision so upset good people, that they formed a new political party in opposition to slavery. They called the new party the Republican party. In 1860, the Republican party nominated for president a senator from Illinois named Abraham Lincoln. During his campaign to become the 16th president of the United States, Lincoln debated with the Democrat senator from Illinois, Stephen Douglas, who along with the Democrat party, defended slavery. The transcript of their debates illustrates the parallel between slavery and abortion.

During their debates, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech at Cooper Union in NYC where he defended the Republican position against slavery. The speech is well worth the read. In that speech, Lincoln used the US constitution, and the voting record of the founding fathers, to make his case. He denounced the Dred Scott decision as wrong and non binding.

In reply, Stephen Douglas, representing the Democrat party, held that slavery should not only be permitted, but that it is morally acceptable, socially elevating, and should have national recognition as a legal right and a social blessing. But the parallel between slavery and abortion goes even deeper. As in today’s Republican party, so in Lincoln’s time, a certain faction of the Republican party known as “Copperheads” did not want to deal with the issue of slavery. They were more concerned about keeping political peace than ending slavery.

History has shown them to be wrong, dead wrong.

History will do the same for those who do not stand up against abortion today.

Today’s situation is not all that different from then. We are faced with a grave evil that cries to the Lord for vindication. And so today we look to the Lord for grace. We come to Jesus here in the Eucharist, just as Mary came to him at the wedding of Cana. We seek his wisdom and strength. We seek his power to transform the hearts of those in elected office who stubbornly refuse to accept the truth about human life in the womb.

Still, we know that the battle against abortion is ultimately a spiritual battle. And so we look to the Holy Spirit. It is He, St Paul says in today’s 2nd reading, who gives each of us the spiritual gifts we need. We ask the Holy Spirit to give us His gifts. And as we use those gifts to stand against evil, then we will be able to proclaim authentically, in the words of today’s psalmist, God’s marvelous deeds, one of which is this great country of ours.

God Bless America!

It is also worth noting that both Dred Scott and Roe v. Wade passed with the Supreme Court rule of 7 to 2.

Also, in 1857 the U.S. Supreme Court declared that blacks are "...a subordinate and inferior class of beings..." [Dred] Scott v. Sandford.

The Supreme Court similarly said in 1973, "The word 'person' in the XIV Amendment does not include the unborn." Roe v. Wade

Science continues to claim otherwise.

Read Dr. Alveda King on abortion:



Planned Parenthood, Stop Lying about My Uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!

"Please visit www.priestsforlife.org/africanamerican and view the Martin Luther King, Jr. PDF about Planned Parenthood. My uncle didn’t even attend their awards ceremony. He didn’t write the speech. Could a man who warned against the evils of infantacide in his Letter From A Birmingham Jail; who said “the Negro cannot win if he is willing to sacrifice the future of his children for immediate personal comfort and safety,” whose father was staunchly prolife; who said “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere support abortion and killer chemicals called “safe” birth control? Dr. King did support natural family planning. He did teach youth to live purposeful lives. He did not and would not support abortion and sterilization! Planned Parenthood tricked me into having secret abortions which hurt me and killed my babies. They lied to my uncle, Dr. King. How can the dream survive if we murder our children?

Read on to view more of their trickery in their media release!"



Sadly, racism continues to be a reality in our country, yet many do not recognize the most brutal face of racism - abortion. Here is one man who knows the truth:

"The most dangerous place for an African American to be is in the womb of their African American mother." Rev, Clenard H Childress Jr

www.blackgenocide.org

My Chance

Abortion equals pain. Please help prevent it. Please help those who have experienced it know that there is healing, forgiveness and peace.

http://www.jtmusic.net/video/