LIFE in C'ville

Fall 40 Days For Life

2011-10-18T08:49:00.000-04:00

You are invited to join us for the Midpoint Rally - Hour of Power for the Charlottesville 40 Days for Life. Last year we had over 80 people show up and covered the sidewalk in front of Planned Parenthood. Lets do that again this year and all show up during rush hour this Friday. The UVA students are already scheduled to show up during the day this Friday and we are hoping that the Knights of Columbus will join us again. The stage has been set for a tremendous showing of God's people. If every person who receives this email shows up at 5 pm on October 21st at the Planned Parenthood on Hydraulic Road and brings a friend there will be over a hundred of us from all denominations and walks of life united for a common cause -- saving God's beautiful children.

... YOU can make a difference!

Status of the Spring Campaign here in Charlottesville

2011-02-13T22:54:00.001-05:00

As many of you have heard, the national spring campaign will be held from March 9 to April 17 this year. Charlottesville will not be officially taking part in this campaign; however, that does not mean we will be ignoring the event.

We are asking that each of you pledge to a specific prayer and fast for the 40 days. I know for myself in the past it is easy to say "yes I'm praying for an end to abortion", but it's a lot harder to actually make that time daily to pray, even if it's only a single Our Father. This demon of abortion will only be driven away by prayer and fasting, so let us focus on allowing God to drive it away. Take some time to prayerfully consider what God is calling you to do, write it down and put it somewhere where you will see it daily.

I believe we will be able to have the schedule open for sign-ups. We know abortions have been performed at Planned Parenthood on Fridays and Saturdays and it would be wonderful to focus our presence on the days when women are in need. There are those who are seeking to fill more of the schedule this spring, if you would be interested in joining their efforts in outreach and education, let us know and we'll get you together.

Thank you for your dedication and prayers, and I hope to see you all noon tomorrow at Planned Parenthood to pray that they will finally be defunded in this nation and around the world.

Pro-Life Prayers for this weekend

2010-11-19T19:32:00.002-05:00

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

2010-11-14T10:23:00.001-05:00

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.

He's On His Way

2010-11-11T15:17:00.002-05:00

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

2010-11-10T23:50:00.001-05:00

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.

Race for the Truth about the Susan B. Komen Foundation

2010-11-05T09:30:00.002-04:00

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?

2010-11-02T12:54:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-10-29T17:13:00.002-04:00

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

2010-10-28T10:05:00.001-04:00

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

2010-10-26T19:45:00.002-04:00

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.

Tyler's Child

2010-10-23T23:29:00.006-04:00

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...

2010-10-22T12:42:00.000-04:00

Wow.

God Loves History Teachers

2010-10-19T21:10:00.002-04:00

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

2010-10-15T20:29:00.022-04:00

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"?

2010-10-12T21:51:00.005-04:00

"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.

2010-10-10T19:14:00.002-04:00

"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

2010-10-07T21:25:00.001-04:00

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

2010-10-05T13:05:00.000-04:00

"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

2010-10-05T13:04:00.000-04:00

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

2010-10-01T08:21:00.001-04:00

"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

2010-10-01T08:19:00.002-04:00

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

2010-09-29T08:42:00.009-04:00

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..."

2010-09-28T20:02:00.003-04:00

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

2010-09-25T12:34:00.003-04:00

"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

2010-09-23T19:52:00.005-04:00

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

2010-09-20T13:58:00.032-04:00

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!

2010-09-12T14:27:00.002-04:00

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

2010-09-12T14:24:00.002-04:00

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

2010-05-14T11:23:00.003-04:00

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!

2010-04-15T10:10:00.001-04:00

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!

2010-03-16T11:18:00.004-04:00

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

2010-02-23T13:31:00.001-05:00

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?"

2010-02-02T15:38:00.012-05:00

"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

2010-01-26T12:16:00.011-05:00

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

2010-01-15T11:20:00.003-05:00

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/

The True meaning of Christmas

2009-12-30T16:21:00.009-05:00

What better way to celebrate the Christmas season than praying that the reason God became man - to give LIFE - would continue to effect our culture?

God came to earth that we might have life - beautiful life. Each life has deep meaning because God has stamped his presence into our existence. We witness this in a special way when we consider the Incarnation - the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. Jesus, the God-man grew as single celled human, as a zygote, as a fetus. There's something worth meditating upon. And there we find the G0d's love, the purpose of Jesus' birth. God pursues us relentlessly, and even became one of us that we might know this truth. The Author of Life conquered death. Those who protect the dignity of human life defend this message - life belongs to God. Those who further the destruction of human life mock this message - and belittle the handiwork of the Almighty God. May the Lord's blessing give us a fresh spirit of defending the lives of the unborn this year. May He renew our hearts to do what we know we must: speak the truth in love and pray for His will.

These images are from Christmas Eve:
You can't tell, but the man with the blue coat has a baby in there!

Sometimes you need 5 blankets for your baby and a warm drink for yourself!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The kind of people we're becoming, and what we can do about it

2009-12-07T14:23:00.003-05:00

"The real choice in accepting or rejecting a child with special needs is between love and unlove; between courage and cowardice; between trust and fear. That's the choice we face when it happens in our personal experience. And that's the choice we face as a society in deciding which human lives we will treat as valuable, and which we will not...."

Read the rest of this fantastic speech by ARCHBISHOP CHARLES J. CHAPUT

The Manhattan declaration

2009-11-20T14:03:00.001-05:00

Attention! From the signers of Manhattan Declaration, being released today at Noon EST, in Washington D.C:

We invite you to join with other Christians across the nation who support the sanctity of life, traditional marriage and religious liberty by endorsing the Manhattan Declaration.

Throughout the centuries, God has graciously provided His people with teachers and prophetic voices who apply His word to the critical issues of the day and who lead their hearers to embrace His life-giving authority and counsel in the midst of cultural madness. The Manhattan Declaration extends and honors that tradition, and we urge you to join us in affirming it. The Manhattan Declaration addresses with urgent eloquence the devaluation of human life, the corruption of marriage, and the erosion of religious liberty. With careful instruction, it brings light and clarity to all who read it. We trust that millions of believers will sign it, that countless others will be drawn or driven to give it fair consideration, and that our society will be changed by its strong yet sweetly reasonable message.

The Manhattan Declaration will be released this Friday, November 20, 2009, at a press conference in Washington D.C. It bears the signatures of many religious leaders, but this is just the beginning. The list of supports will grow dramatically in a short time and those who most need to hear this word will not be able to escape or downplay it. So please endorse this document by your signature and spread the word to others who might endorse it as well. Thank you.

Click here to view the Manhattan Declaration and lend your name to those who have already signed.

"Subtle links": God saves twins!

2009-11-20T12:16:00.007-05:00

"...how subtle are the links which bind two souls which are so closely allied." -- Arthur Conan Doyle

In life there are moments when the grace of God becomes so vividly and visually apparent that, if we were to try and capture such a moment in fiction or film, it would be dismissed as an improbable fiction. And yet the grace of God pervades every moment of every day, more wondrously than we can understand or seek to describe. That is what we are called upon to remember in those seemingly extraordinary moments -- not that the action of God in our lives is unusual, but that our realization of it is what is really extraordinary.

On this particular "Friday for Life", as we stood in a little group, praying in front of the genocide factory of Planned Parenthood, we experienced the usual mixture of reactions -- a whispered "God bless you" from an elderly man out for his morning constitutional, and a scarcely understandable shout that we should "get a job".

When the red mini-SUV pulled out of the parking lot and slowed at the curb near the sign, our prayers intensified. It was driven by an older woman, with a girl in the passenger seat. We fully expected we were about to "get it with both barrels", as the saying goes. As the older woman got out, and walked across the grass to speak with us, my mother made one last whispered petition to the Holy Spirit.

But this was a grandmother who had come to thank, not to attack. "I want to thank you," she said. "My daughter came here to have an abortion. But we've just learned that she's pregnant with twins... and she's changed her mind."

Blessings, hugs, and tears predictably followed.

Thanks be to God for his benevolence and for the little twin who saved two lives today. If Cain's question -- "Am I my brother's keeper?" -- were put to that little prolifer, the answer would clearly be "Yes!"

Love and prayers for mother, grandmother, and for that happy pair.

FRIDAYS FOR LIFE!

2009-11-09T14:48:00.000-05:00

Praised be Jesus Christ!

I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your prayers, fasts, sacrifices, and efforts in these past 40 Days. What a difference they have made! Many of you have shared your experiences with me, and each one is a powerful testimony to God's mercy.

The big news that rounds out the 40 Days is that a Planned Parenthood Director, Abby Johnson, quits after working at PP for 8 years! I believe that God has crowned the 40 Days For Life with this woman's conversion. Watch the video from foxnews and read the full story here. She worked in College Park, TX, where the 40 Days for Life began - which she had seen out her window for the past 5 years! There have been over 100 stories on her, but this one is amazing: (listen to the interview)

Nationally, there were also 8 nurses who quit and 563 babies saved!

I also believe that these 40 days are only the beginning of the end of abortion - yes, ending abortion must be our goal. The irony of Abby's story was that what was unsettling to her was a push from her bosses for more abortions. If abortion is a good thing, why is more of a good thing bad? Clearly, abortion is the "business" that keeps PP running. Abortion is all about money for them. And as this "business" was receiving less revenue (that is, more women were keeping their children), PP responded by saying, "We need to have more abortions." Praise God for His grace that caused this woman to realize the truth! Amazingly, it was an ultrasound that made Abby realize that abortion is murder. A director of 8 years did not realize what was happening to those children! Can you imagine that? That is why a visible presence outside these abortion facilities is so crucial. We are the only chance that many of these babies have. We are the only visual for many children's mothers (who are not allowed to see the ultrasound). But if the 40 Days For Life is over, why am I so fired up?

Abortion is not over. Abortion continues to destroy many members of our community, and damage many others. That is why we will continue to pray outside Planned Parenthood every Friday - the day of abortions in Albemarle - until it closes (details below). I am asking you personally, will you commit to praying an hour each Friday? If you cannot, will you pray every other Friday? Or, will you pray one Friday a month? I cannot emphasize the great impact your visible prayerful presence has made on so many hearts and minds. Please continue to stand up for life with me. Please continue to be a voice, a sign, for the true peace, true justice, and true love of Christ. There are little children in their mothers' wombs right now who are scheduled to be killed. Will you help me try to save them? There are mothers who are confused and scared being pressured to have abortions, will you pray for them?

Friday sign-ups will continue here just like during the 40 Days.
We will be covering the hours 9 AM to 5 PM. However, on the First Fridays of the month, we will only cover 9AM to Noon, so that we can have more substantial numbers all at once. If you are willing to pray at PP, but cannot come at the designated hours, of course any prayerful presence there is encouraged any time. I also ask you to fast on Fridays. Jesus gave up his body for us, that we might have life. By fasting, in a small but real way, we too give up something good (food) for the sake of something better (grace!). Fasting is a way of praying with our bodies that unites us to Christ's perfect offering to the Father (more about fasting here).

"And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:9

Please keep praying! God bless you!

Saving Lives!

2009-11-03T14:36:00.001-05:00

USCCB NATIONWIDE BULLETIN INSERT

Tell Congress: Remove Abortion Funding & Mandates from Needed Health Care Reform

Congress is preparing to debate health care reform legislation on the House and Senate floors.

Genuine health care reform should protect the life and dignity of all people from the moment of
conception until natural death. The U.S. bishops’ conference has concluded that all committee approved bills are seriously deficient on the issues of abortion and conscience, and do not provide adequate access to health care for immigrants and the poor. The bills will have to change or the bishops have pledged to oppose them.

Our nation is at a crossroads. Policies adopted in health care reform will have an impact for good or ill for years to come. None of the bills retains longstanding current policies against abortion funding or abortion coverage mandates, and none fully protects conscience rights in health care.

As the U.S. bishops’ letter of October 8 states:

“No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion. It is essential that the legislation clearly apply to this new program longstanding and widely supported federal restrictions on abortion funding and mandates, and protections for rights of conscience. No current bill meets this test…. If acceptable language in these areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously.”

For the full text of this letter and more information on proposed legislation and the bishops’ advocacy for authentic health care reform, visit: www.usccb.org/healthcare.

Congressional leaders are attempting to put together final bills for floor consideration. Please contact your Representative and Senators today and urge them to fix these bills with the pro-life amendments noted below. Otherwise much needed health care reform will have to be opposed. Health care reform should be about saving lives, not destroying them.

ACTION: Contact Members through e-mail, phone calls or FAX letters.

* To send a pre-written, instant e-mail to Congress go to www.usccb.org/action.
* Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at: 202-224-3121, or call your Members’ local offices.
* Full contact info can be found on Members’ web sites at www.house.gov & www.senate.gov.

MESSAGE to SENATE:

“During floor debate on the health care reform bill, please support an amendment to
incorporate longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights.
If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill should be opposed.”

MESSAGE to HOUSE:

“Please support the Stupak Amendment that addresses essential pro-life concerns on abortion
funding and conscience rights in the health care reform bill. Help ensure that the Rule for the
bill allows a vote on this amendment. If these serious concerns are not addressed, the final bill
should be opposed.”

WHEN: Both House and Senate are preparing for floor votes now. [NOW!]

Act today! Thank you!

Law and Order: "Dignity"

2009-11-03T10:53:00.002-05:00

A recent episode of Law and Order entitled "Dignity" addressed the murder of an abortion doctor. To the astonishment of pro-lifers and the fury of mainstream media, the show actually presented the pro-life cause with great feeling. As the nrlc put it: "...what makes the Law & Order episode so riveting is that virtually every pro-life argument you knew you would never hear on a network program is a part of "Dignity." More important, it occurred to me as I listened in utter astonishment that each of these observations could have been presented in a way that was artificial, forced, or (as so often is the case with network portraits of pro-lifers) something that you would expect from an idiot. None of that was the case. These were real flesh-and-blood people, not caricatures."

A Change of Heart

2009-11-02T16:54:00.002-05:00

(Apologies for the commercial!)

A Few Words About Our Final Week - Please keep up the good work!

2009-10-26T21:32:00.001-04:00

My Dear Friends,

The 40 Days continues to be an anointed time for our community in upholding the sanctity of life and in responding to the culture of death with the power of prayer. This is the last week! I ask that you make every effort to commit an hour or more to stand at the vigil in the remaining time slots. You all continue to encourage me with your commitment to the unborn and their parents. There have been many times that I have gone to the vigil to find people participating in prayer who did not sign up online. While many people spontaneously stop by (which is wonderful!), I ask that if you know you will be covering an hour, to make sure to sign up online as this lets other people know which times to fill (again, please be sure not to walk across the grass of Albemarle Baptist).

Sunday is day 40 of 40! Our Victory Celebration will be at 7 PM that evening. I truly hope you can be at this blessed gathering. It is very powerful to hear of the many graces God has poured forth in such a short time. Details will follow soon (just to give you one fact, did you know that over 400 babies have been saved nationwide?!). Although we have not made our vigil on Sundays, I am asking you all to fill the 12 Noon to 6 PM time this Sunday, November 1st, because it is the final day of the vigil. We should easily be able to make a strong showing in these hours.

I will be in touch. May God mightily bless you.

Each life -- a victory

2009-10-20T20:37:00.002-04:00

The day before this fall's 40 Days for Life campaign began, the local team in Orange County, California received some great news.

Nathan had just been born -- at a very healthy nine pounds!

At once point, however, Nathan's life had definitely been at risk. Thankfully, he was one of the babies whose mom chose life during the spring 40 Days for Life campaign.

"Please tell all those people thank you," said Nathan's mother. "Thank you for being there praying for people that you do not know. You made a huge difference in my life and in my baby's life. I cannot thank you enough for what you did."

The Orange County team also got to meet a different baby named Jack. He had been scheduled to be aborted ... TWICE!

But his mother chose life.

Jack's adoptive mom brought him with her when she went to pray at the 40 Days for Life vigil.

We rejoice for all the lives saved ...

... 299!

Yes, 299 children have been spared from abortion during the fall 40 Days for Life campaign thus far, thanks to your prayers, fasting, standing vigil, and the grace of Almighty God!

That's also 299 mothers who have been spared a life of regrets following an abortion decision.

Praise God!

The 40 Days for Life team in Manassas, Virginia sees the value of having a pro-life resource center very close to the abortion facility. Ken said a 19-year-old girl arrived at with her mother, fully intent on making an appointment for an abortion.

"They did an ultrasound and found she was 26 weeks pregnant," he said. "This abortion facility only does first-trimester abortions, so they sent her away."

The girl and her mother were directed to the pro-life pregnancy center, where the counselors told her about all the resources that were available.

"The wonderful counselors helped her decide to have her baby," said Ken. "Another life saved! The prayers of our 40 Days for Life participants were powerful."

By The Babe Unborn

2009-10-15T16:02:00.001-04:00

By G.K. Chesterton

If trees were tall and grasses short,
As in some crazy tale,
If here and there a sea were blue
Beyond the breaking pale,

If a fixed fire hung in the air
To warm me one day through,
If deep green hair grew on great hills,
I know what I should do.

In dark I lie: dreaming that there
Are great eyes cold or kind,
And twisted streets and silent doors,
And living men behind.

Let storm-clouds come: better an hour,
And leave to weep and fight,
Than all the ages I have ruled
The empires of the night.

I think that if they gave me leave
Within that world to stand,
I would be good through all the day
I spent in fairyland.

They should not hear a word from me
Of selfishness or scorn,
If only I could find the door,
If only I were born.

Exciting news from Kalispell!

2009-10-15T09:34:00.004-04:00

The following has been sent to us by David Bereit, the National Director of 40 Days for life.

We just got word that a Planned Parenthood abortion center in Kalispell, Montana will be closing down for good next month. CLOSING!!

And -- you guessed it -- that facility was the location of Kalispell's 40 Days for Life vigil this past spring!

Planned Parenthood told the local media it is closing the center for economic reasons -- or as Stacy James, a Montana Planned Parenthood executive, admitted to the daily newspaper, "We've not had the patient numbers to keep the doors open."

She then went on to blame the economy, the recession, the health care crunch and a lack of government subsidies.

Ms. James said nothing at all, however, about the 40 days of prayer, fasting and constant vigil in front of the Kalispell facility this spring.

Karen, the local 40 Days for Life coordinator in Kalispell, had no doubt as to why the clinic is shutting its doors forever. "Our heartfelt pleas to God for an end to abortion here in Kalispell are being answered," she said. "Let us rejoice in our mighty God who has looked down upon His with such great favor."

The Kalispell team is currently holding a 40 Days for Life campaign outside another local abortion facility, but the first thing they did upon hearing the news about the closure was to return to the soon-to-be-closing Planned Parenthood facility to thank the Lord for this amazing victory.

Click here to see more photos of the celebration gathering!

This now makes FOUR abortion centers where 40 Days for Life vigils have been held that the doors have been shuttered and these businesses have CLOSED FOREVER. Praise God!

Where and when will the next closure come?

I'll trust the Lord to provide that information. But for now, I'm hearing from a number of local teams that abortion centers that are the sites of 40 Days for Life prayer vigils are cutting their hours -- and even closing their doors on days when abortions are
usually scheduled.

Could one of them be next to close? Let's pray!

When Ed arrived to pray at the 40 Days for Life vigil in Everett, Washington on a day when abortions are usually performed, he noticed a Planned Parenthood volunteer outside the clinic. "A moment later, she left and the doors were locked," he said. "I looked over at the sign where the hours are posted and it had changed."

The sign said: "CLOSED TODAY."

Ed's simple reaction: "Praise God!"

Prayer volunteers say business at this abortion center in Everett is most definitely OFF. The
previous day had been very slow at Planned Parenthood, and it looked like the only people there
were staff members. As we have observed time and time again, Planned Parenthood is a business about making money. If women decide not to have abortions, they simply can't stay open in a community.

Clinic hours were also cut back in Canton, Ohio. "Planned Parenthood in Canton has posted a letter on their door stating that they will be closed all Saturdays during October due to administrative needs," said Jill. The Saturdays, of course, all come during 40 Days for Life. "Wow!" she added. "What a coincidence!"

Obviously, it isn't really a coincidence. I have to wonder if "administrative needs" is just their cover story; could it be they're closed because they, just like Planned Parenthood in Kalispell, are finding they don't have enough customers to stay in business?

I hope and pray that is the case.

God is so good!

Midway Rally: Photos

2009-10-15T09:28:00.003-04:00

Stories, Encouragement, and Report: Half Way!

2009-10-12T21:25:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

We are now half way through the 40 Days; I encourage you to recommit yourself to this crucial cause. Ask yourself why you are a part of this effort. Is this God's will? Can one person make a difference? Yes, one man can. I have a few stories for you.

1. One man who had never prayed in front of Planned Parenthood before 2 weeks ago decided to commit an hour each morning from 6-7 to petition God. Later that week in the middle of the day, a man driving by in a pick-up truck slammed on his breaks (nearly causing an accident), parked on the side of the road, and approached the few women who were praying at that time. "I just wanted to let you know that I've seen a man praying out here on his knees every morning and it's making me ask myself what I think about abortion."

2. One woman said, "When we go to Planned Parenthood to pray, it's like leaving this world and stepping into the spiritual world." Surely, that place is a great stronghold of the devil. As St. Paul explained, "For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12

3. I saw a 3 year-old boy holding his mother's hand in the Church parking lot. I asked them what they were up to. "We're going to pray for the babies," the little boy explained. Some say that abortion is not for children to know about. In my experience, children are more upset about abortion than adults often are. They do not need to be told any details. They instinctively know life is beautiful and that any suppression of life is a bad thing. I frequently see small children who can barely talk at Church, who smile and point at my daughter in my arms and say, "Ba-by." Such an encounter is the essence of the pro-life position.

4. One person who is not a Christian told his spouse, "I am very impressed by the effort and commitment of those doing the 40 Days." See, you are making a difference!

5. One man who has been taking early morning times simply said, "It's awesome to be out there."

If you have offered your prayers and time, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you have not yet participated in the 40 Days, please do not think it is too late to start. Please do not feel that lack of action thus far means you shouldn't get involved now. Now is the perfect time!

We are now half way through. Ask yourself, "Can I do more for these little innocent ones? I encourage you to consecrate your efforts to the Lord. I beseech you in His Holy name to be sacrificial with your time. Will you stand in vigil and pray with me for 1, 2, or more hours this week? Please go to our sign-up page and fill in an empty spot (especially Tuesday and Wednesday). Ask a friend to come with you. May your prayers be powerful and effective. God bless you all!

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." James 4:17

Mid-way rally report!

2009-10-12T17:37:00.004-04:00

Scott Klusendorf addressed the small group of about 15 people who gathered on Saturday for our Midway Rally. His words sounded like a speech for an small army about to go into battle against an enormous enemy. We gathered like Gideon's army, the American soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy, or many of the other small forces that were totally outnumbered, overpowered, and out strengthened. We could have been demoralized. We could have been discouraged. We could have given up. Scott encouraged us with 3 important points:

1) "You are not alone." The fight against abortion can make you feel alone. But we are not alone. The pro-life forces are growing nationwide, whether we see them or not. He who seeks the Lord's will is never alone anyway: "What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us?" - Romans 8:31

2) "Surrender is not an option." Sometimes we may feel like giving up. Scott recently had the opportunity to speak with a British solider who survived D-Day. He told Scott that though Germany was devastating all of Europe, that era was one of the greatest in his life. Why would an old man who has been living in relative peace say this about a war-stricken time? "We knew what we stood for then," the man explained. Now the meaning of life is unclear. The difference between good and evil is blurred. In these dark times, there are 2 sides that we can be on. Silence and surrender always help the oppressor.

3) "Help is on the way." 90% of the first wave of soldiers who rushed the beaches of Normandy were killed. But those who survived did not give up. The reinforcements that arrived behind them joined them for victory. Without that victory, the results would have been devastating for the whole world. We pro-lifers now stand as part of a growing wave of soldiers against abortion. And the Calvary is on the horizon. Don't let up!

MIDWAY RALLY, Saturday 1:30pm

2009-10-09T17:42:00.002-04:00

REMEMBER to set your calendars for the Midway Rally this Saturday!

Come together for prayer, worship, and encouragement led by our passionate and engaging nationally known guest speaker, Scott Klusendorf. This weekend marks the half-way point of the 40 Days For Life. We have already seen God's love impact our community in this anointed time. Let us not grow weary or complacent, but build up our momentum in fighting for the unborn, in caring for their mothers and fathers, in proclaiming the truth and the beauty all human life. I hope to see you Saturday. Please spread the word; the more involvement we have, the quicker we bring an end to abortion! God bless you.

What: Midway Rally
When: Saturday (10/10) from 1:30-2:30, finishing our time together with prayer at Planned Parenthood
Where: Word of Faith Church, on the corner Hydraulic & Lambs Road, right beside Albemarle High School (A map is available)

Photo from the Front

2009-10-06T11:20:00.001-04:00

Message from our Cville Director

2009-10-05T21:09:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends in Christ,

Life is God's most beautiful gift and abortion continues to reject the Lord's special creation - person's made in His Holy image. That is why we must not tire in praying and speaking up for the little ones who are most vulnerable in this culture of death. Help me proclaim the culture of life, the culture of Christ, the culture of authentic love that accepts and rejoices in every life - every child, every woman, every man.

Thank you all for your support thus far in the 40 Days. Each prayer is part of God's perfect plan. Each effort and sacrifice you make bears eternal fruit. We are almost half way through the 40 Days. Please recommit your efforts with the prayer below - recite it often, remembering that you may be the only thing between a child and his or her scheduled death. When you petition the Lord on behalf of these little one's, you make the greatest effort possible. This is an effort beyond human means, for we know that "nothing is impossible with God." You also listen to Jesus' command, "Let the children come to me."

Our Half-Way Rally is this Saturday (10/10) at 1:30 PM. Our guest speaker is Scott Klusendordorf, a nationally syndicated Christian speaker. We will also have prayer and a time of worship. The location is not yet confirmed, but I will let you know as soon as I find out. I know that this is not very far in advance, but if you are able to come, it will strengthen you, others, and our entire community in fighting for justice, peace, and truth. Please spread the word and stay tuned for more details.

If you have not had a chance to commit an hour at the vigil, choose a specific day and make it happen. Find someone to go with you and present your requests to God together recalling St. Paul's words, "...in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

My heart rejoices and my will is strengthened when I drive by Planned Parenthood and see others praying and bearing witness to the truth of the harm of abortion and sanctity of life. Of course, if you decide to stop by spontaneously that is wonderful and encouraged. But if you plan to cover a particular hour, please be sure to sign up online so that as we work to cover every hour, we know which ones are already taken care of. Tuesday and Wednesday still have many openings.

Praise God for helping us spread the word on CBS!

May God bless all of your efforts!

Fr. Frank Pavone says, "Prayer leads to action." Please pray with me:

Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.

I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death
by the Resurrection of Your Son.

I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Today I commit myself
Never to be silent,
Never to be passive,
Never to be forgetful of the unborn.

I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,
And never to stop defending life
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
And our nation once again becomes
A nation with liberty and justice
Not just for some, but for all.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen!

Fasting: Why and How?

2009-10-05T21:05:00.005-04:00

Does fasting really accomplish anything? Didn’t Jesus rebuke people for fasting?

God made us with a body and a spirit. We are physical and spiritual beings. Jesus commanded us to worship “in spirit,” but does this mean our bodies are inconsequential to spiritual life? The Bible tells us the opposite. Those who receive the Holy Spirit become temples of God. That is, God comes to dwell in our bodies. For this reason, St. Paul tells us, “Glorify God in your body.” Jesus died for us not to free us from our bodies, but to free us in our bodies. St. Paul says, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies…”

Jesus’ perfect sacrifice involved both his body and his spirit. He laid down his flesh and submitted his spirit. Following Jesus’ example, St. Paul tells us to “present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual act of worship.” Our bodily action is spiritual worship, according to St. Paul. This, of course, does not mean we can merely offer our bodies apart from our spirits, for we cannot divide the human person. Rather, it means we must offer our entire being to God – body and soul – just as Jesus Himself did. St. Paul even goes so far as to say that our “bodies are members of Christ.” We glorify or deny the Lord with our bodies.

Jesus gave instructions for those who fast. He did not state, “if you fast…” but “when you fast…” Jesus’ rebuke comes for those who fast for the wrong reasons. Jesus was not rebuking the outward action but the inward motivation of these people. We must fast not to be seen by men, but to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God.

Fasting is so important for Christians that we learn some prayers must be accompanied by fasting. In the Gospel we learn that the prayers of Apostles were not effective in one instance. Upon questioning Jesus, he told them, “Some demons can only be driven out by prayer and fasting.”

The Gospel also shows us that Jesus himself fasted. As our ultimate model in everything we do, we must not take his fasting lightly. As we strengthen our wills through sacrifices, we are able to strengthen our spirits as well.

How then should I fast? There are many ways to fast. You can have only bread and water for a day. You can fast from sun-up to sundown. You can skip a meal. You can make small sacrifices within a meal – give up butter, salt, cream in your coffee, or your favorite snack for the day. If your health is not great or fasting would prevent you from attending your needs, you can fast in other ways. Give up the Internet, TV, or your phone for a day. Sacrifice listening to the radio or chewing gum. The point in all these activities is not merely to do them, but to do them from the heart. If we make give up some sort of pleasure, such as eating, we make a prayer of body and spirit. Our difficulties, sacrifices, and sufferings can be joined to the prayer and perfect sacrifice of Christ, who offered himself to the Father in the Holy Spirit. Friday is a particularly powerful day to fast, as it is the day Jesus offered the ultimate sacrifice. Our sacrifices can have meaning because they are joined to the Ultimate meaning – Christ crucified and resurrected. With Jesus, who sacrificed his body, we can say, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

Brief reminders regarding racism

2009-10-04T20:55:00.003-04:00

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

"When America was pro-choice on slavery and pro-choice on segregation, the choices of states, slave owners and segregationists ultimately had to be limited by law so that justice for the oppressed could finally prevail. Are we willing to stand up for the unborn today as our forebears stood up for us?" -- Josephite Fr. John Raphael, Clarian Herald, New Orleans (February 2009).

Mondays and Fridays are wonderfully full, but we're still in need for the rest of the week! Please pray for volunteers!

Rolling into Week 2!

2009-09-30T06:21:00.001-04:00

From our C'ville director:

Dear Friends,
Thank you all for your prayers and support. This is such an incredible time for our community and I would like to share with you a few thoughts.

* If you are feeling like your participation won't make much of a difference, think of all the women who changed their minds about having abortions after speaking with or even just seeing someone praying outside the abortion mill. Nationally, there are incredible fruits coming from this ministry. And locally, we already have many great stories. If you feel alone, remember 200 cities are joining you at any moment you are praying.

* If you are feeling too busy, consider Bernard Nathanson, who co-founded the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, while working 2 and 1/2 other jobs. He continued to take on more responsibilities, such as overseeing new hospitals performing abortions, and running medical clinics that taught doctors how to perform abortions. If the enemy can muster motivation and determination in one man in order to spread the oppression of abortion, what can God do in you to bring healing, peace, and an end to this bloodshed?

* If you're feeling too tired, remember that God sent Moses Joshua and Aaron to hold up his arms according to the Lord's command. Remember that God fed Elijah the necessary food to complete a superhuman journey. Remember that Jesus was tired and hungry, but prayed as he continued to fast. Sometimes God doesn't just ask us to do difficult things, but impossible things. That way, we know it is Him doing it through us, like closing down Planned Parenthood. "Nothing is impossible with God."

* If you're feeling discouraged, remember St. Paul's words, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." And Isaiah who said, "He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might, he increases strength...they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not be faint."

* If you're feeling encouraged, remember that it wasn't good enough for St. John simply to believe. Everyone else had to believe it too. He said, "we are writing this that our joy may be complete." If you can't come out and pray, you can tell new people about the 40 Days. Encourage ones who know about it to continue to be involved. In particular, encourage your Pastors. Tell them that this ministry is bringing the love of Christ to our community - because IT IS.

Please put your families first. Do not neglect your job. But I ask you to examine your days and your week. What are your priorities? I ask you to consider when you could sacrifice an hour of your time to pray for these little one. One hour can effect another person's eternal life!

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is still in much need of volunteers.

If you decide to cover an hour of prayer, make sure to sign up online so that everyone else sees that time is covered. Even if you decide to go at a spur of the moment, please call me and I'll put you down.

I have decided to remove Sundays from our vigil time, because it seems most people are very involved at their Church's throughout the day.

Don't forget about the blog that is linked through our main page: www.40daysforlife.com/charlottesville and send any stories, pictures, or reflections to Eleanor.

I will keep you posted. May God bless you!

SING a little louder

2009-09-28T17:48:00.003-04:00

I lived in Germany during the Nazi holocaust. I considered myself a Christian.

I attended church since I was a small boy. We had heard the stories of what was happening to the Jews But like most people today in this country, we tried to distance ourselves from the reality of what was really taking place. What could anyone do to stop it?

A railroad track ran behind our small church, and each Sunday morning we would hear the whistle from a distance and then the clacking of the wheels moving over the track. We became disturbed when on Sunday we noticed cries coming from the train as it passed by. We grimly realized that the train was carrying Jews. They were like cattle in those cars!

Week after week that train whistle would blow. We would dread to hear the sound of those old wheels because we knew that the Jews would begin to cry out to us as they passed our church. It was so terribly disturbing! We could do nothing to help these poor miserable people, yet their screams tormented us. We knew exactly at what time that whistle would blow, and we decided the only way to keep from being so disturbed by the cries was to start singing our hymns. By the time that train came rumbling past the church yard, we were singing at the top of our voices. If some of the screams reached our ears, we'd just sing a little louder until we could hear them no more. Years have passed and no one talks about it much anymore, but I still hear that train whistle in my sleep. I can still hear them crying out for help. God forgive all of us who called ourselves Christians, yet did nothing to intervene.

Now, so many years later, I see it happening all over again in America. God forgive you as Americans for you have blocked out the screams of millions of your own children. The holocaust is here. The response is the same as it was in my country -- SILENCE!

* 6,000,000 Jews were killed during the Holocaust. Over 47 million unborn babies have been killed by abortion since 1973.
* During the holocaust Jews were not recognized as legal "persons". Today, the Supreme Court does not recognize unborn children as legal "persons".

Spread the word about 40 Days for Life. Evil is a powerful force in Charlottesville. It takes a great deal to mobilize this town, to shake the people out of their complacency or willful ignorance and accomplish what we need to accomplish. We are able to move forward because of the sacrifices made by our incredible crew of volunteers. But THIS IS NOT ENOUGH.

The question of the hour has become -- WHAT WOULD CVILLE DO?
Are we to be left with this appalling answer? -- APPARENTLY, NOT MUCH!

Turn Evil Around

2009-09-27T10:02:00.003-04:00

Last night, one of our volunteers pointed out something simple but really remarkable. Turn "EVIL" around -- and you get "LIVE".

This is not the frenzied and morally questionable mantra espoused by Auntie Mame (however excellent Rosalind Russell may undoubtedly be); this gestures toward the great existential gift given to us by our Creator. We are. We live. And we should strive daily to protect this gift, especially on behalf of those who are unable to defend themselves.

Sign up now. After a hard weekend, we're ready and waiting for volunteers to flood our weekdays!

Weekend Plans - VOLUNTEER NOW!

2009-09-26T14:22:00.002-04:00

It is the weekend! The time of leisure, especially when the weather precludes yard work. Can it be that the weekend is also the time for our vigil? Yes, indeed, and we are MUCH in need of you all. Both Saturday and Sunday require sacrifice. There are few people who would give up an afternoon at the movies to pray in the rain, and even fewer who would want to offer up Sunday donuts to kneel on a sidewalk, but that is precisely what we need you to do. We cannot fail to stand strong now, even when you would much rather sleep!

As shown from our Friday photo spread, we welcome emails and photos!

Why Kneel?

2009-09-26T14:07:00.002-04:00

(From our C'ville director)

“At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow.” Philippians 2:5-11

Does the Resurrection of Christ negate the importance of kneeling? I offer two reflections to answer this. The first is from Romano Guardini:

WHEN a man feels proud of himself, he stands erect, draws himself to his full height, throws back his head and shoulders and says with every part of his body, I am bigger and more important than you. But when he is humble he feels his littleness, and lowers his head and shrinks into himself. He abases himself. And the greater the presence in which he stands the more deeply he abases himself; the smaller he becomes in his own eyes.

But when does our littleness so come home to us as when we stand in God's presence? He is the great God, who is today and yesterday, whose years are hundreds and thousands, who fills the place where we are, the city, the wide world, the measureless space of the starry sky, in whose eyes the universe is less than a particle of dust, all-holy, all-pure, all-righteous, infinitely high. He is so great, I so small, so small that beside him I seem hardly to exist, so wanting am I in worth and substance. One has no need to be told that God's presence is not the place in which to stand on one's dignity. To appear less presumptuous, to be as little and low as we feel, we sink to our knees and thus sacrifice half our height; and to satisfy our hearts still further we bow down our heads, and our diminished stature speaks to God and says, Thou art the great God; I am nothing.

Therefore let not the bending of our knees be a hurried gesture, an empty form. Put meaning into it. To kneel, in the soul's intention, is to bow down before God in deepest reverence.

On entering a church, or in passing before the altar, kneel down all the way without haste or hurry, putting your heart into what you do, and let your whole attitude say, Thou art the great God. It is an act of humility, an act of truth, and everytime you kneel it will do your soul good.

The second reflection is taken from a book by Joseph Cardinal Ratziner (now Pope Benedict XVI), who named this writing after Guardini’s reflections quoted above, “The Spirit of the Liturgy.”

…However, St. Luke, who in his whole work (both the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles) is in a special way the theologian of kneeling prayer, tells us that Jesus prayed on his knees. This prayer, the prayer by which Jesus enters into his Passion, is an example for us, both as gesture and in its content….Now we understand why the Son’s loving way of addressing the Father, “Abba”, is found in this place (Mark 14:36). St. Paul sees in this cry the prayer that the Holy Spirit places on our lips (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6) and thus anchors our Spirit-filled prayer in the Lord’s prayer in Gethsemane.

…Secondly…the gesture of falling to one’s knees before another, which is described four times in the Gospels (Mk 1:40; 10:17; Mt 17:14; 27:29)…A leper comes to Jesus and begs him for help. He falls to his knees before him and says: ‘If you will, you can make me clean.’…What we have here is…a supplication expressed fervently in bodily form, while showing a trust in power beyond the merely human.

…The bodily gesture itself is the bearer of the spiritual meaning, which is precisely that of worship. Without the worship, the bodily gesture would be meaningless, while the spiritual act must of its very nature, because of the psychosomatic unity of man, express itself in the bodily gesture. The two aspects are united in the one word [proskynein, which means adoration on one’s knees, appearing 11 times in St. John’s Gospel], because in a very profound way they belong together. When kneeling becomes merely external, a merely physical act, it becomes meaningless. On the other hand, when someone tries to take worship back into the purely spiritual realm and refuses to give it embodied form, the act of worship evaporates, for what is purely spiritual is inappropriate to the nature of man. Worship is one of those fundamental acts that affect the whole man. That is why bending the knee before the presence of the living God is something we cannot abandon.

Ratzinger goes on to explain that in the Old Testament Hebrew, the knee was associated with strength, so to kneel was “to bend one’s strength before the living God, an acknowledgment of the fact that all that we are we receive from him.” This expression of worship can be seen with Solomon (2 Chron 6:13), Ezra (Ezra 9:5), Sts. Peter and Paul and the whole Christian community (Acts 9:40, 20:36, 21:5), which in these later cases take place after the Resurrection. Stephen, the first martyr, models Jesus and prays on his knees as he witnesses to Christ showing us his “entry into the prayer of Jesus (in Gethesemane). Kneeling is not only a Christian gesture, but a christological one…The man who learns to believe learns also to kneel…”

Friday Photos: 5pm

2009-09-26T13:25:00.005-04:00

Day 3 for Life

2009-09-25T15:56:00.004-04:00

A message from our Cville director:

Dear Friends,

Thank you all for your prayers and sacrifices for the sake of these innocent children. You are not only helping save lives but also showing every woman with child that she deserves better than the detriment of abortion. From other parts of the country there are already stories of one mother whose child was saved and of a clinic worker who quit because of the 40 Days! This is the impact of our efforts!

We really need volunteers to fill many spots this weekend. For those of you who have recently asked to be added to this list, please sign-up for a time to pray on our website: If you are planning on going to the abortion mill but don't sign up, the time will appear to be vacant. So make sure to sign up if you plan to pray.

Make sure to check out our regularly updated blog [HERE!].

I also wanted to mention that I will be giving a talk entitled "Building the Culture of Life: Our Crucial Calling" at St. Thomas Aquinas Hall this Sunday at 10:15 AM. I hope you can make it (directions).

Keep spreading the word about this life saving ministry. Who doesn't have time to save a life? May God bless you all tremendously.

"The Pro-Life Movement will succeed only to the extent that pro-life people are willing to be inconvenienced." David R. Scott, Jr., Life Decisions International

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" -- Matthew 25:40.

PLEASE NOTE OUR NEED FOR WEEKEND VOLUNTEERS!!!

Day 2 for Life

2009-09-24T13:27:00.004-04:00

Our hours are filled, by God's grace and the generosity of our volunteers. But the army we need to stand up against a bastion of genocide like Charlottesville has not yet come to light. Is there a valley of bones handy? (Cf. Ezekiel 37)

Sign up! If you have signed up already, sign up again! Persuade your friends to sign up! Talk to your neighbors! Beseech your fellow parishioners!

40 Days for Life: St. Louis

2009-09-24T13:22:00.005-04:00

The 40 Days for Life team in St. Louis began a day of preparation prior to the campaign with prayer at a local church, followed by more prayer on the sidewalk in front of the Planned Parenthood abortion center -- prayer that was joined by more than 100 people.

At the St. Louis kickoff rally that evening, "we sang, prayed and had a chance to meet many new
people," said local coordinator Brian Westbrook. "God truly blessed us with an exciting night."

But the excitement was just beginning. At the end of the long day, Brian went home, checked his e-mail and found this message:

"I just wanted to let you know that today just before we left the clinic, as we were wrapping up and praying together, one of the sidewalk counselors came over and let us know that a couple who had gone into the clinic in the morning had just left and decided to keep their baby. So praise God, I believe that's the first fruits of what's to come over the next 40 days."

Brian said, "What an incredible start to these 40 Days for Life. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us this fall. Keep praying and fasting and one day we will see an end to abortion."

Positive reports from kickoff events and news stories about 40 Days for Life are pouring in from across North America as the campaign is getting off to an incredible start in over 200 locations.

God is Good. Come on, Cville!

Victory in Kirksville!

2009-09-24T13:17:00.002-04:00

Inspiring news from Missouri. God is Good.

Isn't that a little...extreme?

2009-09-23T20:30:00.001-04:00

A woman, kneeling down to pray as she took part in the vigil today, was accosted by a driver.

"Isn't that a little...extreme?" asked the driver. "What about the Resurrection? You should stand up!"

Then she pressed down on the accelerator and drove off.

In a world where suffering is something we medicate, and prayer is something allocated to the deepest corner of private life, far from the public eye so that no one be made to feel uncomfortable -- horror of horrors! -- is it to be wondered at that we be urged not to kneel?

By "extreme", do we mean "the greatest or highest degree"? By "extreme", do we mean "drastic"? What is the scale on which we measure? Shall we not measure it against the Cross? We cannot understand the Resurrection without the Crucifixion. Nor can we have any hope of victory in this battle against evil unless we recognize that the Cross is itself our victory. A bloody, painful victory. An EXTREME victory.

Gaze upon the crucified Lord, with the suffering of the infant martyrs held close upon your heart. Is not life itself worth a few knee callouses?

"I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints." (Colossians 1:24-26)

An email from the front

2009-09-23T10:05:00.001-04:00

Hi,

I drove by around 8:30 and no one was there so I took my 2 year old with some toys and planned to pray a rosary. A Gentleman from Staunton showed up, William, and we prayed a rosary together. Caroline sat and played with her toys between us. I was kneeling so I was able to keep her contained. Amazingly enough she sat through the whole rosary! How is that for God's grace. Keeping a two yr old quiet and still for 18 minutes during a rosary! I am excited to show up and get seeds planted in hearts and minds!

thanks,

Michelle W.
Earlysville

Thanks, Michelle! We're appalled to learn that the post was vacant this morning, but rejoice in the benevolent grace of God Who drew you and William to hold down the fort! Blessings abound in the midst of all challenges.

Day 1 for Life

2009-09-23T10:02:00.000-04:00

An announcement from the 40 Days for Life Cville director:

Praise God! The 40 Days for Life begins Today! We have such an incredible opportunity to impact our community in positive way. We are praying for God's mercy that He may bring an end to abortion in our local community and in every community. Please continue to spread the word about the 40 days. If you are planning on covering a certain hour of prayer at Planned Parenthood, or know of someone who is, please make sure that you/they sign up for that time online because that is our Master Schedule. Otherwise, it appears that no one is covering it. We still need coverage on Wednesdays and Weekends especially.

www.40daysforlife.com/charlottesville

On our site you'll find:

* the master schedule for the prayer vigil and instructions how to sign up.
* info about upcoming events and news.
* our blog [THAT'S US!] that will be constantly updated, which includes photos, write-ups, articles, stories of positive experiences, etc. If you have anything you'd like to put on the blog, please email Eleanor at wimseysqk@gmail.com
* We also hope to have a spiritual bouquet where you can post types of fasts, prayers, and more. Stay tuned for this.

Important note about parking: Albemarle Baptist Church is allowing us to use their lot. It is located across the street from Planned Parenthood. Make sure to take the spots furthest from the Church and be careful crossing the road!

Please be vigilant with your prayers and sacrifices during the next 40 days. May God hear our prayers and bring his love and justice. God bless you all!

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; be not frightened, neither be dismayed; for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9.

Tomorrow...

2009-09-22T21:01:00.000-04:00

...LIFE HANGS IN THE BALANCE.

Have you volunteered yet?

40 Days for Life Rally

2009-09-22T18:42:00.000-04:00

The Rally went well, and was attended by a lovely cast of pro-lifers with many adorable children in tow.

A Myriad of Ways to Say It

2009-09-22T11:21:00.000-04:00

* Choose Life!
* If it's not a baby, you're not pregnant.
* He's a child, not a choice.
* She's a child, not a choice.
* Only the woman gets a "choice".
* The natural choice is life.
* Life - what a beautiful choice!
* The right to choose should mean choose what's right.
* I love babies, born and pre-born.
* Real feminists don't kill babies.
* Careful, former fetus driving.
* I think, therefore I'm Pro-life!
* Adoption is the caring option.
* One abortion = One dead, one wounded.
* PP kills over 132,000 children a year.
* Choose Life, your mom did!
* Real doctors don't kill babies
* Life - The choice of the next generation
* Abortion doesn't make you unpregnant, it makes you the mother of a dead baby.
* Abortion stops a beating heart.
* Adoption saves a beating heart.
* TECHNICALLY...you're just a blob of tissue too!
* Abortion needs aborting.
* A fetus is not "your body".
* Abortion KILLS
* Abortion HURTS
* Abortion - Just say no.
* Be a hero, save a whale... save a baby, go to jail.
* Equal rights for unborn women.
* Abortion kills children.
* God is Pro-Life!
* Smile - your mother was Pro-Life.
* Abortion - the ultimate child abuse.
* Abortion - pick on someone your own size.
* Only BIG BABIES are pro-choice.
* Abortion is NOT "health care".
* How much does abortion cost? One human life.
* Babies are not spare parts.
* Abortion is violence.
* Children are a gift from God.
* As a former fetus, I oppose abortion.
* Pro-woman, pro-child, PRO-LIFE
* LIFE - it's a gift, not a choice.
* What's "pro-family" about killing children?
* Peace in the womb...abortion is violent!
* "Safe and legal"...for whom?
* It's a child...there IS no choice.
* What's a "safe" abortion?
* Pregnancy is not a disease.
* Some babies die by chance... no baby should die by choice.
* Every third child dies by choice.
* It took two to conceive...where's the man's "choice"?
* A fetus is a life with potential...not potential life.
* Abortion? The supreme court also legalized slavery...
* Stop Euthanasia, the life you save may be your own.
* ABORTION... a baby can LIVE without it.
* Defend the helpless... vote Pro-Life!
* Take my hand, not my life.
* Abortion enslaves women.
* Everyone was a fetus once.
* Something inside dies after an abortion.
* Abortion: One Heart Stops...Another Heart Breaks.
* Life begins at conception and ends at Planned Parenthood.
* Pro-Life is the radical notion that babies are people.
* Half of the patients entering an abortion "clinic" never come out alive.
* Planned Parenthood...got death?
* Real men stand by their children.

WOULD YOU REMAIN SILENT?

2009-09-21T10:28:00.001-04:00

If I were to suggest that a third of the African-American population be brutally put to death in the streets... WOULD YOU REMAIN SILENT?

If I were to endorse the wholesale oppression of women, reducing them to objects for male pleasure and stifling their genius... WOULD YOU REMAIN SILENT?

If I were to suggest that all men be openly emasculated, their self-respect crushed, and their very being reduced to brute-like despair... WOULD YOU REMAIN SILENT?

If I were to endorse a program that persecuted the poor, weeding them out as "undesirables"... WOULD YOU REMAIN SILENT?

If I were to endorse a holocaust far beyond that accomplished by the Nazi regime... WOULD YOU REMAIN SILENT?

This is the true story of abortion -- racism, sexism, discrimination, and oppression -- hidden under a tissue of lies. The blood of the infant martyrs cries out to us from the ground. We can no longer be silent.

Sign up for our prayer vigil. It's not just 40 days -- it's for LIFE.

40 Days for Life Kick-off Rally

2009-09-20T17:55:00.001-04:00

Join us Mon, Sep 21, 7-8PM at The Covenant School (lower campus across from McIntire Park in the Multi-Purpose Room) as we gear up for the 40 Days for life. For 40 days, Christians will be gathering together from all around the Charlottesville area to pray to end abortion. We will have ice cream, prayer, and more information about how you can participate in saving lives and spreading the Gospel. For more information contact Irene Xenos at 227-6055 or icx6z@virginia.edu.

40 Days for Life and Charlottesville, Virginia

2009-09-20T17:48:00.000-04:00

Evil is insidious and works best under cover of darkness. Many are not aware of the pervasiveness of abortion in our own community. That is why Christians throughout Charlottesville and Albemarle are coming together to participate in the National 40 Days for Life effort from this Wednesday, September 23rd through November 1st.

These 40 days of peaceful prayer and fasting for an end to abortion focus particularly on increasing community awareness by our prayer vigil outside of the Planned Parenthood near Albemarle High School. We need to be a visible presence, and are asking each of you to volunteer for one or more hours during the 40 days, and to help to spread the word to others about this important life-saving effort. The unborn, particularly in underprivileged and minority families against whom most abortions are performed, need you to stand up against the brutal slaughter of infants, to reach out to those in need of healing, to speak out against injustice, to give voices to silent screams, and to combat evil with prayer, which St. James tells us is powerful and effective. This is your opportunity.

Here we are, standing strong against this appalling genocide. Join us!

God bless.