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DAY 40 INTENTION

Let us keep our eyes fixed on the New Jerusalem, where death will be no more.

SCRIPTURE

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"

-- Revelation 21:4-5

REFLECTION - by Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life

Every activity we undertake in defense of the sanctity of life is prophetic, inasmuch as it points to the day when "death will be no more."

Every victory we have when an act of abortion is prevented is prophetic of that day when death itself will be definitively conquered.

Every triumph of grace in this world, whereby someone is brought to see the value of life and given the strength to welcome it, is a breaking into our history of that definitive future in which the old order of things will have passed, and all things will be made new.

As pro-life warriors, we must keep our eyes fixed on heaven, and our hearts secure in the hope that the day is coming when all evil will be conquered.

It is the future that shapes the present; it is victory that informs the battle; it is the destination that determines the journey.

Daily, we are called to reflect on heaven.

When we weep, we are to think of the day when every tear will be wiped away.

When we face the destructive power of death, we are to think of the day when death is swallowed up in victory.

When we labor against abortion, we are to think of the day when we will have the rest and peace of the final triumph of life.

Heaven is as real as earth, and its joys will be as real as our present sorrows.

PRAYER

Father, you are the God of hope. Your word fills us with the vision of the world to come, when every tear will be wiped away, and death will be no more.

Father, how we need that hope, how we are strengthened by that vision! Keep our hearts focused on heaven, and diligent in the labors of earth.

As we struggle against the culture of death, root our souls in the assurance of victory. We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.

“Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.”
(Proverbs 31: 8-9)

Holy God,

We praise You and thank You for hearing our petitions over these past 40 days, for we know that You have used our prayers to do great and mighty things. Thank You for the lives You have saved and for hearts that have changed! Help us to continue to pray for the unborn, standing steadfast in the faith. Let us never forget their needs nor turn a blind eye toward their helplessness. Place Your prayers in our hearts each and every day as we commit these precious innocents to You and as we continue in our efforts to end this horrible chapter of death in the history of our nation. Rebuild America’s heart, Lord, that we may honor You once again. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.