[Salvation]

Day 40 - March 28

 

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:

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.

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life and President, National Pro-life Religious Council

[Salvation]

A final email with a follow-up reflection and email tomorrow, I’m sure.

It’s Day 40!

It’s hard to believe that today is the final day of
this 40 Days for Life campaign.

I was in Chicago yesterday and today my family is
joining me in Jacksonville, Florida for a 40 Days for
Life concluding rally.

Like you, we’ve been running really hard toward the
finish line of this campaign — knowing the urgency of
the abortion crisis in America right now.

And, like you, at times we’ve been exhausted on this
journey we’ve gone on together over these 40 days.

Yet we are amazed as more and more people are saying,
“We have to keep going!”

It’s easy to understand why people are overflowing
with such enthusiasm when you hear all the reports of
God’s blessings pouring in from across the country —
and around the world — during this intense time of
prayer and fasting.

Here’s a typical example of how hearts and minds
are changing.

A young woman often drove by the 40 Days for Life
vigil in Great Falls, Montana, offering a friendly
toot on the horn and giving the vigil participants
a thumbs-up.

Recently, she stopped to thank the prayer volunteers
for being there. Nine years ago, she had driven by the
same abortion center when people were praying.

She had honked her horn then, too — but it wasn’t a
friendly honk. She was very angry, she said — so
angry she nearly hit the car in front of her.

She was angry because nine years ago, she had an
abortion.

“I gave her a hug and told her she should join us, as
we were just Christians trying to make a difference,”
said Bea in Great Falls. “She said she’s changed her
life and has given it all to Christ. Praise God!”

“One of the powerful things that has happened because
of 40 Days for Life is the members of the Body of
Christ, no matter our denomination, coming together to
pray for our brothers and sisters — born and unborn,”
said Sylvia in Los Angeles County.

“We need all of the children of God coming together,
praying together, fasting together, and helping those
in need of healing and those who have chosen life for
their babies,” she said. “With God, all things ARE
possible — including the end to abortion and the
horror that comes with it.”

These thoughts reminded me of one of my favorite
40 Days for Life pictures. It’s a photo of the National
Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, Michigan.

There’s a 40 Days for Life banner at the front of the
church. But the stunning thing about the photo is the
church tower — a massive stone structure reaching far
into the sky with the image of Christ on the cross
carved into it. The tower stands in stark contrast to
the dark, threatening clouds that are swirling around
in the sky.

To see the picture, go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=893

The church — not the building, but the church, the
Body of Christ — is standing firm against the turmoil
and the darkness in our world. And that is exactly what
you’re doing through 40 Days for Life.

“I may be the only Bible some of these folks will ever
read,” said Margie in Sacramento.

“We are a sign of contradiction,” she said. “We are the
gospel — the good news taken out into the world.
Hopefully, it becomes an exercise in humility and hope.
Most of all, my patience grows and my heart fills with
the love of all I meet. This is the time we are given.
Let us rejoice to be of service to our King.”