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Day 19 - October 14

Intention:

We pray for a renewal of our zeal to offer generous help to the unborn and their families.

Scripture:

If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant When they complained against me, What then shall I do when God rises up? When He punishes, how shall I answer Him? Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?

-- Job 31:13-15

Reflection:

The ground is level as we stand before God.

Job lived with an awe provoking sense of God's expectation of him, particularly regarding his obligation to care for the weak and needy. He knew that in God's economy everyone stands on level ground when it comes to our status as God's creatures. Because of that central truth, we must take care of each other.

Job also knew that he didn't deserve any of the good things God gave to him. Instead, those blessings came to Job from God's benevolent heart. As an extension of that knowledge, Job instinctively linked his obligation to be generous to others to God's kindness toward him.

As in Jesus' parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:23-35), Job knew that it is an egregious sin to deny to others what we enjoy ourselves. He actually calls down on his own head severe condemnation and even punishment should he fail to share with others out of his own abundance (see verses 16-23).

Proverbs 3:27 reads, "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so." Some things are so obvious that we don't even need to pray except to ask of God forgiveness and the power to do what so obviously needs doing.

Prayer:

God, forgive us when we try to explain away the obligation we have to help others who need help. Enable us to not devalue them because they are in the circumstance that they are in, but to see them for what they are, those, who like us, were formed by your hand in their mother's womb. Amen.

Rev. Rob Schenck
President, Faith and Action, and National Clergy Council

Today’s email:

Today, I’m speaking at events in Cincinnati and Dayton,
Ohio — tomorrow marks the halfway point of this
40 Days for Life campaign!

And that raises a question — have you been out to
pray yet? There’s still plenty of time! Here’s the
link to the list of locations. Click the one nearest
you and get involved:

http://40daysforlife.com/location

Here are some fresh reports from just a few of the
316 locations — including a great photo from the
campaign in Nashville!

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

While in Nashville to speak at the CareNet national
pregnancy center conference, David Bereit, 40 Days
for Life’s national director, visited the local
40 Days for Life campaign and brought along other
conference speakers, including former Planned
Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson and Rev.
Walter Hoye of the National Black Pro-Life Coalition.

Upon arriving, they joined an enthusiastic crowd of
more than 60 people, including the Survivors youth
pro-life team that was passing through Nashville on
their way back to California.

To see the photo from the gathering, go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3475

HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY

A prayer volunteer in Hackensack posted a note on the
40 Days for Life blog about her first time praying in
front of the abortion center.

“I didn’t get there early enough to see the customers
arriving, but I was there when they were exiting,”
she said. “Every woman was crying. Every one. I was
not prepared for that. And this is ‘women’s rights’?”

She had another profoundly sad realization as well.
“Every woman was brought in by a man. The parking lot
was full of men pacing, smoking or sitting in their
cars. For every abortion, there is a man — a father
— presiding over the death of his child.”

She recalled the TV shows of years ago, where nervous
fathers paced in hospital waiting rooms, reacting with
joy when the nurse came in to say, “It’s a girl!” or
“It’s a boy!”

“What a contrast to this scene,” she said, “where all
these men were waiting to hear one thing: ‘It’s over,’
which is followed by taking a weeping woman home.
God have mercy.”

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA

Jim in Cedar Rapids passed along some quick items
from people who prayed outside Planned Parenthood —
“three examples of the Holy Spirit at work,” as he
put it.

First, a man in a pickup truck stopped in the middle
of the street, despite the fact that the traffic light
had turned green. He rolled down the window to thank
the group for praying. “Because of you,” he said,
“I have a six-year-old son!”

Shortly after that, a man drove into the Planned
Parenthood parking lot, grumbling that instead of
praying, the volunteers should be working for the
local adoption agency.

“He was silenced as one of our members explained to
him that she had four adopted children,” Jim said.
“He left peacefully. It’s wonderful that we have so
many participants that have also adopted children
— often several children.”

Finally, a woman who’d had two abortions walked up
to the vigil participants — and led prayer. “The
prayer was beautiful and very heartfelt,” Jim said.
“She then received Father’s blessing and thanked us
for being brave enough to undergo the nasty
commentary from some passersby. In small ways, the
love we show by our presence at Planned Parenthood
is reaping a harvest!”