Devotional for Day 40, April 13, 2014
Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life
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 as 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.
Another 40 Days for Life campaign is now complete, and we’re still counting the blessings God has provided!
More of our local campaign leaders will be sending in their reports soon … but so far, we are aware of …
... 547 babies whose lives have been spared from abortion during this campaign!
And as always, those are only the ones we know about. Here are some of those stories.
El Paso, Texas
“Exciting news from the sidewalk!” said one of the El Paso volunteers. “A woman rejects abortion! “
When the woman arrived with her sister, there was a group of people praying on the sidewalk. One of the counselors talked to them, and provided information about positive options.
They continued on their way inside the abortion center … but came out soon after. “With a smile on her face,” the volunteer said, “the woman said she had changed her mind.” She was thinking about abortion because she feared her husband’s response to the pregnancy. But after talking with the counselors, she no longer felt afraid.
“We believe the prayers of everyone united helped give this woman the courage she needed to say yes to life,” the El Paso volunteer said. “Praise the Lord!”
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
A couple parked near the abortion facility in Tuscaloosa – close to the location where 40 Days for Life volunteers were praying. As they walked towards the building, vigil participants offered them information, but they didn’t take it.
They weren’t inside for long before they exited ... and said they couldn’t go through with the abortion. The woman said she couldn’t do it “because of all the young girls inside.”
The two were visibly shaken by what they had seen inside the abortion center. This time, they took the information the volunteers had offered.
Pensacola, Florida
The Pensacola team asks for prayers for a woman who was abortion-minded … until the baby’s father convinced her not to go through with it.
The woman is still struggling, however. She has had a number of abortions in the past and feels she is incapable of mothering a child. She does, however, seem open to adoption … and there is a couple that stands ready and willing to adopt the baby.
“Please pray,” said one of the Pensacola volunteers, “that God will give them all the strength, love, mercy, and healing that they need to proceed with these adoption plans and provide a most beautiful future for this baby.”
Zagreb, Croatia
Lastly, a few words for this campaign in Croatian: 40 Dana Za ®ivot ... 40 Days for Life ... and they’re on a billboard above a row of buildings in Zagreb.
“They are an impressive group,” said Robert Colquhoun, our international outreach director, who visited Zagreb recently.
Dan Miller, the local 40 Days for Life director in Milwaukee, Wisconsin saw this photo and said, “this says awesome in any language!”
I think we can say that about all of the 40 Days for Life volunteers. You’re awesome! May God bless you richly!