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Day 8 - October 3

Intention:

May the spirit and example of the Good Samaritan fill the hearts and minds of all our citizens.

Scripture:

Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So, too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?" The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

-- Luke 10:30-37

Reflection:

Here Jesus commands us to show mercy to the victims of the culture of violence and death.

But why did the priest and Levite fail to show mercy? Perhaps they feared that the robbers were hiding just around the next corner to attack them. They asked themselves, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?"

The Samaritan, however, reversed the question, and asked, "If I don't stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"

In working to save the unborn, let's not worry about what will happen to us if we act; let's worry about what will happen to the unborn if we don't.

Prayer:

Father, we are moved by the lesson of the Good Samaritan, who allowed compassion to influence him more than fear. Give us the same heart. Grant that we may never count the cost of standing up and speaking out for the unborn. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

Email for today:

Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion chain in the
United States, does a staggering 330,000 abortions
EVERY year. The abortion giant does this with more
than $480 million in YOUR tax money.

The first 40 Days for Life campaign was held in front
of a Planned Parenthood in College Station, Texas — a
campaign that led to 28% drop in local abortion numbers.
It’s no wonder that the president of Planned Parenthood
labeled College Station as “the most anti-choice place
in America.”

During the current 40 Days for Life campaign, 150 of
the 316 locations are outside Planned Parenthood
facilities. Whether Planned Parenthood operates in
your community or not, keep praying! Those prayers
are making a difference.

SPRING VALLEY, NEW YORK

Eileen in Spring Valley is encouraging prayer and
fasting for a Planned Parenthood-free community.

She’s already seeing signs that prayer is having a
direct impact. The local Planned Parenthood affiliate
has begun its “pledge-a-protester” program, asking
pro-abortion supporters to pledge money for each of
the “protesters” (that means the people like you
peacefully praying on the sidewalk).

The appeal is loaded with lies about vigil participants
and is nothing more than an attempt to keep the number
of prayer volunteers down. “Pledge-a-protester” is a
sure sign of desperation.

Eileen sent some photos of what’s really going on in
Spring Valley. There’s one picture of Pastor Floyd
Nicholson of Grace Point Fellowship Church leading
prayer, as well as a photo of praying during the vigil.

For pictures from the Spring Valley campaign, please
go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3340

COLUMBIA, MISSOURI

Kathy in Columbia put it in very simple terms for
40 Days for Life prayer volunteers: “All of you are
invited! Babies and moms are saved when people pray
on the sidewalk!”

The Planned Parenthood facility in Columbia has had a
couple of “escorts” on duty most of the time, but they
spend more time just chatting than anything else.

During the last campaign, there was even a lone
pro-abortion protester showed up almost every day.
But this time, she’s only put in one appearance.

Kathy was encouraged by a new volunteer, a man who
lives about a block and a half from the vigil site.
He prayed for three hours a day and has promised to
be there as much as he can.

“God continues to bless us on the sidewalk and we
thank all of those who have been able to pray,”
she said.

For a photo of the vigil in Columbia, please go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3340

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA

The 40 Days for Life vigil in Fort Myers is also
taking place in the public right-of-way outside a
Planned Parenthood abortion center.

The campaign began with a procession from a nearby
church to the vigil location. About 250 people took
part, including Bishop Frank Dewayne of the local
Catholic diocese. The event got media coverage from
two TV stations — but as has been the case in other
cities, Planned Parenthood declined to be interviewed.

The procession passed the Community Pregnancy Clinic,
a pro-life outreach that moved to this location within
the past year to address the many abortions taking
place at Planned Parenthood.

“This is our second campaign,” said Paula in Fort
Myers, “and we are so blessed by more and more hands,
feet and hearts to help us along the way.”

For a picture from the Fort Myers campaign, please
go to:

http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=3340