October 24, 2009
Today my fiancée Kirsten and I went down to ground zero. I had my sign with “I Regret Lost Fatherhood” on one side and “je pleure mon enfant avorté” on the other. I was moved by Kirsten’s willingness to stand with me even though she had never at all been involved in the sin of abortion. She’s got such a heart for this issue that she doesn’t care what people think about her standing with me. I am grateful she does because sometimes it’s hard to stand alone with that sign while passersby jeer and disdainfully glare at me. I love you Kirsten.
The clinic was open for business on Saturday, and couples were going in and coming out with the painfully familiar post abortive vacancy in their eyes. I’d never seen the facility open on Saturday before. A young man quipped at me “she did the right thing to abort the baby, with a father like you… you are sick human beings.” I guess regretting an abortion now qualifies as a sickness.
In the grocery store afterwards I was still wearing my sign and a woman in her early 40’s came up to me and said “You should be ashamed of yourself with a sign like that, you are a disgusting human being.” I said “I’d be glad to talk about it if you like.” But she scowled and walked away repeating that I was a disgusting human being.
The two people who jeered at me today said I was a sick (or disgusting) “human being.” It is ironic that they gave me the title “human being” when babies are aborted because they are denied their title as “human beings.” I’m at a loss to understand what is sick and disgusting about regretting a bad decision. If anything, I would think I would be sick and disgusting if I didn’t regret it.
Oh Lord forgive those who no longer want to talk about the abortion issue but would rather just hurl insults about what type of awful human beings we are, meanwhile denying that babies are human beings.
David MacDonald
Kirsten adds:
If the temporal, physical atmosphere around us could be torn and we could see - for just one moment - what is occurring in the spirit near Ground Zero, I would imagine it would look like something out of a Frank Peretti novel.... the demonic realm violently clashing their swords with warrior angels, who were strengthened by the prayers of the saints praying silently on the sidewalk...
I believe holy angels were forcefully advancing today and the enemy was mad. (judging from the comments we were getting...)
I was particularly moved by the sight of an older, mature couple exiting the building with a teenage girl who had most likely just experienced an abortion... was she their daughter? their niece? their neighbor? the very ones who should be providing protection... covering... solutions... are instead contributing to the slow death of much more than that young girl's baby...
Father, forgive us for the times when we've been accomplices unto death, and not life... may our sins not be passed down to the next generation...
Saturdays have always been quiet at 65 Bank Street, in my history of praying at the vigil site. This afternoon was different. With an arrival shortly before 1 p.m., I was surprised to see a security guard outside and next to the entrance of the abortuary. It wasn't long before a few couples entered. The security guard was still on duty when I left two hours later. It certainly appeared that hours at the abortuary were being extended for Saturday abortions. How sad!
Having watched the inspiring 40 Days videos from David Bereit in the States this week, in which school children marched in silence 7 times around a Planned Parenthood facility, and also separately in Jacksonville Florida, in both cases babies were believed to have been saved while these Jericho Marches took place. In Jacksonville, the 40 Days Co-ordinator stated in the video that everytime he has done Jericho Marches around abortuaries babies were saved and abortuaries eventually closed down. Those Jericho Marches took place when the abortuaries were open. It would seem that Ottawa is in urgent need of a Jericho March around the block encompassing Ground Zero. A Saturday afternoon beginning at the 3 p.m. hour, would seem appropriate. Does anyone have a long horn?
HS