November 1, 2010
I just got home. What a week! What a fall it has been!
You have put in time, prayer and sweat ... and God has
blessed these efforts more than we could have ever
expected back on September 22 when the campaign started.
As we tally up the final results of this fall's 40 Days
for Life campaign, we know that anything is possible
with God ... but this campaign is just the beginning.
In places where 40 Days for Life has been conducted
for the first time ever ...
... there is great hope and excitement.
In Zion, Illinois -- a community without an abortion
center -- Joellyn overcame a number of challenges and
helped organize a campaign that has touched hearts and
reports at least one life saved from abortion.
"This morning at church, a lady approached me and
said, 'Let's keep those pray-to-end-abortion signs
for the next prayer vigil in the spring!' That was
such wonderful news to me," she said, "since this
fall was the first time Zion had joined in as a part
of 40 Days for Life. Praise God!"
The first-time 40 Days for Life campaign in London,
England touched many.
"It's the grand finale week, and wish it was the
beginning of the 40 days," said Monde. "The experience
of being at the vigil for UK's 40 Days for Life has
been consoling and strengthening to my soul. It's my
prayer and hope that God's grace will enable me to
share this experience to be in practice this time
around next year in Zambia."
That's just one of a number of new countries that are
ready to join the 40 Days for Life effort in 2011.
Because of your example, many others are now
considering a leap of faith and doing something
they've never done before ... something uncomfortable
-- going to stand and pray in front of the places
where innocent lives are being lost.
"People do not realize the good they do just being
there praying quietly," said one volunteer in
St. Louis, Missouri. "People going inside see the
people praying peaceably and not shouting, and they
want to be a part of that peace."
This vigil participant added, "I really appreciate
what the 40 Days for Life campaign does to set up
such a program. I just regret that it only comes
twice a year."
You know ... it doesn't have to end.
We've always said that 40 Days for Life is but a
first step. Now, it's time to take the next step.
What will that next step be? For you personally?
For your community?
Others are already answering that question.
"In the wake of 40 Days for Life, we are forming four
distinct teams of sidewalk counselors and prayer
warriors so that the work will not merely continue,
but will flourish," said Michael in Los Angeles,
California. "We hope to quadruple our effectiveness."
Some local teams have already done that, and they're
seeing amazing results.
In Texas, for instance, the San Antonio Coalition for
Life was formed right after the first national 40 Days
for Life campaign in 2007.
"Since that time," said Amy in San Antonio, "we have
continued to be present, in prayer, on the sidewalk
for every abortion day and have seen, in less than a
year, the abortion rate at this clinic dropped by
46 percent!"
These things can be repeated in your community --
through faithful response to God's call, through hard
work -- and of course, through prayer.
What are we waiting for?
Here's today's "bonus" devotional from Fr. Frank
Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life.
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DAY 41 INTENTION
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Pray that the witness of 40 Days for Life bears
abundant fruit, and that we begin again each day to
storm the gates of hell until God welcomes us into
the gates of heaven.
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SCRIPTURE
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On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of
hell will not prevail against it.
-- Matthew 16:18
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REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone
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When we read this verse, we usually think that the
Lord is promising that the church, which is His Body,
will withstand all the attacks launched against it.
Of course, that is true.
But when we think about it more carefully, we realize
that in a battle, the gates do not run out into the
battlefield to attack the enemy. Rather, they stand
still to defend the city from the enemy attacking it.
So when the Lord says that the gates of hell will not
prevail against the church, who is doing the
attacking? It is the church storming the gates!
The church, all of God's people in Christ, is called
to take the offensive, to run into enemy territory,
and to gain ground for Jesus Christ. We do not wait
for an invitation; we already have a command. We
prepare, but we do not wait for circumstances to be
perfect; we already have one who has gone before us.
During these 40 days, we have stormed the gates. We
have taken the offensive. We have pushed forward the
boundaries of the kingdom. And we must keep doing so,
in numerous ways.
Indeed, the gates of hell will not prevail. The gates
of falsehood will flee in the presence of truth. The
gates of sin will melt in the presence of grace. The
gates of death will fall in the presence of the
church, the People of Life!
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PRAYER
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Father, we praise you. We have heard the voice of
your Son, and therefore we can make our voices heard.
We have done battle with the power of evil, and
therefore we can have compassion on those still
within its grip. We have been freed from the kingdom
of darkness, and therefore we can bear witness to
your Kingdom of Light.
May the witness of all your people through these 40
Days for Life bear abundant fruit, and may we begin
again each day to storm the gates of hell until You
welcome us into the gates of heaven. We pray in the
victorious name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
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PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
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To download today's devotional as a formatted,
printable PDF to share with friends:
http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2010day41print.pdf
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For Life,
Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
PS: What's next for you? For your community's 40 Days
for Life effort? Please share your story by
leaving a comment at today's blog entry:
http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1398