Before I get into my monologue about our local 40 Days for Life campaign, I have wonderful news to share. Our faithful 4 AM guy, Steve, is out of the hospital after a 3 ½ week stay. We don't know what the future holds for Steve and Judy. Cancer can be a pernicious disease and just when you think you have it at bay, it pops up somewhere else in your body. So we don't expect Steve to be covering the 4 AM time (God answered his prayers and sent the Clawson K of C) but he and Judy did make a stop at Womancare to pray after he was discharged. And they said they'd be back. His picture is posted at our website and it exudes the peaceful joy of this man.
We completed our first full week of the Fall 2010 40 Days for Life with two churches (St. James in Novi and Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak) each adopting a day. Novi Right to Life also came out for 3 hours Wednesday evening. I cannot adequately express my appreciation to the various Knights of Columbus councils who have been coming out in the nighttime with no prospects of seeing anyone change her abortion decision. And a special thanks to those individuals who have pitched in to cover the open hours (often with little advanced notice); you are an anchor which provides stability to the schedule and encourages others to come out to pray at Womancare. May God bless all of you in this life and the one to come.
David Bereit, the National Director of 40 Days for Life, was in Michigan this past week and he visited each of the 40 Days for Life sites in the metro Detroit area on Tuesday. In Southfield, 21 people were on hand to welcome him and to pray with him. Having the For Sale on the Womancare facility as a backdrop was a nice touch, but we all know that the battle for life continues. He reminded us to include the fasting aspects of the 40 Days for Life. Jesus, Himself told us some demons can only be driven out by fasting and prayer and the abortion demon is indeed powerful. For some insight into just how powerful the abortion demon is, I'll share this story from one of our sidewalk counselors:
After he called us sacriligious, I knew that here is a confused young man, in more way than one. I asked if he goes to church. "yes I'm catholic". ( Oh no! ) Which church: No name given, but it's in Lansing, Mich., and the priest is very liberal, he said. He does not read the bible but thinks that abortions are okay with Jesus, because He wants us to make decisions so we are happy. ( We do need more bible studies for young folks. )
And my own experience with a young woman last week went like this: As she got out of her car, I greeted her with a “good morning. God bless you. Would you like to pray with me before going in there? There is much evil in there and you should pray so that you have spiritual armor” (as I smiled). She said “no thanks. Jesus forgives us our sins.” I told her, “yes, Jesus does forgive sins but when we commit sin beforehand with the expectation of forgiveness, it trivializes the Sacrifice He made on the Cross. Our sins caused his Suffering and we should avoid sin.”
So this is why we do 40 Days for Life twice a year; to reach out to young people (and the community) with the Truths of Jesus Christ and to ask His pardon for the sins which so offend Him (especially the sin of abortion).
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