Sunday 9 October 2011

Day 12: Spiritual growth through participation


40 days for life London
Autumn 2011
Greetings!

News of lives saved abound!

Last Friday (Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary), we received reports that 4 women changed their mind about having an abortion (one on Whitfield Street, one at Bedford Square and 2 in Birmingham)! 

This really shows that our work can grow exponentially when people of faith and conscience unite for a common good to offer alternatives to abortion. Please continue to support our campaign fervently to save more lives and inspire others to hear and understand about the humanity of the unborn child. The vast majority of our prayer volunteers experience spiritual growth through participation!

See David Bereit and Shawn Carney speak here. 

Vigil Sign up Times: 
Monday 8am-11am, 12-3pm, 5-7pm
Tuesday 8am-11am, 1-6pm
Wednesday 8am-11am, 1-6pm
Thursday 8am-6pm 

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DAY 12 INTENTION
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May the King of the Universe, who entered this world
as a helpless infant, give us the humility to be
healed.


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SCRIPTURE
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My power is made perfect in weakness.

--2 Corinthians 12:9


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REFLECTION by Kevin Burke, Rachel's Vineyard
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The great mystery of the Humility of God is very near
and dear to the mission of those serving in pro life
and in a special way, post abortion ministries across
this nation.

For those wounded by their participation in abortion,
the door to healing often feels like crossing an
abyss of great fear: fear of judgment, fear of being
torn apart by the pain, by self hatred and rage at
those who hurt and abandoned you, and manipulated you
in your time of temptation.

For men in particular, entering the unknown waters of
emotional vulnerability, so necessary to healing
calls for a different kind of courage that feels
deceptively like weakness.

The door to healing is humility. It is born in the
inability to no longer control the pain, to live with
the consequences of that tragic decision to reject
life. The hearts cries out, "I have committed a grave
offense against my Creator and I am consumed by
regret, grief and sorrow!"

During these forty days let us pray for all who have
participated in abortion and with love call them to
healing and reconciliation. With healing these women
and men can become as John Paul II proclaimed in the
Gospel of Life, "the most eloquent defenders of
everyone's right to life."

Jesus proclaimed, "I am the Vine, you are the
branches" (John 15:5). To bear the greatest fruit,
the branches must be pruned. Each level of pruning of
the vine requires a deeper level of humility so that
we can abandon ourselves to His will.

This is not a lofty theological concept as much as it
is an earthy experience of pulling weeds, tilling
rocky soil, pruning and healing the vines. "If a man
wishes to come after me, he must deny his very self,
take up his cross, and begin to follow in my
footsteps" (Matthew 16:24).


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PRAYER
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Lord, during these forty days, we ask that with each
day of this sacred vigil, everything in us that
separates us from your perfect will would be pruned
from our hearts and souls.

In this blessed freedom may we experience a powerful
anointing of your Holy Spirit. Filled with confidence
and trust may we proclaim with the mother of Jesus,
"Let it be done to me, according to your Word."


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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/fall2011day12print.pdf

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Pro Life Quote of the day:
"Abortion is the only business in the world that doesn't show you a picture of the product they're selling." -Brian F Hudon
Pro Life Resource of the day:
http://prolifeamerica.com/Racial-Targeting-Population-Control.pdf
Pro Life Article of the day:
http://www.catholicity.com/commentary/longenecker/04552.html
Let us continue to pray and fast for life!
For Life,

Robert Colquhoun
40 days for life London

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