40 Days for Life

When you live in a small town, it can be easy to forget what evil abounds in bigger towns.  I quit reading Detroit's newspapers because we no longer live in a suburb-of and I was tired of a daily dose of murder and mayhem.  I prefer our local paper where we learn of the theft of loose change.

But it's not good to ignore the evil that abounds just because it's not happening in one's backyard.  So when I heard about the 40 Days for Life campaign that began last week I felt called to get involved.  From September 28th through November 6th prolife people around the world are keeping a prayerful vigil at abortion clinics.

Today I picked up Michael from his college classes and he, Caroline and I made the short drive to the Planned Parenthood clinic.  I did not want to go.  Boy, did I not want to go.  I told my children (really to remind myself) that courage is not the absence of fear but doing what needs to be done anyway.  Thankfully the vigil director was there and able to give us some guidance before he left.

I love to go to our church during Eucharistic Adoration.  That is being in the presence of heaven.  But this... praying at an abortion clinic... this is being in the presence of hell.  The peace of the church sanctuary is replaced by being in the midst of spiritual warfare.  The Lord and His angels are there, offering strength, courage and wisdom.  But so, too, are demons who seek to inspire death and despair.  The battle may be unseen but it is palpable.

On Tuesdays they don't perform abortions so we had a gentler introduction to a prayer vigil.  It was sunny and warm so we were very comfortable kneeling in prayer.  In fact, it all seemed "too easy".  I wasn't sure we would be meriting much graces in such a pleasant environment.  We prayed a Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the rosary.  We felt protected by a supernatural peace.

The vigil director recommended that we pray for but ignore the security guard for the clinic, Bernie.  It seems that Bernie is a hardened soul who feels the need to taunt people who are quietly praying.  Sure enough, as the children and I knelt in quiet prayer Bernie came over near us with his hose to spray off the prolife words that had been chalked onto the pavement.  Only there weren't any prolife words currently chalked on the pavement.  I think Bernie was just trying to intimidate us.  We did wonder if he would "accidently" turn the hose on us.  I almost wished he would... just think of the graces we could have merited!

Unfortunately for Bernie, his tactics backfired.  The water from his hose caught the sunshine and made the prettiest rainbow.  Then the pavement smelled sweet, like after a spring rain.  When he was done spraying he began singing or whistling or something.  We couldn't tell because we were focused on our prayers.   I've got great hopes for Bernie, though.  There have been those more involved in the abortion industry than him experience a softening of their hearts and a repentence of their work.

Before we knew it our hour had passed and another person arrived to pray.  I had to get home to take care of my little ones.  We're going back to the clinic later this week.  I may take my little guys in the hope of touching a mother's heart so that she'll reconsider the destruction that awaits her inside of the clinic.