40 Days for Life-Dallas

Baby Saved as Children Pray!

2009-10-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings in the name of Jesus to all!

How fitting today's entry carries the images of two childlike images. Today is the is feast day of the Guardian Angel and yesterday the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux.

Surely the Guardian Angel was watching over the unborn child as he was saved yesterday at Robinson's abortion center while the children were praying. The 6th and 8th grade students from Mount Saint Michael Catholic School had joined the others from St. Cecilia Parish to pray at the center.

St. Therese had a childlike quality that endeared her to people. Her spirituality reminds us that our love for God should be as little children love their father.

The baby saved is of a 21 year old unmarried woman who had been told by her own mother not to come home if she ever became pregnant out of wedlock. She didn't know what to do and felt having an abortion was the only option open to her. She did not enter Robinson's to have the abortion but stopped to talk to the sidewalk counselor who was present.

As she spoke to the counselor she was handed an infant model of the baby she carries. Holding this image convinced her to turn away from having the abortion. She, with friends that had accompanied her, went to Birth Choice for further assistance. Afterwards, she came out and told the same sidewalk counselor that everything is going to be all right.

Thank you Guardian Angel and St. Therese for interceding in the graces given to this young woman in order for her to have the strength of will to make the decision to save her baby.

Prayer to Your Guardian Angel

Angel of God,my guardian dear,

To whom God's love commits me here,

Ever this day,be at my side,

To light and guard,Rule and guide.

Amen.

Your prayers are saving the lives of babies and their mothers from a life of remorse and depression. Come to pray at the Robinson abortion center. If you have not committed to a time, go to the Website and sign up.
http://www.40daysforlife.com/dallas/

God bless you all,
Marie

Couple Turns Away from Abortion

2009-09-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

Feast of the Archangels – St. Michael, St. Gabriel & St. Raphael

The Peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

Certainly, the Archangels interceded today when a couple seeking an abortion decided to leave the Robinson abortion center, stating they were going to keep their baby. They had passed those who were gathered praying and entered the abortion center. After a while, the man came back outside and spoke with the sidewalk counselor who had been present. He went back inside, returned with the woman he was accompanying and left the area. No literature was provided. Just good discussion and prayer. It was learned that it had been the woman who was determined to have the abortion. The man was opposed to it.

Many thanks to those from St. Jude Parish who prayed throughout the day for those seeking abortion at the Robinson abortion center and for all who fall prey to the lie of abortion.

The nation is reaping the benefits of this prayer campaign. It is moving hearts and minds. The tide is turning toward the Culture of Life. In the news today there are articles explaining the actions of people to help their legislators pass pro-life legislation. Please, continue to pray either at home or at the Robinson's location for an end to abortion, for a return to respect for all human beings, especially the most vulnerable, the unborn and the infirmed, and to invoke God's grace on the leadership of the United States and all her people.

If you haven't yet done so, please sign up to pray for an hour or more at the 40 Days for Life-Dallas website: http://www.40daysforlife.com/dallas/

God bless you,
Marie

Monday, September 28, 2009

2009-09-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

Feast of St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions

Many blessings of the day to all!

St. James Parish took responsibility for prayer outside the Robinson abortion center for this day. As of 9:00 PM Sunday evening Jesus Estrada, the leader for this day, told me no one had committed to a specific time to pray. Things looked very bleak for the day's hours of prayer.

What a surprise when he arrived at the abortion center at 7:00 a.m. to find some thirty people present with Msgr. Magbanua praying the Rosary!! They remained until 11:00 a.m. Then, throughout the day he received calls from people who were on their way to pray at the Robinson's.

St. Lawrence took perfect care of the day for prayer to cover the abortion center with graces from Heaven in order that the hearts and minds of all who entered would have a change of heart and protect the precious unborn child. There were people praying up to and through the end of the day's shift.

As we pray for those involved in the act of abortion, particularly at the Robinson abortion center, we pray additionally for protection to all those who are praying at this location during the 40 Days campaign.

If you have not prayed at Robinson's, please go to the Website and commit to an hour or more. http://www.40daysforlife.com/dallas/

God bless you,
Marie

2009-09-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

There are so many exciting things happening with our campaign, but I want to focus on two things today.

First, Father Jason Cargo from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Plano will be praying at Robinson's abortion center this Saturday, September 26, from 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. We know that there is power in having a man of the cloth at the abortion centers, and we hope that you are able to join him, and us, this coming Saturday.

Secondly - the night hours have special graces that are attributed to the sacrifice volunteers make to be out there instead of in their warm beds. By the grace of God only, the past two nights have been completly covered by pray-ers. In fact, one gentleman from the Mater Dei Latin Mass Community was so moved by being at the vigil, he stayed from midnight until 6:00 a.m. this morning!

The 40 Days for Life-Dallas Night Shift Coordinator, Amy Polcari, had this to say about her experience last night:

"I just finished my first shift this evening. I will share with you what we did...

"We stood on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road from the abortion clinic. There were a couple small posters, a candle (in a glass jar), a rosary, and a clipboard with sign-in sheets. Milissa said there may also be a box which would have devotionals and other prayer materials. We were there for two hours. We prayed the rosary twice, did a bible reading, did evening prayers together, one of the guys in our group sang a couple hymns, and we also recited other group prayers. Most of the people had brought prayer books, rosaries, and devotionals. The candle helped with reading in the dark. I don't know if there will be a candle every night, however when I go again I plan to take one of my own as well as a lighter. We also chatted here and there getting to know the others in our group as well as the people who came before and after us. It was a really nice experience. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did."

If you are able, I encourage you to make the sacrifice, and "keep watch for one hour" with Jesus (Matthew 26:40).

We have an urgent need to fill the following hours, and are asking you to consider committing to at least one of the following hours. The following hours have no prayer volunteers scheduled:

Today, Thursday, September 24 - 24 Hours adopted by the Mater Dei Latin Mass Community - just one remaining hour needing help to cover:

11:00pm Signup

Tomorrow, September 25 - Daytime hours (7 a.m. - 7 p.m.) adopted by St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Community, McKinney & 7 p.m.-9p.m. adopted by the Young Serran Community

Please consider signing up for the following night vigil hours:

12:00am Signup

1:00am Signup

2:00am Signup

3:00am Signup

4:00am Signup

9:00pm Signup

10:00pm Signup

11:00pm Signup

Saturday, September 26 - Daytime hours (7 a.m. - 7 p.m.) adopted by The Catholic Community of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Plano

Please consider signing up for the following night vigil hours:

12:00am Signup

1:00am Signup

2:00am Signup

3:00am Signup

4:00am Signup

5:00am Signup

6:00am Signup

11:00pm Signup

*Our vigil is held 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at Robinson’s abortion center, 1929 Record Crossing, Dallas. There must be at least two prayer volunteers per hour. Additionally, it is necessary during the hours of 12:00 a.m.-7:00 a.m., or 7:00 p.m.-11:59 p.m., that at least one of the two prayer volunteers be a man. It is also permissible to pray in your vehicle if you feel safer that way.

If you haven't yet, I encourage you to pray throughout the 40 days with the daily devotionals that are posted online ... plus you can receive them every day by e-mail by signing up here.

Let's keep up the prayers!

Christ’s peace be with you,

Milissa Kukla
Campaign Director

2009-09-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the hundreds of people who came out for our kick-off rally last night! It was the push that we needed to begin this campaign with conviction and energy.

See photos of the special night here.

We have an urgent need to fill the following hours, and are asking you to consider committing to at least one of the following hours. The following hours have no prayer volunteers scheduled:

Tonight, Wednesday, September 23 - Daytime hours (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) were adopted by the Catholic Pro-Life Committee. There is one hour this evening needing two pray-ers:

7:00pm-8:00pm Signup

Tomorrow, Thursday, September 24 - 24 Hours adopted by the Mater Dei Latin Mass Community - a few remaining hours needing help to cover:

02:00am Signup

03:00am Signup

11:00pm Signup

Friday, September 25 - Daytime hours (7 a.m. - 7 p.m.) adopted by St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Community, McKinney

Please consider signing up for the following night vigil hours:

12:00am Signup

1:00am Signup

2:00am Signup

3:00am Signup

4:00am Signup

6:00am Signup

9:00pm Signup

10:00pm Signup

11:00pm Signup

Our vigil is held 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at Robinson’s abortion center, 1929 Record Crossing, Dallas. There must be at least two prayer volunteers per hour. Additionally, it is necessary during the hours of 12:00 a.m.-7:00 a.m., or 7:00 p.m.-11:59 p.m., that at least one of the two prayer volunteers be a man. It is also permissible to pray in your vehicle if you feel safer that way.

A message from National Campaign Director, David Bereit:

The Day 1 devotional (below) begins with the words of Scripture, “Blow the trumpet in Zion!” Well, the trumpet has sounded and the fall 40 Days for Life campaign has officially begun.
These next 40 days will be an awesome journey as, together, we embark on the largest single coordinated pro-life mission ever conducted.

Tens of thousands of people across 212 cities are uniting in this prayerful effort — as well as countless others in places from coast to coast who will be praying from their homes and churches — imploring God to end the scourge of abortion.

For this effort to have grown to such an amazing size — and to have already saved 1,561 children from abortion over the last two years — is, to me, proof that this is God’s work.
HE is the answer to this crisis of abortion, so let’s pray harder than we’ve ever prayed before!
And speaking of blowing the trumpet, I can’t help but mention how effectively many of the local 40 Days for Life campaigns are “tooting their horns” about this effort. Media outlets across the country are buzzing with news reports about this fall’s campaign.

Here are just a few examples…

In Dayton, Ohio – The Dayton Daily News covered the local campaign’s kickoff event. Rev. Mike Spencer of Grace Missionary Church told the crowd about learning the truth about abortion after he became a Christian and decided to be “a voice for the unborn.” Cincinnati Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk led prayer and added, “If we don’t have reverence for human life, we are easing ourselves into a society in which nobody is safe. If you can kill little babies, you can kill anybody.”

In Columbia, Missouri – Kathy Forck is helping lead that community’s first 40 Days for Life campaign. “All we want are prayers,” she told the reporter for the Columbia Missourian. “We just encourage people of faith to come out here and stand up for the little ones that can’t stand up for themselves.” A friend had invited Kathy to pray at the clinic last spring and she quickly realized she had to do more. “We can’t just stop,” she said.

In the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area — Local leaders for two campaigns appeared on Dave Palmer’s KATH-910 AM radio talk show to spread the word about 40 Days for Life. Milissa Kukla is the Dallas coordinator, and Jeff Williams handles the Fort Worth campaign. They were also joined by Laura Barker, who was part of the first-ever 40 Days for Life campaign in Bryan/College Station, Texas in 2004.

Listen to part of that interview online here:

Download mp3 (right-click to save file to your computer):http://40daysforlife.com/blog/audio/kath.mp3

40 Days for Life is the collective effort of ordinary people asking the Lord to act in an extraordinary way.

What will He do through YOUR prayers, fasting, and participation in 40 Days for Life this fall?
I don’t know, but I can’t wait for you to let us know!

Here’s today’s devotional from David Brandao, the communications director for 40 Days for Life…

—————————————————–DAY 1 INTENTION—————————————————–

That we may use these 40 Days for Life to plead for God’s mercy and grace upon all those involved in the sin of abortion.

—————————————————–SCRIPTURE—————————————————–

Blow the trumpet in Zion! Proclaim a fast, call an assembly. Gather the people, notify the congregation. Assemble the elders; gather the children and the infants at the breast… Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep and say, “Spare, O Lord, your people.”
– Joel 2:15-17

—————————————————–REFLECTION by David Brandao, 40 Days for Life—————————————————–

The toll of abortion cannot be measured. We hear estimates of almost 50 million innocent victims, but that’s only one aspect of the harm that has unfolded in abortion’s wake. There are also the mothers and fathers of these millions, as well as the grandparents, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins. Unborn lives destroyed. Lives of the living shattered.

It’s overwhelming and depressing, but even in the midst of such unfathomable darkness, the church teaches us to have hope. Yes, it was indeed Calvary that followed Christ’s 40 days in the desert, but without Calvary there would have been no Resurrection — His victory over death that opened the gates of heaven to those who believe in and follow Him.

The psalmist encourages us to go humbly before God as we seek His will: “A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me… Give me back the joy of your salvation and a willing spirit sustain in me… O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise” (Psalm 51:12, 14, 17).

We are called to be God’s messengers; or as the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians: “We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

That is the true message to all we encounter at the abortion centers and in our communities who have been deceived by the Culture of Death. We don’t bring condemnation; we bring God’s good news.

—————————————————–PRAYER—————————————————–

Lord, we ask for the strength, courage, wisdom, determination and stamina to carry out this mission according to Your will.

Guide us, we pray, as we go forth and proclaim Your truth, always doing so with a spirit of love and compassion, as was demonstrated to us by Your Son, Jesus Christ. In His name we pray,

Amen.

—————————————————–PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL—————————————————–

To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2009day01print.pdf

40 Days for Life begins Wednesday in 212 cities

2009-09-22T05:49:00.000-07:00

Today we prepare; tomorrow it begins: 40 days of focused prayer, fasting, vigil and outreach to help bring an end to the injustice of abortion.

Whether you’ve participated in 40 Days for Life before, or you’re along on this journey for the very first time, thank you taking the step of faith to join this prayerful effort.

What is 40 Days for Life? Bishop Richard Malone of Portland, Maine offered about the best one-sentence answer I’ve yet seen: “40 Days for Life is the work of the Holy Spirit, a divine inspiration in the ongoing effort to end the plague of abortion.”

And how does the Holy Spirit work? Often, in the hearts of those who join this effort to pray for others. When it comes to 40 Days for Life, expect the unexpected!

That message is clear in what people are saying about 40 Days for Life.

A blogger just posted: “As I sit here tonight awaiting the kickoff rally tomorrow, while holding my precious sleeping infant, I praise God for the gift of life.” But she writes with mixed emotions. Six years ago, she became pregnant as the result of rape. She chose life for her son, and arranged for a loving couple to adopt her child.

“Six years later,” she writes, “I still know and feel I made the right decision, but I miss him. So, tonight as I write this, I think about the women who go in for an abortion and wonder how I can make a difference. I realize that I can make a difference by being there praying for them, praying to God that their mind changes away from abortion.”

She is thankful for 40 Days for Life “because I believe it truly touches the hearts of the women who come there for an abortion. I am eagerly anticipating the Lord’s goodness in this fall’s campaign.”

Then there’s Val in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, who expressed her thoughts in a letter to the editor of the local newspaper:

Last spring I volunteered in the 40 Days for Life campaign. For 40 days I joined other volunteers to pray for the unborn in front of the Planned Parenthood clinic.

We didn’t pray only for the unborn. We also prayed for the women facing unplanned pregnancies. We prayed that those facing these circumstances would consider other alternatives such as adoption.

My family adopted a child whose mother once faced an unplanned pregnancy. After making an appointment to end her pregnancy, she changed her mind when she encountered volunteers who were present the day of her appointment, praying on behalf of the unborn.

This child has been such a blessing to our family. God has a plan for each one of us, and I’m seeing that, especially in the case of this child.

This fall from September 23 to November 1, another 40 Days for Life campaign will take place. I hope many will come and join us as we pray.

Miracles really do happen.”

If you haven’t yet signed up to participate in the prayer and fasting, vigil, and outreach for this fall’s campaign, please consider doing so. To find a 40 Days for Life location near you and get involved, you can visit:

http://40daysforlife.com/location.cfm

40 Days for Life is the work of the Holy Spirit — working in and through each of us.

May God richly bless you, and all those you will touch with Christ’s love, as you begin this 40-day journey!

Each of these next 40 days, I will send you a short update about what God is doing across America, Canada, and Denmark, along with a short devotional and prayer.

To help prepare, here’s a devotional from Carmen Pate, a 40 Days for Life board member and co-host of the nationally syndicated Point of View radio talk show:

—————————————————–
PRE-KICKOFF INTENTION
—————————————————–

For God’s blessing upon all participating in the fall 2009 40 Days for Life campaign.

—————————————————–
SCRIPTURE
—————————————————–

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.”

– 2 Chronicles 7:14

—————————————————–
REFLECTION by Carmen Pate, Co-host, Point of View
—————————————————–

Not unlike God’s chosen people of Israel, we must humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways, if we expect God to hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land. The need for repentance has not been greater since the Supreme Court decision of Roe vs. Wade in 1973.

The number one cause of death in America is the needless sacrifice of our children at the altar of convenience called abortion. Conservative estimates put the number of deaths at nearly 48 million.

And lest we think this is an issue outside the church walls, 43 percent of women obtaining abortions identify themselves as Protestant, and 27 percent identify themselves as Catholic. One in four women has at least one abortion by the age of 45 — both non-Christian and Christian alike. Where was the voice of Truth — the church?

Mary Comm of In Our Midst Ministries, Inc. sums up the issue best as she writes, “We (the church) have been an unintentional accomplice to the millions of lives lost and to the multiplied millions of lives devastated by abortion. We didn’t want them to abort. We didn’t mean for them to abort. But, because of our lack of knowledge, because of our fear, we have continued to stand by and do nothing. We, God’s hands and feet in this dark and hurting world, have been unintentional, unknowledgeable accomplice, but an accomplice nonetheless.”

May today mark the beginning of change within the church, as God’s people, in unity, seek His forgiveness.

—————————————————–
PRAYER
—————————————————–

Heavenly Father, we have turned our backs on you and your principles in your Word. We have allowed man to usurp Your role as God over life and the number of our days. But we come to you in brokenness and repentance over our sin.

We cry out for Your mercy and ask you to remove the scourge of abortion from our land.

Use us as your vessels, Lord, to bring the light of Your Truth to our nation once again. Because of Christ we pray, Amen.

—————————————————–
PRINTABLE DEVOTIONAL
—————————————————–

To download today’s devotional as a formatted, printable PDF to share with friends:

http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2009day00print.pdf

—————————————————–

Let’s pray, fast, and shape history together starting tomorrow!

For Life,

David Bereit
National Director
40 Days for Life

It's Here

2009-09-21T20:51:00.001-07:00

It’s here.

The beginning of the 40 Days for Life-Dallas campaign has arrived.

As we embark on the next 40 days beginning tomorrow, September 23, I can’t hide the fact that I am so excited to see what God has in store for us here in Dallas.

Tonight, Tuesday September 22, we have our Kickoff Rally planned. It’ll start at 6:00 p.m. in the parking lot of Birth Choice, the new pregnancy center located across the street from Robinson’s abortion center. The address is 1902 Record Crossing, Dallas. I know that the Holy Spirit has something special planned, as two dynamic speakers take to the microphone to encourage us and bless us as we begin our campaign.

Father Paul Weinberger, one of our guest speakers, is the pastor of St. William Catholic Church in Greenville. Father Weinberger is a faithful sidewalk counselor outside Routh Street abortion center, and regularly celebrates Mass at the White Rose Chapel where he presides over Thursday Adoration.

Our other guest speaker is Reverend Stephen Broden, Pastor of Fair Park Bible Fellowship in Dallas. Pastor Broden is a member of the national pro-life organization L.E.A.R.N., and one of the key black pastors fighting on the national level to defund Planned Parenthood of taxpayer money. He is featured in the documentary film Ma'afa 21: Black Genocide in 21st Century America, a whistle-blowing exposé on Planned Parenthood’s eugenics roots.

The time to begin praying and fasting for an end to abortion is at hand. To help maintain focus on the Lord and stay in tune with His guidance for this peaceful outreach, the national team has prepared a series of daily devotionals to guide you through each day of this fall's 40 Days for Life.

The daily devotionals are posted online ... plus you can receive them every day by e-mail by signing up here. You'll also receive important updates about how you can get involved in the prayerful 40 Days for Life campaign this fall.

Most of us devote 40 hours or more to our job. I know I do. But how many of can say that we have saved a life at our work in any one of those 40 hours? I’m going to put out a challenge to you. I am going to ask you to devote 40 hours; one hour a day, over the next 40 days to praying at the peaceful vigil outside of Robinson’s abortion center. And because I have seen many people do this in previous campaigns, I can say without reservation, that your life will be changed at the end of this. And your prayers and peaceful presence will have contributed to saving lives. Not just saving babies from death, but saving mothers, fathers and grandparents from a lifetime of regret. Will you take me up on the challenge? Will you pray with us each day of this fall’s 40 Days for Life campaign? Our Lord tells us, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Our vigil is held 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at Robinson’s abortion center, 1929 Record Crossing, Dallas. Right now, our most urgent hours are for the first days of the campaign, Wednesday, September 23, and also Thursday, September 24. There must be at least two prayer volunteers per hour. Additionally, we ask that if you are signing up for the hours of 12:00 a.m.-7:00 a.m., or 7:00 p.m.-11:59 p.m., that at least one of the two prayer volunteers be a man. It is also permissible to pray in your vehicle if you feel safer that way. The following hours have no prayer volunteers scheduled:

Wednesday, September 23

09:00pm Signup

10:00pm Signup

11:00pm Signup

Thursday, September 24

02:00am Signup

03:00am Signup

11:00pm Signup

Thank you for praying and fasting with us through the next 40 Days. With God’s help, we are praying this marks the beginning of the end to abortion.