Hold the Line

“Men must be strong, brave and true.”  These are words that I’ve heard my husband say many times.  So how do men bring these qualities to the sidewalk?

Deeply ingrained in men is the instinct to hold the line, to protect those whom they love.  We see this same commitment every day on the sidewalk.  One of the counselors is an older gentleman.  Young men are drawn to him because he tells them the unvarnished truth about their responsibilities as men and fathers.

At the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil, the rain was cold and coming down pretty hard, so we told Steve, one of the prayer volunteers, that he could pray from his car if he wanted to.  “No,” he said, “I want them to see me.”  He stood praying the Rosary near the driveway, unconcerned about being cold and wet.  He was there on an important mission, and he was doing his duty.

For several years now, two of our Knights of Columbus have taken a day off from work during 40 Days to shuttle people out to pray at the abortion center and then back to the parish.  One of them says it’s like a prayer all day; he says he is the one who is blessed by being with these people coming to witness for life.

My friend Angel asked me how coverage was going for a Wednesday afternoon.  “Not good,” I told him.  “We still have six hours open.  Why?  Can you come pray for an hour?” 

“No,” he said, “I can come pray for six.” 

“Are you sure?” I asked him. 

“Of course.  I have no choice.  My Mother Mary has asked me to do this, so I must go.” 

Another prayer warrior has diabetes and had to have a partial amputation of his foot, but he has signed up for twelve hours throughout the vigil.  Knights have spent from one to twelve hours on the sidewalk in front of the Planned Parenthood during this 40 Days for Life.  And so far, five women have chosen life for their babies, leaving the abortion facility with their lives still intact.  And these are the ones we know about.

The men who pray at the vigil have a strong faith.  They want to be seen.  They hold the line.

By: Susan Platt, Dallas Campaign Director

Where were you?!

Her name is Belinda.

People had gathered on the sidewalk outside the South Dallas Planned Parenthood to join thousands of Catholics across the United States to pray on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Belinda walked through the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil site and stopped in the middle of the street.

“Where were you?” she cried. “I might not have had an abortion if you had been there!”

This was completely different from the positive response we’d been getting from people in the neighborhood. We were blessed that our Convert-to-Life Director was at the vigil and was able to talk to Belinda, offering information on healing after abortion.

Twenty-four years ago, Belinda had gotten pregnant. Her boyfriend told her he didn’t want the baby and it was up to her to get rid of their child. She decided she didn’t want a baby either, so she’d gone through with the abortion. She’d never been able to conceive another child. And now she’s homeless.

We may not have been there 24 years ago, but we can be there now. Do you have an hour before work or an hour after work that you can spend in prayer? Maybe you can take your lunch hour to pray and give silent witness to all the Belindas who are struggling with their decision. Your presence does make a difference.  Please answer God’s call to pray. www.prolifedallas.org/40days

If you or someone you know is struggling from the effects of an abortion visit www.racheldallas.org.

A Guardian Angel

South Dallas Planned Parenthood is in a quiet location, surrounded mostly by medical offices.  Yesterday afternoon, we had three people who drove past, giving us thumbs up and calling out, “Good job.”  A worker from one of the medical labs walked over to talk for a while, saying they were glad we were there. 

And an older lady pulled up to tell us that she could hardly stand to go to her doctor because having Planned Parenthood next door was so distressing.  She said, “I miscarried two babies, and I can’t believe that someone would intentionally…”.  She couldn’t finish her sentence.  We asked her to pray and she said she would.

The Feast of the Guardian Angels was this week.  How wonderful it is that we each have a Guardian Angel watching over us, aiding our prayer, and presenting our souls to God at death.  Angel means messenger, and the angels not only take our messages to God, but they also bring His messages to us.  Padre Pio spiritually adopted lots of sons and daughters, and he would ask them to send their Guardian Angels if they were in need.  He would send his Guardian Angel to pray for them too.

In Send Me Your Guardian Angel, a book about Padre Pio’s relationship with angels, the author relates a story about one of Padre Pio’s spiritual children, Cecil Humphrey-Smith.  Involved in a terrible car wreck, Cecil was seriously injured.  A friend went to the post office to send a telegram to Padre Pio, letting him know and asking for prayers.  When he turned the telegram in at the window, the clerk handed the friend a telegram from Padre Pio which said he would be praying for Cecil’s healing!

Months later Cecil was able to make the trip to see his spiritual father and asked how Padre Pio had known so quickly about the wreck and how the telegram had gotten there so quickly.  Padre Pio asked him, “Do you think the Angels go as slowly as the planes?”

Sometimes our Guardian Angels are sent to ask us for prayers.  Yesterday, this young man came to the prayer vigil because he said he felt called to pray the Rosary. He came just when we needed him.  Thank you, Guardian Angels.

Guardian Angel Prayer for Friends

Guardian Angel,

watch over those whose names you can read in my heart.

Guard over them with every care

and make their way easy and their labors fruitful.

Dry their tears if they weep;

sanctify their joys;

raise their courage if they weaken;

restore their hope if they lose heart,

their health if they be ill,

truth if they err, repentance if they fail.  Amen

By: Susan Platt, Dallas Campaign Director

Vigil being baptized!

40 Days for Life- Dallas was off to a soggy start at 6am in front of the South Dallas Planned Parenthood.  We had all traveled through rain just to get a light sprinkle at the vigil site, but the more we prayed, the harder it stormed.  One of the Knights quipped that it was like our 40 Days vigil was being baptized!

Some of us had been to the Kickoff the night before; others had been to a Hike for Life meeting to finalize details for this weekend.  And at least one Knight plans to be at the vigil for all twelve hours today.

The Kickoff Rally was one of the best we’ve ever had.  Shawn Carney, a founder of 40 Days for Life, was the speaker, sharing amazing stories of God’s grace.  He told of one vigil that, year after year for ten years, had not seen one baby saved.  How trusting these people have been, that God wants them to persevere and that He can use for good whatever they give Him. 

This last campaign, a woman showed up with her six-year old daughter.  She wanted the volunteers to know that when she was pregnant, she had come to abort this child, but she had left because she saw them praying for her.  For six years, a little girl has been alive because of their sacrifice and Christ’s mercy.

Our host was Chris Wheel from The TurnAround Agenda, who welcomed us and prayed with us for life.  He prayed about the need for all of us to stand together  -- for everyone to be a part of the “us-ness,” a Texas word!, as we work and pray for life.

May God greatly bless this 40 Days for Life vigil and bless all His people who have answered His call!

By: Susan Platt, Dallas Campaign Director