Day 2: The Miraculous... The Cathedral

Sometime after dark on this Feast Day of the Archangels, St. Michael, St. Gabriel & St. Raphael, static continually interrupted the radio waves (Guadalupe Radio Network), signaling weather interference. A storm was moving south.

As thunder and lighting grew louder and more frequent, I felt an urgency to go to the vigil site (Is anyone there?)... threw on a sweater, opened the front door only to be greeted by a blinding flash of lightening and resounding thunder (that was close), took a deep breath and bolted to the car.

The vigil site is only a few miles away and the rain was blowing wildly...  (Did the car just move sideways? It's a heavy car. It seemed to move sideways). Traffic was scurrying through rains.

The sky was electric... virulent.... horizontal and vertical bolts of lightening shattering the late night sky.

Steering closer to the vigil site, the rains slowly abetted becoming only a fine mist. Fully expecting everyone to have fled for shelter... there on that sidewalk outside the late-term abortion facility, were mmmmm... maybe 50 or 60 people... families ... solemnly praying, heads down, kneeling... completely undisturbed.  There was a soft breeze. Peaceful tranquility.

"Oh, only a few drops," said one of the vigil coordinators. And even though lightening continued to sporadically illuminate the sky above, no one seemed to pay it much mind. It was a backdrop to their prayers.

Hope (that is her name) with calm warmth whispered, "Oh... guess what? Someone threw ice cream or something at us...  Oh, no, I didn't really even notice it so much... we were praying... it just felt a little cold and wet on my back..." She softly smiled. Peace.

The next morning, the sun exposed a blue spot... clearly blue... on the sidewalk, presumably marking the place where that same liquid landed.  Maybe it was blue ice cream... or  perhaps a special blessing on that Feast Day of the Archangels, St. Michael, St. Gabriel & St. Raphael.  Both.

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big important little notes:

The group praying was one of several "shifts",  manned by the faithful from the Cathedral Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. "Guesstimations" are  200 (or more!) came to pray from the Cathedral.  What seems to be consistently true of these faithful prayer warriors who come to pray during the vigil and other times during the year outside the abortion centers:  They work hard. They pray hard. They are an example... to many.  

Fr. Henry Erazo (parishioners proudly "snitched" on him) "picked the date so it would be on his day-off... so he could come pray at the vigil... on his day off!"  He did just that.  Prior to the vigil, Fr. Henry "went to the ministry groups and told each one to come to the vigil. He said we could do that for 'at least one day' of the year." And they did. They are grateful for their priests.  Thanks be to God for priests!  Thank you, Fr. Henry. 

The next day...  2 more women chose life for their babies!  This is the miraculous:  Life. Beautiful newly created  Life!

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow... Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

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Therefore We Will Stand

From the planning team:

We sent out the email blast asking for volunteers to cover midnight to 7am hours on Thursday.  Everything but 4am to 6am was adopted. 

Then I got an email from a woman who said she and her husband would take 4am to 5am.  I told her the 5am slot was also still available and asked her if they could possibly take that too.

 

Without hesitation, she said, "yes!"  This, with slight edits, is the rest of her reply:

 

"Three of our young children were adopted from an orphanage from Ukraine.  Out of the feelings I have for their birth mother...I will always be thankful for her gift of life.  Therefore we will stand!!! "

Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow...

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Prayers offered, Prayers answered

Last night, Dallas kicked off its second 24/7 vigil at the Southwestern late-term abortion center.   Nearly 300 of the Dallas faithful joined in the nearby park to raise their voices in Praise & Worship led by local musician Joe Languell and enjoy rousing presentations by Reverend James Yamauchi, Executive Director  Karen Garnett of the Catholic Pro-Life Committee of North Texas, Aurora Tinajero who hosts “Celebrando la Vida,” and Bishop John Lawson of Children of God Ministries.  The rally was rounded out by 40 Days for Life national team member Lauren Muzyka, who spoke of the power of prayer evidenced by campaigns across the globe, and finally, Ramona Trevino, who shared her journey from Planned Parenthood manager to pro-life witness.  Ramona’s testimony lit up the night as a shining example of what God’s people can do when they “show up” and put their trust and faith in the God almighty!

Lifted up by the rally, members of the local leadership team and prayer volunteers returned to the vigil site a few hours later to offer up midnight prayers on behalf of all those destroyed by the tragedy of abortion.   12 hours and over 50 prayer volunteers (St. Anthony Catholic Church, Wylie, and others) later, God answered those prayers with…3 confirmed saves!!!  

Three mothers chose life for their precious little ones.  Why?

Because, in the words of the Dallas prayer coordinator, “There was a steady powerful prayer presence non-stop as people came ‘passing the baton.’  The prayer chain was unbroken.  Thanks be to Almighty Holy God!!  Thank you to all those who have sacrificed...prayed...fasted...come to the sidewalk for their little brothers and sisters who are yet to be born.  Thank you, thank you Holy Spirit for moving hearts so miraculously and so wonderfully.”

May God continue to bless this campaign and the efforts of all those who join in prayer in His name.

Day 1 The First Hour: Silent Night Holy Night

It is difficult to imagine on this six lane intersection, normally drowned during business hours in the hot din and rank smells of heavy traffic... the silence. It is difficult to imagine on this sidewalk outside Southwestern late-term abortion center, normally trafficked by those coming and going/to and from abortion... the holiness.

But it was the first hour of the morning... after midnight.... About ten or so gathered to pray.

Earlier in the evening, the crowd from 40 Days for Life-Dallas Kickoff Rally, which was held across the street at Harry Moss Park, had dispersed. A handful of folks drifted to a neighborhood eatery. The take-down crew traveled to the church to return the stage. Others went home to tend to family.

There was a call... a call from the Holy Spirit:  Come back. Come take the 1st hour. Come. Come Pray.

They came back.... about ten or so came back to that sidewalk outside Southwestern late-term abortion center... to pray.

The silence was broken only by an occasional passing car,  gentle chirping crickets, little singing frogs and:   "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..." as a gentle cooling breeze occasionally stirred the trees, as sirens faded into distant night, as the midnight blue sky envelopeed them as a silent mantle of protection.

Together they prayed, on the first hour of the Feast of St. Winceslaus, martyr, patron saint of the poor, prayed for the poor helpless souls of their little brothers and little sisters in the womb; prayed for mothers, prayed for fathers, prayed for those participating in the deaths of those same little ones, prayed for families, prayed for priests, prayed for the youth, prayed for the aged, prayed...prayed... prayed... for mercy for the whole world.

They knelt on hard sidewalk... remembering the joyful birth of Our Lord, remembering the days He walked on this earth among men, remembering His passion and death, remembering His glorious Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven, committing all to Him and asking for the intercessions of His Blessed Mother Virgin Mary...

Silent night, Holy night ... Mother and Child, all is calm... with the dawn of redeeming Grace.

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