Monday, October 29, 2018

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

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