The Spring 40 Days for Life campaign has begun!

The Divine Mercy Novena for mothers, that they not abort their offspring; for infants in danger of being put to death in the womb; for a change of heart of providers of abortions and of their collaborators; for human victims of stem cell research, genetic manipulation, cloning, and euthanasia; and for all entrusted with the government of peoples, that they may promote the “Culture of Life”.

Second Day
“Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests and Religious,

and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind.”

Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service,* that they may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones in Your vineyard — upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.

* In the original text, Saint Faustina uses the pronoun “us” since she was offering this prayer as a consecrated religious sister. The wording adapted here is intended to make the prayer suitable for universal use.

The Divine Mercy Novena for mothers, that they not abort their offspring; for infants in danger of being put to death in the womb; for a change of heart of providers of abortions and of their collaborators; for human victims of stem cell research, genetic manipulation, cloning, and euthanasia; and for all entrusted with the government of peoples, that they may promote the “Culture of Life”.

First Day
“Today bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners,

and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me.”

Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.

Monday, March 8 marks the midway point in our Spring 40 Days for Life Campaign.  To honor the Divine Mercy to whom we dedicate this Spring 40 Days for Life Pensacola, we will hold a candle-light vigil at 6pm in front of  the AMS of Pensacola abortion facility.

Also, Monday,  March 8 will begin our DIVINE MERCY NOVENA  “for mothers, that they not abort their offspring; for infants in danger of being put to death in the womb; for a change of heart of providers of abortions and of their collaborators; for human victims of stem cell research, genetic manipulation, cloning, and euthanasia; and for all entrusted with the government of peoples, that they may promote the “Culture of Life” so as to put an end to the “culture of death.” (Pope John Paul II)

Papal Blessing for the Eucharistic Apostles of The Divine Mercy

From Pope John Paul II on March, 2003

Calling to Remembrance the participation in Our Lord’s Agony in Gethsemani of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska of The Most Blessed Sacrament, who at least thrice in her lifetime willingly accepted the violent pains that convulsed her for three hours and at times caused her to lose conciousness, as allowed by Jesus in order to offer reparation to God for infants murdered in their mothers’ wombs (Diary, §1276).

To All Members of The Eucharistic Apostles of The Divine Mercy—A Lay Ministry Outreach of the Congregation of Marians of The Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary—and To All The Faithful Worldwide, who join them in offering The Divine Mercy Chaplet—revealed to St. M. Faustina for averting divine chastisement—for mothers, that they not abort their offspring; for infants in danger of being put to death in the womb; for a change of heart of providers of abortions and of their collaborators; for human victims of stem cell research, genetic manipulation, cloning, and euthanasia; and for all entrusted with the government of peoples, that they may promote the “Culture of Life” so as to put an end to the “culture of death.”

I impart, as a token of a Superabundance of Divine Graces, My Heartfelt Apostolic Blessing.

Signed: John Paul II

Indeed, the link between this devotion and abortion is established by St. Faustina herself and recorded in her “Diary.” Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, who was a principal translator of St. Faustina’s diary, and the postulator of her cause of canonization, writes the following:

“On at least three occasions, from 8:00-11:00 in the evening, she felt like her insides were being torn apart. She suffered so much that she thought she was going to die. The doctors couldn’t figure out what was ailing her, and no medication was able to alleviate her sufferings. Later, she was given to understand that she was undergoing those pains for mothers who were aborting their children (Diary, 1276).

A young woman walked up to the 40 Days for Life vigil outside an abortion center in Austin, Texas recently. She signed up to join the others in prayer … and then immediately sat down on the sidewalk and started to cry. One of the volunteers stopped praying for a moment to approach the young woman, whom she had never met before, and asked her if she needed a hug. This volunteer assumed that the thought of what was going on inside the abortion facility had simply overcome this woman and brought her to tears. But that wasn’t the case. To her surprise, she found out this young woman was crying for another reason. “I’m pregnant right now and don’t want to be,” she said. “I’ve already had four abortions. She said she didn’t have an abortion scheduled. “But I keep feeling this huge temptation to just go to an abortion clinic, pay my $400 and get it over with. I came to the sidewalk to pray, and to be around people who are like-minded as I am.” The young woman told one of the sidewalk counselors that she was twelve weeks into her pregnancy. She had already been to a pregnancy resource center, but was still a mess emotionally. She had become a Christian, she said. “But with this pregnancy, I just feel so depressed. I’m living in a women’s shelter, and the last thing I want right now is to be pregnant.” The sidewalk counselor took her to dinner, and they sat and talked for hours. “As they developed a long- term plan to get this young woman the help she needs,” said Elizabeth McClung, the local 40 Days for Life coordinator in Austin, “she said something that should serve as an encouragement to every single pro-lifer who has ever thought about going to pray at an abortion facility.” “If you guys weren’t out there praying,” this woman said, “I would have pulled up to the facility, sat in my car for hours on end — and ended up going inside for a fifth abortion. Since you were on the sidewalk praying, I knew I could find comfort and support there, so I went there to cry instead. Thank you for being there.” “Her story is the perfect example as to why we not only pray from home and from church, but we also go pray at the very places where lives are being hurt and taken,” Elizabeth said. She is now on a path to healing from her previous abortions, finding a job and taking her pregnancy one day at a time. And, Elizabeth said, “She is not going to have another abortion!” Please pray for her, and for all who are desperate to break out of that cycle of abortion.

Sharon Echols, co-coordinator of Silent No More Awareness of Missouri and Kansas, will share her testimony about healing after abortion at St Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Milton.  She will give her testimony after the prayer after communion, as the first announcement, at all Masses this weekend (Saturday and Sunday, March 6th and 7th).

Weekend Mass times:  Saturday 5:15 PM and Sunday 8:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 5:15 PM

St Rose of Lima is located at 6451 Park Avenue in Milton.

This past Saturday, the prayer vigil participants witnessed four miracles.  Four women chose life!  One of the prayer vigil participants, approached a vehicle at 6:30 AM in one of the local business parking lots.  He briefly spoke with the two women inside this vehicle.  He handed them a brochure about abortion alternatives and what abortion does to women.  Two hours later the women drove past us, giving us the thumbs up and pointing that she kept her baby!

What would have happened if the prayer vigil participant had not been there to hand these women this information?

This demonstrates the absolute necessity of peaceful, prayerful, community witness.  We do not have a lot of hours covered this week, so I hope everyone on this e-mail list that lives in and around Pensacola will take the time to pray in front of AMS of Pensacola!  Lives are depending upon you!  Over the next few weeks, speak with your pastor and ask him to join you.  Speak about 40 Days for Life at your prayer group or Bible study and get as many people to go with you to pray in front of AMS of Pensacola!

This past Saturday, abortion day in Pensacola, our prayer intention for that day was for the conversion of everyone that works at AMS of Pensacola.  As the day progressed, you could visibly see that something was changing in the outlook of some of these workers.  There was a sense that some of them were beginning to realize that we are there for them.  We are truly there to pray for them.  They are surprised to hear that someone is praying for them.  God is truly chipping away at their hearts!  That is why it is so important for us to be there each and every day!  Our peaceful, prayerful presence DOES make a difference!  Be not afraid and go and pray!  As one prayer vigil participant wrote last week, he stated,  “Thank you for allowing me to be part of this (40 Days for Life).”  He had never participated in 40 Days for Life until this spring campaign, and he now understands how vitally important it is to pray in front of the AMS of Pensacola. He is scheduled to pray two hours a week in front of AMS of Pensacola.

PRAYER INTENTION: THOSE WHO WORK IN THE ABORTION INDUSTRY

Please join us as we pray in front of  the AMS of Pensacola abortion facility tomorrow morning Saturday Feb 27 from 6am until 5pm tomorrow.

Today’s devotional is from Rev. Rob Schenck, president
of Faith and Action.

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DAY 8 INTENTION
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We pray for a renewal of our zeal to offer generous
help to the unborn and their families.

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SCRIPTURE
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If I have despised the cause of my male or female
servant when they complained against me, what then
shall I do when God rises up? When He punishes, how
shall I answer Him? Did not He who made me in the womb
make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the
womb?

– Job 31:13-15

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REFLECTION by Rev. Rob Schenck, Faith and Action
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The ground is level as we stand before God.

Job lived with an awe provoking sense of God’s
expectation of him, particularly regarding his
obligation to care for the weak and needy.

He knew that in God’s economy everyone stands on level
ground when it comes to our status as God’s creatures.
Because of that central truth, we must take care of
each other.

Job also knew that he didn’t deserve any of the good
things God gave to him. Instead, those blessings came
to Job from God’s benevolent heart.

As an extension of that knowledge, Job instinctively
linked his obligation to be generous to others to
God’s kindness toward him.

As in Jesus’ parable of the unmerciful servant
(Matthew 18:23-35), Job knew that it is an egregious
sin to deny to others what we enjoy ourselves.

He actually calls down on his own head severe
condemnation and even punishment should he fail to
share with others out of his own abundance (see verses
16-23).

Proverbs 3:27 reads, “Withhold not good from them to
whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand
to do so.” Some things are so obvious that we don’t
even need to pray except to ask of God forgiveness and
the power to do what so obviously needs doing.

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PRAYER
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God, forgive us when we try to explain away the
obligation we have to help others who need help.

Enable us to not devalue them because they are in the
circumstance that they are in, but to see them for
what they are, those, who like us, were formed by your
hand in their mother’s womb. Amen.

Early Sunday morning, local coordinator Ernie Cyr
sent out an urgent message to 40 Days for Life
volunteers in Pensacola, Florida. He had just found
out that abortions were taking place at the city’s
only abortion facility. Yes, on the Lord’s day.

Ernie’s request for prayer volunteers at the 40 Days
for Life vigil was quickly answered.

It would soon become apparent that their prayers were
being answered as well.

A woman drove up and told the vigil participants,
“I called my sister and convinced her not to have
an abortion!”

It wasn’t easy — her sister was already inside the
building. The woman got on the phone and tried to
speak to her sister, but the abortion facility staff
refused to let her take the call.

Finally, the woman told the center’s staff it was an
emergency and she MUST speak to her sister URGENTLY.
The staff reluctantly permitted them to talk. The woman
explained to her sister that there were far better
options than ending the life of her unborn child.

She listened … and called off the abortion.

The woman then went into the building, came out with
her sister and returned to the pro-life volunteers.

“When the young mother came out she looked dazed and
confused,” said Ernie, “like the weight of the world
was upon her shoulders.”

She was still very much in shock after almost aborting
her child. “It was so terrible in there,” she said.
“The noise in that place was awful.”

A counselor from a pro-life pregnancy center was able
to tell her about the free resources and free medical
services that would be available throughout her
pregnancy, as well as community services that can
assist her until her child is ready to start school.

Ernie asked if she was able to get her money back.
“She said she paid $525 for the abortion but they
would only give her back $300 or so, so I told her
that the pro-life community in Pensacola is absolutely
behind her.” He’s already started a collection.

“I told her all will be well because she just made a
life-giving decision,” he said. “God has put the
pro-life community in Pensacola behind this woman.
And we will not fail her!”

Fantastic report! But guess what? There’s more!

“There were six — yes, six — other mothers that
chose life for their babies,” Ernie said. “Praise
God! Women were absolutely fleeing the abortion
facility today!”

Ernie called it a “slam dunk miracle.”

“So come on out and pray in front of the abortion
facility every chance you get,” he said. “Jesus is
really, really using us to save lives!”

Today’s devotional is from Carmen Pate, a member of
the 40 Days for Life board of directors.

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