Tis the Season for Prolife Activism

The Summer is winding to a close and the weather has a hint of Fall. Time for those activities that we all love – county fairs, college football, Oktoberfest, playing in the leaves, sweaters and boots!

In the midst of all of this it is important to remember one of the more challenging activities we encounter: 40 Days for Life. This pro-life Prayer Vigil kicks off September 28th and goes until November 6th. If you haven’t had a chance to participate in one of these yet, check out www.40daysforlife.com for all the latest on locations, stories and how to join the cause.

I grew up in the midst of pro-life activities. When you have 13 siblings a simple trip to the grocery store was a witness to life. Even today I can still rattle off all of the comments we heard on those infamous trips, but I count myself very blessed to have grown up in a family that promoted life. Being old enough to remember when 40 Days for Life first started, I have been able to witness firsthand the impact it has had on the pro-life crowds and getting the pro-life message to the mainstream public. I feel it has been so successful due in a huge part of to the demeanor of the participants, and the nature of the event. It is peaceful and calm in the midst of the chaos created by the other side.

During the last 40 Days for Life Campaign, I was able to coordinate a trip (to the local Planned Parenthood) for a small group of teens from my local parish and help them participate. This was a first time experience in pro-life work of any type for almost all of the teens. No amount of talking can really prepare kids for that first encounter with something of this nature. We made cute posters, and the car was full of happy chatter as we drove the 45 minutes to the Planned Parenthood. We unloaded a carefree, happy bunch of kids, and then they were hit with the unexpected. Cars of people going by screaming at them, getting coke and ice flung at them. The mood became serious really fast as it finally clicked with them the gravity of the situation. Their generation, their friends were being killed and destroyed right in front of us. Now this time around they are the ones encouraging me! “When are we going to participate in that again?” “We have got to do something about this!” It brings it all into perspective. We change this country one person at a time, one prayer at a time.

Here in Alabama another pro-life victory went into law on September 1st. Our state enacted the Alabama Fetal Pain Law. This bill protects unborn children capable of feeling pain and bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy as a result. Another small step, but a step in the right direction non-the-less.

Let’s keep all of this in mind as we prepare for 40 Days for Life, and give up an hour of our football time to pray for our tiny brothers and sisters. Also, there are no rules against wearing your team sweaters out on the sidewalks! If you are not able to be out on the sidewalks with us, please join us in prayer.