Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Psalm 40:5a
If I were walking in the tunnel in this above image, I would be legitimately scared- especially if I were walking alone. Besides knowing that the Lord was with me, the only other thing that would offer any kind of HOPE would be the light as I approached it. I’d be thinking of how I was almost there- almost at the end of the scary time… almost at the end of the darkness. I could have hope that it would be okay soon.
The current state of the world sometimes feels that way to me. But we must remember– and have hope in– the light of Easter and the power of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
It’s hard to have hope when we are in a world that is continually surrounded by and submerged in a culture of death. A culture that not only legalizes, but celebrates, abortion. May we continue to offer HOPE to those on the sidewalk. And may we remember that “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
Shift Manager Reports:
Nikki:
It was so good to be with my faithful shift buddy Peggy again! It was just the two of us on a quiet, snowy sidewalk. We were bundled up so we stayed warm and cozy while we prayed the first hour away. For the second hour, it was a little more noisy and distracting, as the city awoke…employees began entering PP and the movie crew arrived to replace all of the bookstore items that it had removed in order to film. After today they should be gone.
A little before 9 we were happy to see the smiling faces of Meredith and Karen who arrived for the next shift. We handed the torch to them and left the sidewalk in their capable hands. We are very blessed with such hardy, faithful, fortitude-filled pro-lifers here in Pittsburgh! Be careful though…in rushing to my shift this morning, I slipped on some painted concrete (a sloped ramp) and have a nice-sized cut on my knee now…ouch! Take your time when you come downtown…the sidewalks are not in great shape!
Meredith:
Karen and I enjoyed a peaceful morning of prayer and worship at 933 Liberty Ave. Marie and Therese joined us halfway through our shift. While it’s urgently important for us to be there on abortion days, quiet days like today allow us to focus on prayer and asking God to set up His kingdom right there at the gates of hell. I’m grateful to join with the body of Christ in seeking the Lord’s help to end abortion in our city.
I also wanted to make our readers aware of this: Recently, an article surfaced about harvesting tissue and organs from babies aborted at Magee for research “humanizing” rodents at Pitt using our tax dollars. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-71548-z ) Would you be willing to write a note to the folks responsible for allowing this grotesque attack on the dignity of human life, encouraging them to stop doing this? Here’s contact info for them. Spread the word!
Magee-Womens Hospital Board of Directors at – RULLCM@upmc.edu
Office of Chancellor Patrick Gallagher at Pitt – https://www.chancellor.pitt.edu/contact-us
Lisa:
My substitute shift buddy, Tony, and I had a very quiet shift. Not gonna lie, it was somewhat of a mental challenge for me to stay focused in prayer. But I actually took my time and prayed the rosary very slowly, taking breaks, which took up the first hour. I offered the rosary for the clients inside PP and the workers, the passersby, and for an end to abortion. For most of the second hour, I softly sang songs of praise and petition to Our Lord for those inside, that they would have a change of heart.
Being out there on a cold, overcast, dreary day always seems so appropriately symbolic of what is going on inside.
How are we to have hope when there is killing going on at PP many times per week? Honestly, I don’t know. But we still have to try. Because Our Lord is still on the throne.
Dolores:
It was a quiet shift today, praying outside in the cold with Carolyn the shift leader, Anna from Greensburg, and prayer warriors from St. Thomas More and Divine Mercy Parishes. Rosaries were prayed with such love and faith, asking our dear Blessed Mother for her intercession. As people walked by, some offered their support with a wave or a smile.
While praying, Anna shared that she traveled from Greensburg to pray a double shift of 4 hours—in the cold! She plans to come back during this 40 days. One prayer warrior offered her beautiful story of experiencing the love of Jesus through her own healing after an abortion a number of years ago.
It was quiet indeed, and filled with so much love and prayer.
Thank you for being such wonderful prayer warriors.