We have run the good race… almost
As St. Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Well, we are almost there, too. As we enter the last week of the vigil, we can see the finish line not far ahead. We have run the good race up until now.
I know it’s not always easy to go downtown. We’ve all been doing this for a long time. And it’s not for everybody.
But this fight doesn’t really end on Sunday. While this 40 DFL Spring Vigil ends then, the race is not really over. We must persevere to the very, very end. Now is not the time to be timid and back away and sit on our laurels. It is the time to remain courageous and Bold.
St. Paul said, “We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
So here is the “ask.” I ask you continue to come downtown after the vigil ends. We are still there. We have a team of Sidewalk Advocates and 40 DFL 365 prayer warriors that come down every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday all year long. We do the same things as those days that happen during the vigil. We pray, smile, offer help and hope to have a positive encounter with an abortion-bound woman. Want to know more? Contact pghsaland365@gmail.com.
We still need you. Listen to your heart. Come join the race. I hope to see you back on the sidewalk and bring a friend or family member and share the hope and joy. Oh, and wear your running shoes for comfort. GBY Tim
From Sue 7-9: “It was an abortion day today, which unusual for a Monday. Unfortunately there was a couple waiting before it even opened. Many workers entered and about 5-6 couples. We reached out to offer free help as best as we could. Led by Diane, we prayed all four mysteries of the rosary. A sad day and it seemed that no one accepted our offer of help, but they can always come out by the grace of God. The sidewalk and streets were busy with passersby, students and traffic. Some supportive, some not so much. But we soldier on, hoping and praying the holocaust ends soon.” GBY, Sue
Shown in the pic are Janet and Tom from St. Catherine Laboure and faithful shift buddy Diane.
From Nikki 9-11:
“Mary and I were blessed to pray with many wonderful members from Saint Catherine Laboure parish, which has adopted from 7 AM until 1 PM today! It was sadly an abortion day for the second Monday in a row. We prayed and offered help and support, hoping minds would change and lives would be saved. Overall, it was a peaceful shift and the weather was mild. We even spotted the petite woman who always knocks over our display while she was still half a block away and so were able to stand in front of the table to prevent her from making her usual mess on the sidewalk with our materials. She just gave us an angry comment as she rushed by. We did have quite a few positive comments from passersby and a couple of negative ones. One very original comment of suggesting that we all get jobs. Some things just never get old, I guess. Thanks to all who came out to pray today!“
Here’s from Marie H. 11-1: “Maggie provided counseling to a young couple while pro life parishioners from St. Catherine Laboure witnessed through prayer. “
Here’s the report from Marie P. 1:00-3:00: “The final Monday of this 40 Days for Life Lenten campaign. The Mondays have flown by! Unfortunately, PP was conducting their usual business today.
Deno and Ed were there and ready to pray for the first hour of the shift when I arrived. Maggie informed us of a young couple that she was able to speak to. Maggie is not usually on the sidewalk on Monday but God knew she needed to be there for this couple.
Susan joined us for the second hour and Ed headed back to his office. What a blessing to have dedicated folks who give up their time and comfort to stand on the dreary sidewalk. Prayers were said and resource cards were offered with a few accepted by passersby. Luckily, the rain stayed away and we kept dry!😊 God Bless!” Marie
From Dan 3-5: “Planned Parenthood was relatively quiet today, Fr. Jeremy led us in praying the 3 o’clock Divine Mercy Chaplet . Also prayed The Joyful Mysteries. Most comments today were good. One young couple pushing their little one in a stroller told us how they agreed abortion is wrong. Another young man walked up to us and said he went to the March For Life last year and how happy he was to see so many people marching! Another young girl walked by and mumbled, ‘Disgusting.‘ Not sure if she was referring to us or the act of abortion.“
Fr. Jeremy