Today marks the beginning of 40 Days For Life, a world-wide initiative to fast and pray and peacefully demonstrate for the end of abortion. I'll be honest, I've been remiss in the past, largely ignoring these events and just shooting up a couple of private prayers every time it came up. However, thanks to the myParish app (weird, but true), I found out about the opening Mass across from Planned Parenthood, said by our own Fr. Greg, and lo and behold, had the day off with no excuse to miss.
One thing Fr. Greg said that struck me was regarding the Israelites in exile, and how exile was a "severe but merciful" response from God to wake them up to the fact that they had already turned away from Him in their hearts. The exile was merely an outward manifestation of the inner truth, but it ultimately led to repentance and redemption as the Israelites were shocked out of their complacency and sin by physical suffering.
As we are also celebrating the Pope's visit to America and the World Meeting of Families, and in the midst of some of the most despairing times in terms of religious freedom and anti-Christianity/Catholicism, it would not surprise me if these 40 days signify an exile for our country as well. It's obvious that we could use a wake up call. That the hearts of our citizens are turned far from God's plan for us. That we are in dire need of "severe but merciful" action by our Creator.
It may not be pleasant. In fact, it's almost certainly not going to be. But in the cross is victory. He has conquered the grave and won the battle. We have only to turn to Him, to not be ashamed to wave His banner, to fight under His protection and not fear death. So I pray for the unborn, and I pray for our country. That we will wake up and recognize our pride and selfishness and realize our need for God, our need to become who He created us to be.
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