Jeremiah on witnessing

The first reading today was quite relevant to pro-lifers:

Reading 1

Jer 20:7-9

You duped me, O LORD, and I let myself be duped;
you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.
All the day I am an object of laughter;
everyone mocks me.

Whenever I speak, I must cry out,
violence and outrage is my message;
the word of the LORD has brought me
derision and reproach all the day.

I say to myself, I will not mention him,
I will speak in his name no more.
But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,
imprisoned in my bones;
I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.

Are weary of holding it in? Are you tired of the endless slaughter?

You do not have to witness with a bullhorn and a loud voice. The quiet witness of prayer done in faith bears faith.

The prophets of the past spoke out against injustice. Are you ready to witness against injustice and pray for the end of violence against the unborn?

Stepping Up To The Plate

Hey everyone,

Here is some encouraging news....

We just received word that Annunciation of the Lord parish will do the Vigil for 12 hours on September 29th.

This is a good sign and exactly what we are looking for. We need whole parishes to come on board. That will increase the numbers of people participating, the visibility of the Campaign, the courage of its participants, and the momentum too.

It will also help us start a friendly competition among the different churches in Ottawa.

So far, then, the score is Annunciation of the Lord parish 12, everybody else 0.

I hope to change the scoreboard soon. I'm sure you'll all get moving to score a few goals for your own parish, right? Right.

A unique approach to ending abortion

Remember, now is the time to GET INVOLVED.

The time to stand up for the unborn in Canada is now. Not tomorrow, next week, or next year.

Right now.

Ask in Faith

“But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” James 1:6-8

“The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” James 5:16

It may seem that the situation for the unborn is very grim in Canada. There are still approximately 100 000 abortions every year. The unborn have no legal recognition or protection, and it does not appear that they will obtain any status in our legal system in the foreseeable future.

The culture of death is thriving in Canada.

But we have something that is stronger than death. And that’s faith in Jesus Christ.

We forget that the Church began with nothing. Jesus did not entrust his church to the rich, the powerful and the politically savvy. He entrusted it to people who, in a worldly sense, were “average”.

Just like us.

It does not seem likely that an enterprise led by his modest apostles and disciples could ever become the most influential cultural force the world has ever seen.

But here we are. The apostles defied the odds.

Jesus said to the apostles “remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20).

Jesus is always with us. Just as much as he was with the apostles.

But Jesus will not act without our faith. We need to rely on his power if we are to vanquish the works of the evil one.

Sometimes, we are weak in faith. The world tells us it’s ridiculous to count on God to help us in this fight. It says that this fight is entirely political, and we have lost.

And so we don’t know what to think, or how to pray with this thought hanging over us.

St. Paul writes “the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought.” (Romans 8:26). We must ask God for the Spirit to increase our faith. We must see this fight as God sees it, not as the world sees it. Of course the world wants us to give up.

But God does not want us to give up on his little ones.

The Lord says: “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” If we seek faith and to live according to the Word of God, our prayers will hold sway.

Jesus is with us to help us. It only requires that we ask with a pure heart. Let’s all join together and do so for the 40 Days for Life, and we can defeat the culture of death together.

Press Release - Aug.11, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Campaign Life Coalition

August 11, 2008 613-729-0379

Pro-life advocates in Ottawa to launch groundbreaking 40 Days for Life campaign

Ottawa, Ontario – "On September 23rd, Ottawa area pro-life advocates will join together with people of faith and conscience from many other communities from coast to coast to kick off the area’s own version of the groundbreaking 40 Days for Life campaign," said Nicole Campbell, spokesperson for the Ottawa 40 Days for Life campaign.

40 Days for Life is an intensive pro-life initiative that focuses on 40 days of prayer and fasting, 40 days of peaceful vigil at abortion facilities, and 40 days of grassroots educational outreach. The 40-day time frame is drawn from examples throughout Biblical history where God brought about world-changing transformation in 40-day periods.

"As people here in Ottawa join with others from across the country to pray and fast and take courageous action for 40 days to end the tragic violence of abortion, we look forward to seeing what kind of transformation will God will bring about in our city and throughout Canada," said Campbell.

"40 Days for Life has already generated proven lifesaving results in cities across America," said David Bereit, national campaign director for 40 Days for Life. "During the fall of 2007 and spring of 2008, dozens of communities joined together for nationally coordinated 40 Days for Life campaigns. The efforts of thousands of people of faith helped make a tremendous difference. Numerous cities reported a significant drop in abortions. Some abortion facilities either closed altogether or scaled back their operations during the campaign. New volunteers got active in local pro-life efforts. Churches of different denominations worked together to work for an end to abortion in their cities. Many post-abortive women begin programs to heal from the pain caused by previous abortion experiences. With such a strong track record of results, we are excited to see what God has in store for this fall." We are expecting great things for our local 40 Days for Life campaign," said Nicole. "It is exciting for our city to be a part of something that can have such lifesaving impact, and we can’t wait to begin."

To learn more about 40 Days for Life campaign, visit the Official Web Site: http://www.40daysforlife.com/ottawa/.

For Blog site and Campaign videos visit: http://40daysottawa.blogspot.com/

For assistance or for more information, please contact Nicole Campbell at Campaign Life Coalition at 613-729-0379 or e-mail: 40daysforlifeottawa@gmail.com

Prayer Vigil at St. Maurice Catholic Parish

This all-night prayer vigil is being organized by La Pieta prayer group at St. Maurice Parish.

Event: All Night Eucharistic Adoration
Intention: To pray for Henry Morgentaler and to end abortion
Date: Sunday September 7
Time: 9 PM - 8 AM
Place: St. Maurice Parish, 4 Perry Street - Nepean (close to Merivale Rd & Meadowlands Dr.)

40 Days & The Walls of Jericho

In less than a month, the 40 Days for Life Campaign will begin in Ottawa. The Campaign, as the name suggests, runs 40 days from September 24th to November 2nd, and seeks to end abortion through directed prayer, fasting, vigil, and community outreach.

40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign that over the past three years has generated measurable lifesaving results in every community where it has been experienced. So far, 40 Days for Life campaigns have been conducted in more than 130 communities in the US. More than 500 children have been confirmed as saved from abortion. Some cities have reported as much as a 28% drop in local abortion numbers, numerous post-abortive women (and men) finding healing and forgiveness, and from several hundred to over 1,000 new people getting involved with local lifesaving ministry efforts.

40 Days for Life is an ecumenical, faith-based effort made up of three key components:

• Prayer and Fasting: inviting people of faith throughout our city to join together for 40 days of fervent prayer and fasting for an end to abortion.


• Peaceful Vigil: standing for life through a 40-day peaceful public witness outside the Morgentaler Abortuary 65 Bank Street (corner of Bank and Sparks, close to Parliament Hill)


• Community Outreach: taking a positive, upbeat pro-life message to every corner of our city through media efforts, church presentations, door-to-door advocacy, and public visibility

As someone who has spent over 20 years fighting the abortion war in various capacities, it is clear to me that this particular war will not be won through political or social activism alone. We need the power that only focused, unified prayer can provide. Because abortion is ultimately a spiritual problem, it stands to reason that we need a spiritual solution. Therefore, in order to affect real change in our politics, we must affect real change in our culture because politics is merely a reflection of the culture. But to change the culture, we need to change those hearts which only God will be able to move. The Walls of Jericho fell not by any substantial human effort, but by God's sovereign power. Abortion will be no different and that is why it is time for a shift in tactics at this critical time in our nation's history.

I ask you to please consider getting involved. The planning for the campaign is now well underway but we need assistance in spreading the word for this campaign to Ottawa's churches. (The next information meeting is September 4. Please contact me at pacheco377@gmail.com for further details on the meeting and/or how you may be able to help in general).

The time has come for us to focus our efforts on prayer and fasting, to ask God to move Canada back from the abyss of self-destruction, and to end this slaughter once and for all.

Join us and watch a miracle happen.

John Pacheco
Church Co-coordinator
40 Days for Life

Official Website for Ottawa Campaign: 40 Days for Life - Ottawa
Ottawa Residents' Blog for News & Events: 40 Days for Life Blog

When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city. - Joshua 6:20

Why the Forty Days for Life?

In this day and age, it’s taken for granted that miracles do not happen, that prayer is futile. Even among the faithful, when we talk of prayer, emphasis is placed on how prayer changes the petitioner-- not on its effect on the external world.

We have lost the sense that prayer can change things. Even those who say “all we can do is pray about it” treat prayer like it’s the last resort of the hopeless.

In the Gospels, we read of many people who went to Jesus with their deepest desire—that of curing a relative—Jairus’ daughter, and the Centurion’s son, and Peter’s Mother-in-Law.

The petitioners went to Jesus with the full expectation that he could do the job and that he wanted to do it.

And it was done.

The Centurion’s faith was particularly stunning. He knew that all Jesus had to do was say the word, and it would happen. Jesus said to him “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” Mt. 8:13

We must go to Jesus with that same unshakeable faith. We must ask, not as hopeless people ask, thinking that the change we want will never take place, or that our prayer will only be answered in some symbolic sense.

We must ask Jesus to eradicate abortion, as we know he wants to.

We must show him that faith, because he says “let it be done according to your faith.”

Show him faith.

Then we must act on it.

We must dedicate ourselves to fighting injustice against the unborn. No longer should we allow our hearts to be melted by the politics of the day. Jesus asked of his disciples “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Mt. 8:26

Indeed.

Let it be done according to our faith.

40 Days For Life

beingHUMAN: 40 Days for Life

Sign Up!

Be sure to sign-up for updates and prayer requests using the form at the top right of this page, and browse through the rest of this site to find out how YOU can help make a lifesaving impact as part of our local 40 Days for Life campaign.

Learn more about the national 40 Days for Life campaign.

Mission

YOU can help save lives!

This fall, from September 24 - November 2, Ottawa will be one of more than 170 cities joining together for the largest and longest coordinated pro-life mobilization in history -- the 40 Days for Life campaign.

40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life effort that consists of:

• 40 days of prayer and fasting
• 40 days of peaceful vigil
• 40 days of community outreach
  

We are praying that, with God's help, this groundbreaking effort will mark the beginning of the end of abortion in our city -- and throughout North America.


Take a stand for life

While all aspects of 40 Days for Life are crucial in our effort to end abortion, the most visible component is the peaceful prayer vigil outside the Morgentaler Abortion facility.

You can help make a life-saving impact by joining our local vigil at:

Morgentaler Abortion Mill

65 Bank Street

(close to Parliament Hill)

Ottawa, Ontario

Sign up to participate in our local 40 Days for Life vigil by clicking the "Vigil Schedule" link.

Contact Us

To learn more, sign up for specific vigil hours, or let us know how you feel called to serve God in this effort, please contact the local 40 Days for Life leadership team:

Nicole Campbell or Paul Lauzon at:

613-729-0379

or

40daysforlifeottawa@gmail.com

Get the latest updates:

Be sure to sign-up for updates and prayer requests using the form at the top right of this page, and browse through the rest of this site to find out how YOU can help make a lifesaving impact as part of our local 40 Days for Life campaign.

Learn more about the national 40 Days for Life campaign.

Donate

Want to help support our local 40 Days for Life effort?

We need about $3,000 to run this Campaign on a very basic level. To provide t-shirts, plan the door to door campaign, we are going to need approx. $5,000 to make this a success. To donate, call the Campaign Life Coalition office at 613-729-0379 or you can make a check out to Campaign Life Coalition and specify in the bottom left corner that you would like your money to go to the 40 Days for Life Campaign.

The address is:

1355 Wellington St., Ste, 100 Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 3C2

THANK YOU for your support!

Some of our needs:

-material for all the Churches in Ottawa and surrounding areas-
-banners/signs to hold at the prayer vigil throughout the 40 Days-
-t-shirts to promote 40 days-
-donations to plan our opening and closing rally's-
-posters/flyers-
-donations to cover cost of photocopies-
-Yard signs/bracelets and materials for our door to door campaign