40 Days for Life, fall 2010 campaign, is in full swing across the country and elsewhere around the globe too. The vigil, which includes prayer and fasting to end abortion, began last week on Sep 22 and continues through Oct 31. We’ve had several people change their minds about abortions at our vigil site outside Planned Parenthood (good grief, is that ever a misnomer). We’ve also dealt with some pretty intense hostility.

Today I parked my car on the side of the street, where it is perfectly legal to do so, and walked up to the site. Where a man in a van or truck (I forget which) was yelling at members of our group, demanding that they all move their cars (from their perfectly legal parking places), which yelling was amply sprinkled with expletives and threats. I walked up as he made one such demand and I said, “Nope,” and walked to my spot to pray in front of the abortuary, (I refuse to call it a clinic; that would be giving them entirely too much credit, much more than they deserve), and turned to look at him. Just a look, no particular expression, not unfriendly, and I still had my sunglasses on anyway. So how did he answer me? “F— you, b—-!” Which he then repeated. As if I didn’t hear him yell it the first time. As if!

Such things don’t bother me much. I refuse to be intimidated. I’ve dealt with this kind of hostility before and he’d been abusing the rest of the group before I arrived, so I was spared most of it. But we decided we needed to pray for him, for his conversion of heart and mind, for the salvation of his soul. And for whatever it is that made him so hostile to a bunch of mostly older women standing on the sidewalk with rosaries in their hands, praying for the protection of the innocent unborn and their suffering parents. Perhaps you could pray for him, too, and the infants and the parents. Lord, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

May the peace of Christ be with you. And I hope you’ll find a vigil site and join us in praying and fasting to end abortion during this campaign of 40 Days for Life.

40 Days for Life: Home Page. Blog. Locations.