Thursday, February 12, 2009

Church Life Bulletin February 2009

On January 22, 1973 abortion was legalized with 2 court decisions, Roe v. Wade and

 Doe v. Bolton. With Roe, states can prohibit abortion under

 certain

 circumstances unless the pregnancy threatens the woman’s life or health. Doe defines what “health” means but so broadly

 that it literally covers any

 circumstance in which a woman might be pregnant.

 Therefore, abortion on demand. January 22 is the national day of penance for violations to the dignity of a human person committed through acts of

 abortion and day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life. We are called to stand up for the innocent and put our faith into action. 


But how? Here are a few ways especially during this month. Get involved with 40 Days for Life, www.40daysforlife.com/elpaso 915-544-LIFE (5433) prolifegaby@gmail.com. Obama will be in office and the campaign is starting so let’s pray to end abortion!

Pregnancy Help Center of El Paso is taking donations of new formula, gently used and new baby clothes (sizes newborn to 2T), new or gently used maternity clothes, lotions, baby wipes, baby shampoo, blankets, cribs, car seats, financial contributions, etc. are always appreciated and can be dropped off at 2301 N. Lee Trevino on Mondays (4pm – 7pm), Tues, Thurs, and Friday (9am – 4pm).

Check out their website www.pregnancyhcep.org or the new outreach to Dads at www.fatherhoodhelp.org  (Fatherhood Help Services).

Also we would like to invite all believers to come pray with us at the abortion clinics these babies need our prayers at the moment of their death. Call 915-544-5433 for more details.

That’s it for now, visit online www.40daysforlife.com/elpaso or call 544-5433 for more pro-life events. Lastly, if you or anyone know someone who is pregnant and scared or had an abortion, the can call 24 hours 915-591-1343, or 915-564-4444. God bless you!

Miracles on a Hill

Below is a message from my friend Miguel, who has been so faithful to the unborn and our Lord fighting as hard as he can to defend life. 

February 12, 2009

Last Saturday January 17 was an unusually difficult day at the hilltop abortion clinic. People with Texas, New Mexico and Mexico license plates filled the parking spaces. A new nurse that we believed gone was now back. A woman with a possible blood clot returned to have an abortion despite the risks associated and despite hearing from us that there was no doctor on the premises. The gardener turned security guard was picking on one of the sidewalk counselors. He also did everything in his power to “break” the conversations we established with abortion minded persons. And the saddest part was that no one had decided to give a chance for life to their babies.

 

Earlier that morning, I had placed the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe by the wall next to the abortion clinic. There are several things I always ask Our Lady as I unroll her image: That she bless the ground where her image is being placed. I ask her to lend me that beautiful, loving, motherly heart, so I can transmit that love she has for her Son Jesus to all the persons going into the clinic. And that she accompany us and intercede for the children in danger of an abortion. Finally I remind her that I am an unworthy mecapal ¹ at her disposal.

 

At around 10:30 the abortionist arrived and by 11:10 a.m. he had left. By now the only persons left praying were the 3 ladies that always go there Saturdays and myself. We wanted to leave, but decided to stay longer because we were worried about the lady that had gone in with a possible blood clot. More cars started arriving at the clinic and we gave all the information that we always give and we noticed that our prayers had became more and more intense. Perhaps it was because we felt agony for those mothers and their children? There were two young ladies in particular that had expressed second thoughts when going into the clinic, but unfortunately they came out already having aborted. You could see and feel their pain as they left the abortion clinic.

 

At noon we signed off by doing our exit prayers. I proceeded to start rolling the image of Our Lady so I can put her in my car. Halfway I stopped and felt compelled to place my right hand on her chest, right next to her prayerful hands and to thank her for accompanying us that day. I started feeling a heartbeat! I froze for a few seconds and did not know what to do or how to react. Finally I composed myself and calmly asked one of the ladies who is a wonderful sidewalk counselor to feel Our Lady’s heart. She did and after a few seconds she also felt the thump, thump, thump of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s heart! The other two ladies did the same and also felt that beautiful thump, thump, thump, of the heart of the Blessed Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ!

And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (Luke 1:43)

I think that Our Lady asked her Son to let us know that she was there praying with us and that she was feeling that anguish we had. I think that she wanted all sidewalk counselors, and prayer warriors everywhere to know that she is one of us.

Have you ever asked for something extraordinary in prayer and God grants what you asked for? Then you are shocked because He did? I think that’s a sign of a weak faith. It happens to me over and over. I pray for something and then I’m shocked to see it happen. This causes anguish, because I fell like I pray as a hypocrite and not as a person of faith.

Although I didn’t ask for this, I was shocked just the same. I felt ashamed and embarrassed with Our Lady for my lack of faith. At home later that day, I prayed and asked for the grace of a stronger faith.  I have an image of our Lady of Guadalupe at home and again I felt the need of placing my hand in the same place as earlier that day. It happened again! Thump, thump, thump…

I always keep the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and all the other posters and literature that we hand out in my car, but because of what had happened that day, I was uncomfortable leaving Our Lady in the car. Later that night I went to get her from the car. It was pretty cold like it’s in the mornings and the plastic her image is on gets really hard. This time it was warm just like the touch of a human being.

Since then I have touched her heart only once outside the abortion clinic. That time was more out of curiosity. It didn’t happen, but I know that Our Lady of Guadalupe is watching over the babies in danger of abortion, their parents, the prayer warriors and sidewalk counselors and she specially watches over you. You still are her “little girl!”

 

In Christ,

 

Miguel

 

 

¹Mecapal:

When Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego and asked that he talk to the Bishop. Juan Diego was reluctant and said:

Spanish - “Porque en verdad yo soy un hombre del campo, soy mecapal, soy parihuela, soy cola, soy ala; yo mismo necesito ser conducido, llevado a cuestas, no es lugar de mi andar ni de mí detenerme allá a donde me envías, Virgencita mía, Hija mía menor, Señora, Niña;”

English - Because I am really (just) a man from the country, I am a porter’s rope (mecapal) I am a backframe, a tail, a wing, a man of no importance: I myself need to be led, carried on someone’s back, that place your are sending me to is a place where I’m not used to going to or spending any time in, my little Virgin, my Youngest Daughter, my Lady, Little girl;

Náhuatl - Ca nel nicnotlapaltzintli, ca nimecapalli, ca nicacaxtli, ca nicuitlapilli, ca natlapalli, ca nitco ca nimamaloni, camo nonenemian, camo nonequetzayan in ompa tinechmihualia, Nochpochtziné Noxocoyohué, Tlacatlé, Cihuapiilé.”