Call to Action (PFL)

Dear Friend of Life:

We are at a critical point in the health care debate and it is urgent that the people of God speak up!

Priests for Life is calling for four specific forms of action in the next few days:

    1) Everyone should again contact his/her representative in Congress and urge a “no” vote to the health care reform bill.

    2) Every priest and deacon should, with some members of the congregation, make a personal visit to the local office of that representative, to urge a “no” vote to the health care reform bill. (At this point, visiting the local offices will be both more convenient and more effective than the DC offices.)

    3) Everyone should encourage the priests and deacons of his/her parish to make such a visit.

    4) Please let us know what you are doing at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/health-care-reform-bill , the page we have set up to track this activity so that we can back up your action with ours as we reach out to every priest and deacon in the nation.

The current flawed version of this health care bill would expand access to abortion like never before in history.  The lives of millions of unborn children depend on all of us taking action now.  To find the address of your local Representative, go to www.priestsforlife.org/legislation.  A decisive vote in the House is expected around March 20, so there is no time to waste.

Please join me for an election-related conference call on Wednesday, March 24, from 9 to 10pm ET. This will be part of our “Vote Pro-life” Coalition, and we will continue to gear up for the elections of 2010. You will be able to listen to the call either by phone or internet and you may submit questions ahead of time at the event page to which you will be directed online.  Sign up at www.priestsforlife.org/conferencecall/index.aspx.

We will also have a 45 minute conference call just for clergy (priests and deacons) as well as seminarians on Wednesday, March 24 at 3pm ET for updates and encouragement as we work together for a Culture of Life.  Register at www.priestsforlife.org/clergy/index.aspx. You may submit questions ahead of time at the event page to which you will be directed online.

Mark your calendars for our upcoming clergy conference calls.  On April 19, Fr. Mitch Pacwa will be our guest and on May 11, Msgr. James Lisante will join us. Both calls will be at 3pm ET.

March 31 is Terri's Day, in memory of Terri Schindler Schiavo.  Please plan activities in your parishes to commemorate this day and visit www.terrisday.org to learn more about nationwide efforts.

We invite you to join with Priests for Life in providing for your people an "Easter Prayer for Life." This is part of our year-long prayer campaign(www.PrayerCampaign.org) through which we help people pray with the Church by praying for a Culture of Life in a way that reflects the themes of the various liturgical seasons and feasts.

You can find the brief Easter prayer at http://www.priestsforlife.org/novenas/easter.htm.  On that page you can also order prayer cards for your parish that contain the Easter prayer and some helpful resources for pro-life activity. We will send you as many cards as you want, free of charge.  Please hurry, however, as the supply is limited! Please also publicize our prayer effort in your Church bulletin and website!

After my column you will find our weekly media schedule.

Blessings,

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director

Praise for our work: Dear Theresa [Burke], You are absolutely the best!!  I honestly don't believe I've heard such an articulate, knowledgeable and loving person.  It was just inspiring to listen to you, and I can't thank you enough for being on The Good Fight today.  I know how busy you are and I truly appreciate your precious time.  Because of your humility, God is truly working miracles through you!  I always say, "If you want to be used by God, by God you'll be used."  And you definitely desire to be His tireless worker.  May God bless you and repay you abundantly for your servant's heart.  -- Barbara  McGuigan, Host, EWTN "The Good Fight."  
The Beatitudes: A Call to Be Pro-life – Part 3
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

Being actively pro-life is not primarily about belonging to a cause or embracing an ideology. It is not merely a political platform or a hobby. It is a spirituality. It is an aspect of our discipleship. And as such, it is a conviction and commitment that is shaped by the word of God. We therefore continue our reflections on what the Beatitudes teach us about being pro-life.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” Peace is more than the absence of war. The foundation of peace is justice, that everyone’s rights are protected and everyone’s dignity is recognized. Peace means that our relationships with God and one another are what they are supposed to be.

To fight abortion, therefore, is one of the ways that we work for peace. Abortion completely oppresses and diminishes the rights of the child who is killed. Rather than fostering right relationships, it destroys them, starting with the most basic relationship between a mother and her own child.

A peacemaker seeks out the most vulnerable in society, and urges the rest of society to welcome them. Let’s build peace by advocating for the unborn and stopping the violence of abortion.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs.”

Those who work for justice will always be persecuted by those who foster injustice. Those who work to preserve the most basic justice, that is, protecting the right to life, are persecuted all the time, by both believers and non-believers. They are accused of having a narrow focus and a lack of compassion, while in reality they are focused on the most broad-based right of all and have compassion for the most vulnerable of all.

Because they know this, pro-life activists can be at peace in the midst of the persecution. They need not be distracted, nor should they ever doubt themselves. The ridicule they endure is a promised blessing from above, the blessing of suffering for doing what is right.

“Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”

So many pro-life leaders I know, including myself, have been falsely accused in public of advocating or even doing violence. Pregnancy centers, which compassionately serve parents and their babies every day, have been falsely accused of deceiving the public. Activists who try to change the laws have been falsely accused of opposing democracy.

The litany goes on and on, and proves that pro-life people are living this beatitude. They should rejoice, for their reward in heaven indeed is great. The children, who cannot know how much pro-life people love them, cannot repay them. They will be repaid in the resurrection of the just.

Those who want to nourish their pro-life spirituality with reflections like this for every day of the year can obtain my book Pro-life Reflections for Every Day at priestsforlife.org/store.

This column can be found online at http://www.priestsforlife.org/columns/document.aspx?id=2873

Comments on this column? Go to AskFrFrank.com

Fr. Frank's columns are podcast. See PriestsForLife.org/Podcast