Thursday, August 19, 2010

Contemplate with Deacon Nate: Crossroads Pro-life Walk

Many people, including many Christians, don’t realize that at nearby abortion clinics, children are being killed and parents are being wounded. Many are unaware that millions of people are missing from their neighborhoods, churches, schools, etc., and that tens of thousands are legally killed daily throughout the world. The estimated number of induced abortions worldwide was 41.6 million for the year 2003 (an average of 113, 972.6 abortions per day) according to Planned Parenthood’s research organization (www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_IAW.html).

I was born after 1973, so my mom could have legally killed me anytime before I was born. Aware of this fact, and aware of my duty to defend “the least of my brothers and sisters”, (Mt. 25:40-46) I joined the Crossroads Pro-life Walk (Crossroadswalk.org) and walked from Chicago to Washington, D.C. in 2005 to promote the Gospel of Life in America’s culture of death.

Young people today need something to live for: a purpose, a holy cause to fight for, to sweat, bleed, and die for. More importantly, they need someBODY to live for: Jesus Christ. Crossroads Pro-life Walk was started in 1995 by a group of Franciscan University students who live for Jesus. They decided to take literally the words of John Paul II at World Youth Day in Denver in 1993, when he challenged the youth “to go out into the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles” and to build a culture of life.  So, these zealous students decided to walk from San Francisco to Washington D.C.! Along the way offered prayers and sacrifices for an end to the culture of death. They spread the Gospel of Life to everyone they met. When they encountered post-abortive women, they prayed for them and directed them to places of healing. Unbeknownst to them, they were beginning a glorious tradition that would save the lives and change the hearts of countless Americans in future years.

Because of work I couldn’t join the northern route (Seattle to D.C.) until they were in Chicago. We had a day shift and a night shift, and each of those shifts had two shifts. For example, day shift would be about six people, and three would walk five miles while the other three rested in the support van. When the first three reached the van, the other three would walk, while the first three would drive up five miles to rest and wait. Each individual would walk 15-20 miles per day; the entire team, day shift plus night shift, would cover 70-80 miles per day. We wore T-shirts with “PRO-LIFE” in big letters. Most of the time, people driving by would give us positive affirmation, such as a thumbs-up’s; we were persecuted only rarely. Because of the shirts, our mere presence was a powerful witness in countless businesses, stores, gas stations, restaurants, etc., at which the Holy Spirit inspired many to talk to us. For every five miles, we would pray one Rosary (the “weapon” against Satan according to St. Padre Pio). In the morning, we’d all gather for Mass, breakfast, and plenty of laughter at the crazy things that often happened.

Instead of walking on weekends, we’d split up into Mass groups of two to three people and visit as many parishes as possible, to speak to congregations after Mass and ask for three things: prayer, participation in the pro-life struggle, and donations. Sometimes we’d pray and counsel women in front of local abortion clinics. Host families, rectories, religious communities, and our sweltering RV provided sleeping quarters. We relied totally on God’s providence through his people for food, gas, and shelter and he came through big time, of course! We were given so many random gifts, such as gas money, by many beautiful people.

Part of the “redemptive suffering” was foot issues, especially blisters. The “miracle box” provided all we needed to repair, bind, disinfect, wrap, tourniquet, or amputate our feet (OK, I’m exaggerating). But infinitely more important than the “miracle box” was the “miracle food” of Jesus in the Eucharist that we received every day at Mass. Thanks to God’s providence, including the fantastic Masstimes.org, we missed Mass only three-ish times in 11 weeks!

In Chicago, my group attended a Mass offered by an enthusiastic Spanish-speaking polish priest named Fr. Stephen. Although I couldn’t understand all the Spanish, the message was obvious: Jesus is ALIVE on earth! He began his homily by saying that “la remedia” for life’s loneliness, pain, etc, is not in drugs, booze, video games, etc; it’s in Jesus, present personally, though invisibly, in the tabernacle! He called the children up by the altar and had them repeat after him: “When I’m tired, lonely, sad, (etc) I’ll talk to Jesus.”  Next, the children lined up and eagerly kissed the tabernacle!

We drank in much beauty on our walk, including millions of fireflies at night, flashing like cameras in a packed stadium. We enjoyed a variety of terrain, such as swamps, forest, bean fields, houses, small towns, etc. At night, crickets and frogs cheered us on. Praying the Rosary and divine mercy chaplet in the peace of the night was glorious.

We met so many wonderful people. Highlights include Archbishop (now Cardinal) Sean O’Malley in Boston, Archbishop John Myers in Newark, and Fr. Charles Connor (host of an EWTN show) in Scranton, all of whom offered Mass for our group. On Staten Island, we met Fr. Frank Pavone at his office, who told us, “To be pro-choice is to be anti-choice, because many women who abort feel they have no other choice.” This zealous priest often says we’re working FROM victory, not FOR victory, since Christ won the victory over death. We must claim it!

I really enjoyed getting to know my fellow walkers as we chatted along the roads. One of the walkers has an incredible story, similar to St. Gianna’s: while his mom was pregnant with him, she could’ve taken the doctor’s advice and aborted him, since she need chemo. But she loved her son more than herself, refused chemo, gave birth, and died. “There is no greater love…”  

Other highlights: while praying with the Friars of the Renewal at one of NY’s busiest abortion clinics, at least three kids’ lives were saved that day, and three mothers’ lives were spared from a lifetime (or perhaps longer) of regret. Meeting the NY Sisters of Life was inspiring. They provide everything a poor, single mother might need to raise her baby. Because of their outreach, women are choosing life, converting from sin, and going to Mass and Eucharistic Adoration! 

The late Fr. John Hardon, S.J. says, “The future of the pro-life movement throughout the world depends on the Roman Catholic Church.” The Church faithfully hands on the revealed truth that human life is sacred because every person is made in God’s image and thus deserving of respect from conception to natural death. The Church’s teaching on contraception is also crucial for the building of a culture of life. Pope Paul VI in Humanae Vitae made four predictions about what would happen if Church teaching on this matter was ignored, and tragically, every prediction has come to pass. These fulfilled predictions are all aspects of the culture of death. Because the contraceptive mentality leads to the abortive mentality (many “contraceptives” can even cause early abortion), abortion will not end until the contraceptive mentality is replaced with the “openness to life” mentality. How then are couples supposed to exercise responsible parenthood, as the Church teaches they must? The Church has beautiful teachings about this, and many couples have experienced transformation in their marriages and families when they embrace these morally acceptable methods.

Only a superabundance of God’s grace will defeat abortion, so let’s pray for this intention daily. But let’s do more than pray, if we’re able to: let’s ask the Lord what he wants us do to protect “the least of our brothers and sisters.” Whatever we do, we must do it with prudence and love, for “love conquers all”!

2 comments:

  1. Awesome! Thanks Deacon Nate! I wanted to share with you Holy Love Ministries in Ohio: www.holylove.org

    There you may find info on the Rosary of the UnBorn given by our Blessed Mother. Our Blessed Mother said it was 'The Most Powerful and Ultimate Weapon to End Abortion'.

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  2. Fr. Charles Connor should not be mistaken for the Jesuit Charles Connor who is a registered sex offender in California.

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