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March for Life
Right now, all across America and in several foreign countries, hundreds of thousands of people are preparing for a pilgrimage that will take them tomorrow to the site of a grave injustice that has cost the lives of tens of millions.
The March for Life channels the vast crowds from the Mall in Washington, D.C., up Constitution Avenue, to the Supreme Court building, the site of the Roe v. Wade decision on January 22, 1973. Since 1974, the March has commemorated this deeply flawed and immoral judicial act.
Three of my tadpoles will be heading out tomorrow morning at 5 am. They will wear their long johns and snow pants for warmth, as the temperature last year was about 14 degrees Fahrenheit/ -10 degrees Celsius, although this year it should be warmer and not precipitating. Marchers tend to look at the bad weather kind of like St. Francis did.
(A St. Francis story: A monk asked him what true Christian joy is. “Imagine,” replied the saint, “that you are walking up a mountain in the dark in a snowstorm. You have no shoes, and your feet are leaving bloody tracks in the snow. You see a light up ahead from a house, and rush to the door and pound on it. Someone comes to the door and tells you to go away. You pound harder. They open the door and throw things at you and order you to leave immediately. This is perfect joy for the Christian, for our joy does not come from comfort or things in this life, but rather from seeking to do the will of the Lord.”)
They will be in prayer much of the day, from the time they start the Rosary, around 6 am, to the Mass at 5 pm at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception celebrated by the two priests who will be accompanying them.
I won’t make it this year. My health is still iffy, and the stress of the long day in the cold might bring joy to my heart but my husband has vetoed the plan. So selfish of him to not want me to collapse… But I will pray, hard, for the marchers. For the nation. For those wounded by abortion. For the doctors and workers at abortion facilities.
I hope you will too. Peace!
Published in General
Blessings on your children, MT! May their high spirits and loving hearts keep them warm!
I’ll be following @March_for_Life on Twitter tomorrow and https://www.facebook.com/TheMarchForLife, and posting their news & photos on my feeds. The March draws so little mainstream media attention, but we can at least show the massive support it has through social media.
They are also asking for folks to post pictures to social media with the hashtag #WhyWeMarch.
The theme of the March this year is “Every Life is a Gift.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SpBJlULVqM
Our bishops have surprised me this year by commissioning an app with prayers and reflections.
http://www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/january-roe-events/nine-days-of-prayer-penance-and-pilgrimage.cfm
The reflection for the 17th says the US is “one of only nine countries in the world permitting abortion after 14 weeks of pregnancy, and one of only four that allows abortion for any reason after viability, yet most Americans still falsely assume that abortion is strictly limited after the first trimester. ”
As I’ve argued before, I don’t think arguments are needed most. What is needed is 1) prayer, 2) offering comfort and hope to fearful mothers, and 3) representing by example the joy and security of traditional values regarding sex, marriage, and family. Unfortunately, I think the “progress” made toward normalizing gay unions (and divorce, long before that) ensures that our victories will be limited. We can help some, but not all. Lord have mercy.
For the rest of the year, I recommend the Laudate app.
God bless your children and all those who march; may their prayers be heard and answered.
This is the third year in a row I had to back out of going. Last year it was because of that crazy snow storm that prevented me from driving down to DC. The other two years I had too many things going on at work to take a day. Every life is precious, from the moment of conception to natural death. When Christ says in Matthew chapter 25, what you do to the least you do to me, well there is no smaller, no least, no one with less power than an unborn child. These marches are making a difference. I’ll try again next year. God bless all who attend.
My prayers go with them.
That is so wonderful Mama!! I hope to take my girls there in a few year when they are older. God Bless your Tadpoles and I hope they stay warm.
Amen. And great to hear from you Mama T!
Wonderful to hear that Toad Hall will be so well represented, Mama Toad! Post some photos for us to enjoy, OK? Tadpoles are so cute.
God bless all the Toads and Tadpoles! A blessing to us all.
Glad for the reminder to put the march on my radar. You will be well-represented by your three tadpoles. Prayers for them, the march, and for your health, Mama Toad.
Hey Editors/Rico Overlords: Thanks for editing this so the formatting looks so nice and all.
Godspeed to all the intrepid advocates for life.
If you or anyone you know is marching, you can also sign in to the March for Life’s interactive webpage which will pin the map with Marchers.
Totally off-topic because abortion isn’t my topic, but I did want to comment that it was nice to hear from you again MT.
xo, Liz
Anyone interested can see the live coverage all day of the March through EWTN.
It looks like a beautiful day in Washington today.
God bless’em all!!
I just totally dug Congressman Chris Smith speaking and calling the young people there the real Greatest Generation, for standing up for life.
I can’t believe how distressed he must be by the GOP pulling the vote on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. He just vowed there will be a vote on the floor on it. “Our leadership is true, they are faithful [sic] and they will bring this legislation to the floor.”
There is a young woman speaking now who is a high school student from Fargo, North Dakota. Her whole high school closed and sent more than 400 people in 8 buses more than 1300 miles to the March.
God bless them.
Sending tadpoles is almost better than sending yourself! Thank you for this great post, Mama, and the reminder to pray for the restoration of the hearts and minds of the people in this great nation. What a sad, sad day this is.