Day 26 - The Cross of Christ

The Cross of Christ is the Sidewalk Theme

Table of Contents

• National Campaign Daily Intention
  • Pray that those who have forgotten their purpose may discover it in God and therefore have the courage to choose life.
• National Campaign News
  • It’s Often Personal
• Local Campaign News
  • The Cross of Christ is the Overriding Theme at the Sidewalk
  • Coming Events
  • Pro-Life Solidarity Day – Oct 20, All Day
  • Carson City Church Fair – Volunteers Needed – Oct 30-31, noon – 5 pm
  • Wrap-up Rally – Sunday, Nov 1 – Details TBD
  • Allow us to Announce Your Pro-Life Prayer Gathering Here
• 40 Days through Scripture
  • Day 26 1 Corinthians 2 - 9
• National News
  • Lawsuit challenges Illinois' parental notification law for abortions
• Science News
  • Major Step In Making Better Stem Cells From Adult Tissue
• International News
  • Peruvians Oppose Abortion for Rape, Fetal Deformity: Poll
• Video Vignette
  • Abortion Breast Cancer Link
• Abortion 101
  • After the Abortion
• Get Involved
  • Spread the Message of Life on October 31st by making Pro-Life Jack-o-Lanterns!
  • Support 40 Days for Life with a Donation through our Website
• Campaign Materials
  • Two Hearts Catholic Books & Gifts to Carry 40 Days for Life Items
  • Free 40 Days for Life Items - Bumper Sticker, Bracelet & More

National Campaign Daily Intention

Pray that those who have forgotten their purpose may discover it in God and therefore have the courage to choose life.

These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season, what you give them they gather in; you open your hand they are filled with good. You hide your face, they are troubled; you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the earth.— Psalm 104:27-30

“I am a feather on the breath of God.”

As the quote above portrays, we are upheld by the power and purpose of God. Our very existence on earth, from our body’s first breath to its last, when we leave it to return home, is our Father’s choice and happens only by His willing to do so. He who created the universe also created that which is “me.” I do not “have” a soul – I AM a soul, as well as a body. My entire purpose in this life is to find my way back to my Creator.

Vera Faith Lord
Director
Alpha/Omega Life Ministry

National Campaign News

It’s Often Personal

The National campaign reports on how the campaign is progressing around the country. Here is an excerpt from today’s update.

It's a great joy for me to bring you stories about things that have happened at 40 Days for Life vigils and how prayers have been answered. Today, I'd like to offer a slightly different look at how 40 Days for Life affects people. People often tell about the profound personal impact they experience while praying at an abortion center as a part of 40 Days for Life. Here are just a few of those stories.

"I found my first time in front of Planned Parenthood a bit daunting," wrote Melanie in Indianapolis. As she stood and prayed on a cloudy day, she simply couldn't help staring at the building.

"I couldn't fathom that such horrific events as abortion could occur within those walls. I looked up into the sky, hoping for something from God to remind me that He was truly present, despite the place that stood before me," she said. "I saw rays of sunshine beaming through the clouds onto the center and recalled that wherever there is darkness, there shall be light."

Melanie said she thanks God "for the chance to be a witness of His love for life and pray that the mothers see how much He loves them and their unborn child." …

To read the entire national update go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=403. Please join us as we give witness to the truth at our sidewalk. Utilize this Right before someone puts in place an ordinance that removes our right to free speech.

Local Campaign News

The Cross of Christ is the Overriding Theme at the Sidewalk

I learned more about the story of the Crosses at the sidewalk. A faithful prayer volunteer named Paul has been spending numerous hours at the sidewalk, praying and in some cases, building crosses, even crosses that stand 3 feet tall. But what is interesting is that, in addition to his spontaneous effort to provide these symbols of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, others who have come to the sidewalk have also been compelled to provide the same image.

An email from Janice tells of her time in prayer at the sidewalk yesterday (Saturday) during which a family pulled up in their mini-van. Seven of the nine children from this loving family were present to Pray to End abortion. While 5 of the children stood in prayer, the younger two were independently inspired to build a series of crosses in the sand from rocks and sticks. In addition to the continued effort to display the sign of Christ’s cross and represented sacrifice, the family brought with them amplified sound, which they used to play the Rosary while they prayed along. Janice was happy to be present praying at the sidewalk under these circumstances.

Are you ready to Pray to End Abortion? Please, spend an hour or more at the sidewalk tomorrow and send an email telling about your experiences! To register for the hours when you’ll be at the sidewalk, go to: http://www.vigilcalendar.com/renotahoe. Thank you in advance for your assistance with this effort. Send your impressions of your time at the sidewalk to renotahoe@40DaysforLife.com.

Our website has been undergoing major renovations, due to the assistance of our webmaster, Suzie. Take at look by going to: www.40DaysforLife.com/RenoTahoe

If you have not yet signed a Statement of Peace, you can do so now on-line, by going to: www.40DaysforLife.com/RenoTahoe/StatementofPeace

Coming Events

Pro-Life Solidarity Day – Oct 20, All Day

[Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust]"The Survivors challenge students of all ages to be bold advocates for the 3,500 preborn who are murdered everyday in our country. You have an opportunity to stand with your fellow classmates and an obligation to be a voice for the voiceless. By standing in united solidarity across the world, students everywhere can identify with the preborn children, and our silence will proclaim 'stop killing our generation!' We can and must be warriors for the preborn!" Read the article from Survivors regarding this day long event.

Carson City Church Fair – Volunteers Needed – Oct 30-31, noon – 5 pm

The St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in Carson City will be having a fair on Oct 30-31, from noon – 5 pm each day, during which we have been invited to promote 40 Days for Life. We are looking for 2 or more volunteers to assist with the booth on Friday and at least one volunteer to assist on Saturday. Does your schedule permit you to join in this opportunity to share the message regarding 40 Days for Life with church-goers who are likely to be open to the message of life? If you can help, please contact Carol Marie at renotahoe@40DaysforLife.com or call 530-412-1573.

Wrap-up Rally – Sunday, Nov 1 – Details TBD

Mark your calendars for a true celebration, as we honor God for all the graces He has showered upon our campaign, this Fall and since we began this effort in the Fall of 2007. November 1st is the Catholic All Saints Day feast, the perfect time to join in celebration of all the Saints who have given their lives in service to Our Lord and to Thank Christ for the many graces He has showered on our campaign for the past 40 Days as we have sought to do His will. Ideas being explored as we plan an event you will not want to miss. If you are willing to help, contact us at renotahoe@40DaysforLife.com. Your assistance and participation are greatly appreciated.

Allow us to Announce Your Pro-Life Prayer Gathering Here

Gather together to Pray to End Abortion! When you have plans, let us know and we’ll let others know through our updates.

40 Days through Scripture

Day 26 1 Corinthians 2 - 9 (including: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20)

“Everything is lawful for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is lawful for me,” but I will not let myself be dominated by anything. “Food for the stomach, and the stomach for food,” but God will do away with both the one and the other. The body, however, is not for immorality, but for the Lord and the Lord is for the body; God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take Christ’s members and make them the members of a prostitute? Of course not! [Or] do you not know that anyone who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For “the two,” it says, “will become one flesh.” But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Avoid immorality. Every other body, but the immoral person sins against his own body. Do you know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.

What did the Church Fathers Say?

The first verse, 1 Cor 6:12, was addressed in the 2nd century by Irenaeus of Lyon in his book “Against Heresies”

Irenaeus of Lyons [120-180 AD]

Adversus Haereses (Book IV, Chapter 37)

4. No doubt, if any one is unwilling to follow the Gospel itself, it is in his power [to reject it], but it is not expedient. For it is in man's power to disobey God, and to forfeit what is good; but [such conduct] brings no small amount of injury and mischief. And on this account Paul says, "All things are lawful to me, but all things are not expedient;" referring both to the liberty of man, in which respect "all things are lawful," God exercising no compulsion in regard to him; and [by the expression] "not expedient" pointing out that we "should not use our liberty as a cloak of maliciousness,. for this is not expedient. And again he says, "Speak ye every man truth with his neighbor." And, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor scurrility, which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks." And, honestly as children of the light, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in anger and jealousy. And such were some of you; but ye have been washed, but ye have been sanctified in the name of our Lord." If then it were not in our power to do or not to do these things, what reason had the apostle, and much more the Lord Himself, to give us counsel to do some things, and to abstain from others? But because man is possessed of free will from the beginning, and God is possessed of free will, in whose likeness man was created, advice is always given to him to keep fast the good, which thing is done by means of obedience to God.

While our free will provides us the opportunity to do many things, all things are not equal, and following the ways of the Lord leads to our ultimate happiness. And nowhere is this more evident than in matters of sexual purity. We have not grown beyond the reality of this call to holiness. If we, as a culture, were to follow the teachings of Our Lord, there would be no need for a prayerful presence at 5915 Tyrone Rd, for the business located at this address would bear no resemblance to the abortion site that currently operates there. Please pray for a return to sexual purity through-out our society, the solution that will truly bring forth happiness for all involved.

To get the complete 40 Days Through the New Testament list, go to: www.40DaysforLife.com/renotahoe/NewTestament, print it out and get started now. It’s never too late to start reading the bible.

National News

Lawsuit challenges Illinois' parental notification law for abortions

[Chicago Tribune] - A Chicago physician and a Granite City women's medical clinic have filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court charging that Illinois' parental notification law for abortions is unconstitutional and seeking to bock its start.

The law, set to go into effect Nov. 3, requires physicians to notify the parent of a girl younger than 18 before performing an abortion. A provision of the law allows girls to bypass parental notification by going before a judge, who would then have 48 hours to rule on the petition. Moreover, no notice is required in case of a medical emergency or if the girl declares in writing that she is a victim of sexual abuse.

On Nov. 2, a Circuit Court judge is set to conduct a hearing on a temporary restraining order, said Lorie Chaiten of the American Civil Liberties Union, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs, the Hope Clinic for Women Ltd. and Dr. Allison Cowett, director of the University of Illinois at Chicago's Center for Reproductive Health. In the complaint, the plaintiffs argue that the notification law would harm minors by preventing them from obtaining safe abortions or force them to carry their pregnancies to term. "Others will be beaten or thrown out of their homes when their parents learn of their pregnancy and planned abortion," plaintiffs write in the complaint, referring to pregnant minors. In the event the lawsuit isn't successful, the ACLU is training lawyers and guardians to shepherd the girls through the judicial bypass.

Intense debate has shadowed the notification law for more than 30 years. In July, a federal appeals court in Chicago lifted a federal injunction on a 1995 version of the notification law, clearing it for enforcement.

Anti-abortion activists, who applauded the summer ruling, questioned the recent court filing. "One the one hand, it's a last gasp by a desperate ACLU," said Peter Breen, executive director and legal counsel for the Thomas More Society. "On another, it appears to be a delaying tactic." Breen called the lawsuit "meritless and very likely frivolous."

Chaiten disagreed, saying, "The complaint and the motion for injunctive relief are supported by a significant body of evidence demonstrating the irreparable harm that the law will cause if it goes into effect" The original article

Science News

Major Step In Making Better Stem Cells From Adult Tissue

[ScienceDaily (Oct. 19, 2009)] — A team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has developed a method that dramatically improves the efficiency of creating stem cells from human adult tissue, without the use of embryonic cells. The research makes great strides in addressing a major practical challenge in the development of stem-cell-based medicine.

The findings were published in an advance, online issue of the journal Nature Methods on October 18, 2009.

The new technique, which uses three small drug-like chemicals, is 200 times more efficient and twice as fast as conventional methods for transforming adult human cells into stem cells (in this case called "induced pluripotent stem cells" or "iPS cells").

"Both in terms of speed and efficiency, we achieved major improvements over conventional conditions," said Scripps Research Associate Professor Sheng Ding, Ph.D., who led the study. "This is the first example in human cells of how reprogramming speed can be accelerated. I believe that the field will quickly adopt this method, accelerating iPS cell research significantly."

In addition to its significant practical advantages, the development of the technique deepens the understanding of the biology behind the transformation of adult human cells into stem cells. To continue reading

International News

Peruvians Oppose Abortion for Rape, Fetal Deformity: Poll

[AsiaOne] - More than half of all Peruvians are against legalizing abortion in cases of rape or fetal deformity, according to a national poll released Sunday on a contentious bill pending in Congress.

The results of this week's Ipsos-Apoyo poll of 1,000 people showed a majority of Peruvians siding with the Roman Catholic Church in its strong condemnation of the abortion bill Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani has dubbed a 'death penalty' the innocent. The survey found 53 percent against the bill's provision allowing abortions in cases of rape, and 48 percent against the fetal deformity clause - those in favor of the measures polled 41 percent and 46 percent respectively.

The bill was approved last week in committee, making it ready for its full debate in Congress. By a 58-to-38 percent margin, Peruvians supported the current 1924 abortion law that allows the termination of pregnancy only to save the life of the expectant mother, said the poll published in the El Comercio daily. Continue reading

For more Pro-Life related news, go to our website: www.40DaysforLife.com/RenoTahoe/News

Video Vignette

Abortion Breast Cancer Link

Learn how abortion impacts breast tissue, resulting in an increased incidence of breast cancer. Watch the video:

Abortion 101

After the Abortion

Abortion is sold to women as a solution to their problem. What they aren’t told and what many realize afterwards, sometimes many years later, is that abortion can be followed by physical and psychological difficulties brought on by the abortion.

These problems can include:

• Breast Cancer (see: http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/abc.html)
• Post Abortive Stress Syndrome (see: http://ramahinternational.org/post-abortion-syndrome.html )
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (see: http://www.womenshealthlondon.org.uk/leaflets/pid/pid.html)
• Uterine Perforation during Surgical Abortion (see: http://www.ojhas.org/issue13/2005-1-6.htm)
• Post Abortion Grief (see: http://www.hopeafterabortion.com/aftermath/index.cfm?page=angelo)

For those who suggest that abortion is a solution to the dangers of pregnancy for women who are unprepared for motherhood, there is an excellent study that shines a light on the lie. Abortion is Four Times Deadlier than Childbirth: http://www.afterabortion.org/PAR/V8/n2/finland.html

Get Involved!

Spread the Message of Life on October 31st by making Pro-Life Jack-o-Lanterns!

There are many opportunities to be a voice for the voiceless, and most of those opportunities require us to go someplace public. But, on the eve of All Saints Day, the public comes to us!

So make a pro-life jack-o-lantern and send your photos to us. Be sure to include your name, age and address in the e-mail, and we'll post the best ones on our homepage!

It doesn't have to be anything fancy. It could be as intricate as the design here or as simple as the word "Pro-Life." Whatever your skill level, be creative and tell the world about the personhood of preborn babies!

Send your pro-life Jack-O-Lantern pictures to prolifepumpkin@all.org.

Support 40 Days for Life with a Donation through our Website

Thank you to the two donors who have donated via our website. We have received a donation of $25 and another for $30. No donation is too small or too large, any support is accepted and appreciated. Do you believe in the work we are doing as we Pray to End Abortion? If so, help support the effort with a donation to cover our expenses. Donate Now

Campaign Materials

Free 40 Days for Life Items - Bumper Sticker, Bracelet & More.

Heritage House, is offering a Promotion Pack of 40 Days for Life items through their website for the amazing cost of $0, they are even picking up the postage.If you have wished to place a bumper sticker on your car, but I haven’t had one on hand when we’ve seen one another, our you haven’t yet got one of the rubberized bracelets, but you’d like one, now is your chance to get these and more items,for free.They aren’t even requiring that you enter your email address to receive this promotion, although, I encourage you to do so, and they will continue to keep you informed of the many great items they place on sale during the course of the year.And if you see something on sale and would like to purchase it for our 40 Days for Life campaign, I would gladly accept the help in making their many excellent pro-life items available!To receive your free promo pack, go to: http://www.40dayspromopack.com/40dayspromopack/signup.asp

Two Hearts Catholic Books & Gifts to Carry 40 Days for Life Items

Truly, pictures are worth a thousand words.To make it possible for us to communicate more effectively with those who witness our campaign, Millie has stocked Yard signs, Rally signs, New colored precious feet, Pro-life buttons, Static and Bumper sticker available @ The Two Hearts,33 Winter Street, Reno NV and St. Rose of Lima Church (weekend Masses).

More information

Please share this truth, among others relative to abortion with those who follow your Facebook posts! For more information on 40 Days for Life, Reno/Tahoe, visit our local website, at: www.40DaysforLife.com/RenoTahoe, look for us on FaceBook, or Call: Carol Marie at 530-412-1573 Please forward this message to anyone you know who might be willing to Pray to End Abortion.

To receive your own copy of these updates, as well as information from the National Campaign , go to http://www.40DaysforLife/renotahoe and request to receive updates. If you prefer to only receive our local updates, send an email with “Please Add Me to 40 Days for Life” on the subject line to renotahoe@40DaysforLife.com

If you wish to be removed from this distribution list, simply reply with Please Remove in the subject line.