A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun

It is her month -- the month of May when we celebrate the Virgin Queen of Heaven, our dear Lady, the Blessed and Holy Mother of God. As a young woman without worldly experience she reversed the curse of Eve by her fiat, her perfect obedience and submission to the will of God that she was to be the Mother of the Redeemer. God, in absolute gentleness and profound respect for the sovereign will of His creature, ask Mary to assume the awesome responsibility and privilege of bearing the Redeemer. In her immaculate heart, Mary conceived the Logos before He was conceived in her womb. In unknowable ecstasy she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and the Logos become human. In that unique moment in history her yes became our blessing.

Mary is the antithesis of Eve. Eve brought death to her offspring by her disobedience. Mary brought Life to her offspring by her perfect obedience. At the moment of her perfect submission to the Divine Will, the archangel Gabriel witnessed a sight that caused him to fall down in adoration and awe -- the Second Person of the Trinity, through whom and for whom all was created, assumed a human nature and condescended to become a human being. The great mystery of the Incarnation, when God became human so that we might share in the very life of God, had been accomplished. Human nature would be remade. In the crucible of suffering our Lord would forge our redemption and extend to us the hand of friendship that had been lost by the sin of our first parents.

Let us rejoice at the Holy Incarnation, in the "fetus" conceived and nurtured in absolute love, and wonder again at the unborn Christ who sanctified all of human existence by His participation in our life. Let us remember that we reverence human life because God himself created each of us in love, and bequeaths on us the awesome gift of His own participation in our humanity. Jesus is truly our Hope, our authentic Hope in these unsettling times.

Finally, let us further rejoice in the Holy Virgin, who said yes to God's will for her, and facilitated the salvation of the world.

I am your own, Oh Mother of God. To you, protectress and leader, my songs of victory. To you who deliver me from danger, my hymn of thanksgiving. In your invincible power deliver me from all danger, that I may sing to you: "Hail Oh Bride and Maiden ever pure!" (Acathist)

Another Day

On Friday I again prayed outside the abortuary. I often see the same people praying. As I stood praying, workers began to show up. It seems that they cannot enter the clinic until 7:45 AM. I stood and prayed for each of them as they arrived. Some looked at us, others refused to acknowledge our presence. One young woman (there were 12 women and one man that entered) returned outside to smoke a cigarette. She only partially smoked her cigarette, then hurried back into the clinic.

On Thursday evening while I was driving home, there were several pro-lifers standing along New York Street with graphic signs of aborted babies. Three of Aurora's finest were speaking to them. I snapped a few pictures for posterity.

I found out later that it seems that Dominick's Foods is under some pressure from Planned Parenthood to prevent pro-lifers from standing on their property in front of the entrance to the PP death camp. We will see what happens. It also appears that the Dominick's security guard is chummy with the death camp guards. Also, it seems that PP wants to buy the Dominick's property on New York Street.

Today is Sunday. There were at least 150 people gathered along New York Street in a Life Chain to demonstrate against the PP facility. I recognized some of them as I drove past. And still we continue to pray. Every day we pray on the sidewalk. We implore the Lord to help us.

1 In you, LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 In your justice rescue and deliver me; listen to me and save me! 3 Be my rock and refuge, my secure stronghold; for you are my rock and fortress. 4 My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked, from the clutches of the violent. 5 You are my hope, Lord; my trust, GOD, from my youth. 6 On you I depend since birth; from my mother's womb you are my strength; my hope in you never wavers. PS 71: 1-6 (NAB)

Patience and Prayer

It was a day of strange beginnings. I was at the abortuary at 7:00 AM and read from the Psalms before beginning my rosary. It is amazing how appropriate the Psalms are for praying on behalf of babies facing execution. As I approached the sidewalk along the eastern edge of the property (the place where we've been praying day and night) there was a woman bundled in a blanket and sleeping in a folding lawn chair. At least, I thought she was sleeping. As I walked past she opened her eyes and said, "Good morning!" She had been keeping vigil all night alone. Three young men had approached her during the night, much like Nicodemus, and she had converted them to joining us in any future youth rally against the abortuary.
I was soon joined by two other men, one of whom is a Secular Franciscan from Cincinnati, OH. Many people gather at the clinic during the day. A few remain all day, a select few stay through the night.
The Brother Steven has been to Aurora three times in the past month on a mission to have Aurora declared a Peace and Life zone. He carried a banner and prayed as he paced along the sidewalk. He asked me if I knew of a Transitus Service nearby. Transitus is a service held by Fransiscans on the night before the Feast of St. Francis and is a remembrance of his death on October 3rd.
Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Francis. I wonder what he would have done. Would he have joined us? He sought martyrdom in the Holy Land. Without harm he approached the Muslim Sultan Melek-el-Kamel of Egypt. No one knows for certain all that passed between them, but ultimately the Fransiscan Order was given the privilege of maintaining the Christian shrines in Palestine.
After praying an hour I began walking back to my car. As I pass the entrance to the facility, my rosary breaks. The crucifix falls to the ground. I pick it up, walk to the car, and drive to Divine Liturgy with the Franciscan. We pray "LORD, have mercy". After Liturgy we return to the parking lot near the clinic. He leaves to try to persuade business owners to support his cause.
A question. I have a question. Did the slaughter of the innocents begin today? Let my eyes stream with tears day and night, without rest, over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of my people, over her incurable wound....

Psalm 31
1 For the leader. A psalm of David. 2 In you, LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your justice deliver me; 3 incline your ear to me; make haste to rescue me! Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to save me. 4 You are my rock and my fortress; for your name's sake lead and guide me. 5 Free me from the net they have set for me, for you are my refuge. 6 Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, LORD, faithful God. 7 You hate those who serve worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD. 8 I will rejoice and be glad in your love, once you have seen my misery, observed my distress. 9 You will not abandon me into enemy hands, but will set my feet in a free and open space. 10 Be gracious to me, LORD, for I am in distress; with grief my eyes are wasted, my soul and body spent. 11 My life is worn out by sorrow, my years by sighing. My strength fails in affliction; my bones are consumed. 12 To all my foes I am a thing of scorn, to my neighbors, a dreaded sight, a horror to my friends. When they see me in the street, they quickly shy away. 13 I am forgotten, out of mind like the dead; I am like a shattered dish. 14 I hear the whispers of the crowd; terrors are all around me. They conspire against me; they plot to take my life. 15 But I trust in you, LORD; I say, "You are my God." 16 My times are in your hands; rescue me from my enemies, from the hands of my pursuers. 17 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your kindness. 18 Do not let me be put to shame, for I have called to you, LORD. Put the wicked to shame; reduce them to silence in Sheol. 19 Strike dumb their lying lips, proud lips that attack the just in contempt and scorn. 20 How great is your goodness, Lord, stored up for those who fear you. You display it for those who trust you, in the sight of all the people. 21 You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from scheming enemies. You keep them in your abode, safe from plotting tongues. 22 Blessed be the LORD, who has shown me wondrous love, and been for me a city most secure. 23 Once I said in my anguish, "I am shut out from your sight." Yet you heard my plea, when I cried out to you. 24 Love the LORD, all you faithful. The LORD protects the loyal, but repays the arrogant in full. 25 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. (NAB)

Aurora Abortuary Opens "Peacefully"

Today is a sad day. Yesterday the Mayor of Aurora, Tom Weisner, gave Planned Parenthood the occupancy permit that it requested without allowing public comment and without allowing a vote by the City Council. Last night we held a prayer vigil outside the clinic. The media was there in force. I believe that 300 or so people were there to pray. This morning at 7:00 am I was praying on the sidewalk outside the clinic with 5 others. Most were very disheartened. However, even in the midst of this seeming defeat, there will be victory.

" But I will call this to mind, as my reason to have hope: The favors of the LORD are not exhausted, his mercies are not spent; They are renewed each morning, so great is his faithfulness. My portion is the LORD, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him. Good is the LORD to one who waits for him, to the soul that seeks him; It is good to hope in silence for the saving help of the LORD. " Lam 3: 21-26.

Let's continue to pray, to hope, and to work.

Betrayal. Recall anyone???

It appears that Mayor Tom Weisner (may his name go down in infamy) reneged on his promise to allow a free and open debate on the issuance of an occupancy permit for Planned parenthood in Aurora. To make matters worse, there are allegations that he leaked his decision to Planned Parenthood before he told anyone else. In addition, he refused to face his constituents and tell them of his decision. Instead, he held the press conference announcing his decision in a City Hall conference room behind closed doors -- again the Public was denied access. This cowardly act only serves to reinforce the perception that he is afraid of allowing the truth, and of facing the consequences of his decisions.

I hope he realizes that he has irreparably damaged his reputation with the citizens of Aurora by not allowing a free and open debate. It appears that he never intended to honor his word to the people of the City. It also appears that he is in bed with Planned Parenthood. Interesting development. It certainly begs the question, "Is there some unseen connection between Planned Parenthood and the Mayor?" What have they got on Tom Weisner that would cause him to disregard the firestorm of opinion against the abortuary, renege on his word, and perhaps commit political suicide? Does he think that his Obama connection will save him?

Meanwhile, we continue to pray. Tonight at 8:30 PM we gather, again, outside of the abortuary and implore the Lord of Life to fight for us.

Allegations of Collusion and a Call to Prayer

I have been hearing rumors that Tom Weisner, the Mayor of Aurora, may have colluded with Planned Parenthood to deceive the good people of Aurora. Apparently the Mayor had meetings with Planned Parenthood prior to their permit applications being accepted. There is an appearance of impropriety here. I am sure that the good people of Aurora would like to know if their elected officials were involved in corruption.

In addition, we noticed some "No Trespassing" signs on private property directly across the street from Planned Parenthood. A few days after the signs appeared, they were hastily taken down. Rumor has it that Planned Parenthood placed the signs on that property without the knowledge of consent of the property owner. Now who could possibly believe that Planned Parenthood would attempt something illegal, like posting signs on property that was not owned by Planned Parenthood?

I am asking all pro-lifers to devote a day each week to prayer and fasting to close Planned Parenthood and to end abortion in this country and the world. The Lord of Life is calling us to action. Let us commit ourselves to fast and pray EACH FRIDAY, the day of our Deliverance from Evil, to the destruction of Planned Parenthood and the end of abortion in our land. This week, in addition to praying outside the Aurora clinic for an hour each day, I am writing letters -- to congressmen, aldermen, mayors, and newspapers. What are you going to do?

The Battle for Life

Blow the trumpet in Zion! proclaim a fast, call an assembly; Gather the people, notify the congregation; Assemble the elders, gather the children and the infants at the breast; Let the bridegroom quit his room, and the bride her chamber. Joel 2:15-16 (NAB).

On July 26, 2007 I was shocked to discover that the largest abortuary in the US was scheduled to open mere blocks from my home. Planned Parenthood, the largest killer of pre-born babies in our country, had concealed their identity through the use of a for-profit corporation in order to secretly build their killing facility. What followed was a firestorm of reaction from defenders of the Unborn. Three rallys at the site drew from 800 to 1200 people from Aurora and surrounding communities to demonstrate and pray that the facility would not open. Each Aurora City Council meeting has seen more than 100 people signed up to address the Council -- overwhelmingly opposed to the opening of the facility. In addition, for more that 40 days and nights we have been gathered outside the abortuary to implore God that it not be allowed to open.

Up until the moment that I discovered that the "medical building" was going to be a place of death, I was a "passive pro-lifer". I prayed, yes, but I did not devote time and energy to the struggle. That time is passed. I will now fast, pray, and act. What became very clear to me while spending hours praying on the sidewalk was that we are not dealing with a limited evil. This is a formal institutional curse of our society. Unless and until we pledge ourselves to end the evil of abortion, the slaughter of innocent human life, we can expect to watch evil increase until it consumes us.

We who gather in vigil outside the abortuary continue praying and hoping that God will intervene on our behalf and on behalf of His innocent ones. We are not fanatics, extremists, or violent people. We are young, old and middle aged. We are of different religious faiths. We are united in our abhorrence to the destruction of innocent human life. Our hearts break at the thought of the slaughtered children and the terrible guilt that their mothers will bear for the murder of their own children.

It is time to stand for Life! We can no longer afford to stand at the sidelines and watch while others carry the burden. Let us fight evil with the weapons we have -- prayer, fasting, and action. I am asking each person that reads this blog to commit themselves to prayer, fasting and sacrifice to end the scourge of abortion in our land and in our world. One day per week abstain from food and pleasurable things. Devote extra time to prayer. Write a letter to a politician, to the editor of your local newspaper, to local clergy. Visit a local abortuary and pray for an hour on the sidewalk for the staff for their conversion, for the women for a change of heart, and for the children that they may live. Let your voices be heard in support of Life.

We are engaged in an epic struggle -- the struggle between good and evil, life and death, God and Satan. This battle we are engaged in is a battle for hearts, minds and souls. God be with us and make us victorious!