"In the early afternoon, I went to the vigil and was struck by how silent everything was. I was there alone, completely alone, and was uncertain what to do. I stood near the 40 Days for Life sign and waited. After a moment I slowly took out my rosary and began to pray.
It seemed as though pedestrians crossed the street to avoid me. Landscapers stared at me, confused. Cars flew by with barely a sound. I was alone in front of that evil place.
As I neared the end of my rosary, I opened my eyes and saw a young man walking toward me. With his tall, thin body, his tossled hair, and his bronzed skin, he exuded the confidence of a 'cool' college student. Not wanting a confrontation, I closed my eyes and said my last Hail Mary. As he passed behind me, silently and swiftly, he clearly said, 'God bless you.'
In that moment I realized that I was not alone. God was always with me. And countless others were also with me in spirit and in prayer."
I had a very similar experience during prayer on Saturday evening. I was not yet fully absorbed in prayer, and a steady stream of interruptions came as people filed downtown to see Artprize. I felt very much in the way on the sidewalk. I had my eyes closed, focusing more intently on our Lord, when I felt a soft touch on my shoulder. I opened my eyes as a couple walking past said gently, "Thank you" with smiles in their eyes.
Of course, moments later, a bicyclist informed me that the woman with whom I share my bed is not my wife but my mother. But by then I was deep in prayer and I only heard a clashing cymbal. What penetrated my prayer more deeply was the gift of that gentle touch, that affirmation from strangers passing by that not only does our Lord move hearts, but the witness of our prayer is a beautiful and enriching sight.
I say, stand at 320 solely to glorify God and leave the rest in His hands. Let people see that prayer for any reason is powerful...and then they will see what we are praying for and know our God loves them too. Dear reader, we are amabassadors of Love in these 40 days. We are witnessing to more than Life. We are witnessing that life in Christ is a romance. Pope Benedict writes eloquently of this romance in his latest homily to the Church in Prague:
"...only through personal intimacy and a profound bond with Christ is it possible to draw the spiritual vitality needed to live the Christian vocation to the full. Only the love of Christ can make the apostolate effective, especially in moments of difficulty and trial. Love for Christ and for one’s fellow men and women must be the hallmark of every Christian and every community. In the Acts of the Apostles we read that “the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul” (4:32). Tertullian, an early Church writer, noted that pagans were impressed by the love that bound Christians together (cf. Apologeticum XXXIX). Dear brothers and sisters, imitate the divine Master who “came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45). Let love shine forth in each of your parishes and communities, and in your various associations and movements."
Let Love shine forth and radiate from you in prayer during these 40 Days. Let your heart beat as one with that Most Sacred Heart, the One pouring forth mercy and salvation upon the whole earth, and this portion we call 320 Fulton, and the portion deep within each one of us.
