Perseverance

St. Paul in his epistles famously used the metaphor of a footrace to describe the Christian life of virtue. If we stay with it, we will be embraced by our Lord who will exclaim, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

The rain makes it difficult to stand. The cold makes it unbearable. The fact that we have to park elsewhere only adds to the inconvenience. On top of it all, we have hecklers sharing the sidewalk with us.

It has always been this way for Christians truly willing to walk with Jesus to Calvary. He told us it would be so, and so it is. Yet, consider what may result from your commitment to fasting & prayer: a mother, walking into 320, might change her mind and walk back out again; a passerby might see you praying and ponder anew their commitment to life; a person who never knew that abortions take place in this city might decide to get involved in the pro-life movement.

Consider what might take place inside of you (other than a growling stomachache). You will be able to walk away from this knowing that you did not leave these children abandoned. You did not let their death go unnoticed. You were with them, prayerfully with them, as they were carried by an angel to the throne of God.

And when that day, Lord willing, comes when you stand before the throne-- God will say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!" and peeking from behind the throne will be a child who knew your love, the love you felt in your heart, the heart that was present at 320 on the day they died.

Dear reader, don't give up. What we do, we do for love of Jesus and love of a child, a friend we hope to meet one remarkable day. I'll race you there...