Bereit to Speak in DC Tuesday

National 40 Days for Life director David Bereit will speak at the DC Theology on Tap evening at Ireland's Four Fields (3412 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC), on Tuesday, July 19, 7:30-8:30pm. The event is sponsored by the Young Adult Ministry Archdiocese of Washington. Event summary follows:

DC’s Summer Theology on Tap Six Pack, Living in the City 2.0 concludes with David Bereit, the National Director of 40 Days for Life. The evening begins with happy hour at 6:30 and the talk will follow at 7:30. Following the Q&A period, we’ll draw the winner of the iPad 2!

David Bereit became an outspoken pro-life advocate after Planned Parenthood announced plans to build an abortion clinic in his Texas town in 1998. He helped to start and build a local grassroots coalition that rallied 60 churches and thousands of people together and dramatically reduced abortions in the region. In 2005 he moved to Washington, DC where he served as executive director of American Life League and national director of Stop Planned Parenthood until being asked to lead the national 40 Days for Life campaign. His pro-life work has been featured in the media hundreds of times, including coverage on Fox News, HBO, ABC, NBC and CBS television stations, numerous radio programs, and in over 100 newspapers across the country including USA Today, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times. David and his wife Margaret have two children.

Theology on Tap is a program of the Office of Young Adult Ministry that reaches out to young adults interested in exploring the role of faith in their daily lives. Held at Ireland’s Four Fields (3412 Connecticut Ave., NW - just one block south of the Cleveland Park Metro), Theology on Tap provides an opportunity to explore your faith and mix and mingle with young adults from across the DC metro area.

Day 4: Vigil, Outreach, and Resources

Despite the rain, the cold, and the iffy skies, our vigil keepers have been peacefully and prayerfully present at their posts at the Duke Street abortion facility. All times have been signed up for by at least one volunteer so far, and often several volunteers have kept vigil together. Thank you all for your faithfulness on behalf of God's littlest ones!

There are several vacancies over the weekend though, so if you can, please come out and pray for a little while. Weekends are great times to spend with a friend, so bring a friend along too! Remember also that our 40 Days For Life Outreach Division does outreach on Saturdays, and Paul Spicer and his team would really love to have extra help!

Today's quote from Rick Warren focuses on preparing for life, both this life and eternal life:

Just as the nine months you spent in your mother's womb were not an end in themselves but preparation for life, so this life is preparation for the next (The Purpose-Driven Life, Day Four).

In reflection, we can ask ourselves, how can each of us help God's littlest ones to know the joy of life and not the horror of abortion? How can we share the love of God and the hope for eternal life with Him with women in the darkness of contemplating or having had an abortion?

The following information about the Gabriel Project from Sarah LaPierre may be helpful for all our volunteers:

I wanted to share that if there is any abortion-minded women in need of monetary help for pre-natal/medical (or possibly rent/utilities, etc.), Gabriel Project will be privileged to partner with you as a financial sponsor of these expenses so that finances are not a factor. We have a special relationship with Dr. Bruchalski and Bob Laird at Tepeyac for Gabriel Project to fund a mom’s maternity care if there is no other place to turn. We can also provide other assistance to make her feel loved and affirmed. There are many opportunities for free material items and education classes that can be offered. In addition, if she’s interested in support of a faith community, we could facilitate a Gabriel “Angel” or volunteer Friend from Birthmothers. Whatever her needs, we will try our best to meet them.

There is also funding for professional counseling and/or healing retreats for anyone who has had an abortion. Please call me or arrange for a visit to learn more about our ministries or if you have any questions.

May God bless you in your 40 Days for Life prayer, awareness and outreach campaign!

In Christ,

Sarah LaPierre
Gabriel Project/Project Rachel Director
Catholic Diocese of Arlington

I recently saw the following video which is of David Bereit and Abby Johnson firing up a record crowd of 50,000 for the West Coast Walk for Life in San Francisco: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdZBxrJ6fcw&feature=player_embedded. I was impressed by Abby's confidence and the crowd's enthusiasm. Please take a minute to watch or listen to the video if you have a chance. Let's all get Fired Up For Life!

Remember, if we are peaceful, prayerful, and persistent in our efforts to defend life, protect the unborn, help their mothers, and share the love of God with them, then God will bring our efforts to victory!

PS. Please share your stories and thoughts with us as you keep vigil for the innocent unborn by sending your comments to jacinta.40days@gmail.com. We want to hear from you!

A Tipping Point Moment

The following remarks were shared at our Kickoff Rally last Sunday.

At our Victory Celebration last fall, 40 Days for Life National Director David Bereit shared his view that we had reached a “tipping point moment” in our society. Maybe some of us have read the book, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell, which highlights the moment when the balance of victory shifts to one side or the other...