Debates often cause us to think more seriously about what is at stake, especially when it involves the fate of the nation where we live. So when we watched the presidential debate last week, it occurred to some of us at least that we watched two angry old men verbally sparring without any clearly defined positions emerging. Of course, I am talking about abortion.
Neither of these senior political figures had the moral integrity to stand up and proclaim the dignity of every preborn child without exception. It was a sad display, but it also should have been a wake-up call to us that something much more serious is required in our struggle to end the killing of the innocent.
Several years ago, Professor Charles Rice wrote about this in a document titled "The Pro-Life Movement: A Spiritual Perspective." In his own inimitable words to me he said, "Listen kid, we need to focus on the rosary if we ever hope to end this scourge." That is one comment I will never forget. And, of course, he was totally correct.
After all these years, his words ring truer than ever before. We began heeding his words by praying the rosary in our office before a beautiful, blessed statue of Our Lady of Fatima that someone had given us. Later, we began the Our Lady of Life Campaign, again with prayers including the rosary. And today, we have the Marian Blue Wave.
Katie Brown, national director of American Life League, who also leads the Marian Blue Wave, wrote in a June 27 internal memo that overcoming evil requires the power of the rosary. She stated:
On Monday, the MBW is launching a "Summer Prayer Challenge" inviting the 10,000+ MBW prayer partners to pray each month until November for a state with a ballot initiative looking to enshrine abortion into the state constitution.
The state for July will be Florida. The months to follow will feature the following states as intentions. We're going to be blasting this on social media and in the news, and I've written to each of the bishops in Florida asking them to join us. The rest of the states [and their proposed laws] are to follow.
- Florida - Protect the "right" to abortion up to viability and when necessary to safeguard the woman's health.
- Maryland - Guarantee a right to "reproductive freedom," including the ability to prevent, continue, or end one's own pregnancy.
- South Dakota - State that the government may only prohibit abortion after the end of the second trimester, except when necessary to preserve the life or physical or emotional health of the mother.
- Colorado - Recognize right to abortion and repeal a previous constitutional amendment that prohibited the use of state funds to provide abortion coverage.
- New York - Voters were to decide whether to amend the state constitution to add language related to pregnancy and personal freedom. But a state judge ruled in May that the measure cannot move forward because of a procedural error made by lawmakers during an earlier round of approval. The ballot measure is back on the ballot and approved, and it would add protections from future threats in a state where abortion is already legal up to 24 weeks post-fertilization.
Reflecting back on the profound words of Professor Rice years ago, we urge you to spread the word that the Marian Blue Wave, by focusing on the most holy rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is touching hearts and saving babies.
While feminists cry that any limits on abortion mean a war on women, we respond by focusing on the remarkable life of every woman, beginning with Mary, the Blessed Mother of Jesus Christ, who is our mother as well.
Let us always remember that by praying the rosary and seeking the Lord's help as we reflect on each sacred mystery, we are engaging in a spiritual action that will ultimately end the killing of the innocent.