Have a Pro-Life Lent

Whoops! Not the best start to Ash Wednesday... old habits die hard

Last week I placed an order to be delivered today from my milkman - a cut-price bumper box of chocolate biccies, end of Christmas stock.  The fact that today is Lenten Eve and the beginning of six weeks of giving up chocolate (Aila and me) and biscuits (hubby) hadn't quite registered.  Luckily the hand of God must have intervened (or the available stocks had already been snapped up by those frivolous souls* happy to guzzle their chocolatey way through Lent), as it wasn't delivered!

Now that I've got my act together, here are reminders of two ways to make your Lent fabulously pro-life... 

40 Days for Life
This has kicked off this evening, with a prayer vigil in Bedford Square, London, opposite an abortion facility.  The Vigil will continue between 8am-8pm every day from 22 February-1 April - see the 40 Days for Life website which has details of the campaign and its events.  If you can't physically join in, why not make it a Lenten resolution to pray the 40 days at home?  During previous 40 Days for Life campaigns our Pro Life group has suggested (by way of the church newsletter) that all parishioners pray a daily Hail, Holy Queen for pro-life causes and held our own all-night vigil before the Blessed Sacrament.
 

National Day of Prayer and Fasting for Life: Ash Wednesday

The Good Counsel Network are encouraging us all to engage in the spiritual battle for an end to abortion and euthanasia this Ash Wednesday.  Offer up your fasting and abstinence together with a Rosary in the knowledge that, as the Maria Stops Abortion blogsite reminds us, "the struggle to end abortion is a spiritual struggle and not merely one of practical concerns or politics".

No, not a giant slice of salami...

However you engage in prayer, fasting and alms-giving this Lent, have a blessed one!  I'm just off to brazenly over-eat, hopefully for the last time in the next few weeks, as Shrove Tuesday this year in our house is Pink Pancake Day - see photo.  (Aila's idea, and a delicious one, but I'm thinking we might try a different colour next year lest our aims be misunderstood.  Why must nice colours and words get hijacked?!)

*I realise I am making assumptions. Quite possibly they are worthy souls who, instead of giving up chocolate, are doing what I cannot do and forsaking wine/cheese instead!