LIFE Runners

Love and Fidelity (Mk 10:8-9) by Shane Kapler

jpauls — Fri, 24 May 2013 07:30:01 +0000

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors.
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“They are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.” ~ Mk 10:8-9 (full readings)
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Shane’s Reflections: In a very real sense, the culture of death has only been able to arise because the culture of love – of marital love – has been in a state of decay. We Christians have not lived Jesus’ teaching, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her,” and as a result, have cheapened our culture’s understanding of marriage, and the sacrificial nature of sexuality and parenthood. Where the life-long, sexual faithfulness of husband and wife is not prized, the sexual act loses its whole raison d’etre. As a result, pre-marital sex flourishes and “unplanned” and “accidental” pregnancies occur –and the environment becomes ripe for abortion.
* Shane Kapler is the author of “The God Who is Love: Explaining Christianity From Its Center” and co-author of “Tending the Temple”. He works as a speech therapist in St. Louis, but his favorite “job” is being a Dad. Visit www.explainingchristianity.com.
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Faith Challenge: We have to thoroughly understand and live – as difficult and as counter-cultural as it may be at this point – Jesus’ teaching about marriage. A fantastic place to find His teachings on the subject gathered in one place and reflected upon under the guidance of the Spirit is the Catechism of the Catholic Church, starting here at Paragraph 1601. Make time today to click that link and spend 5 minutes shoring up your foundation in Christ’s truth.
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Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel.
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Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day: St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
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Faith Quote: “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” ~ Pope John Paul II
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Through Christ our Lord,
Shane

Water Stations (Mk 9:41) by Jason Peters

jpauls — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:30:30 +0000

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors.
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“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.’” ~ Mk 9:41 (full readings)
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Jason’s Reflections: The start of today’s gospel is a reminder of the responsibility we have to give others a “cup of water to drink”. So what does that mean? What is the cup that we give to others? In my experience running marathons there are times when all I’m focused on is the next water station. In most marathons, after mile 20 there is a water station every mile. Just one more mile…just make it to the next station. Like the folks at those water stations aid the runners in getting to the finish, we have a responsibility to aid the people we come in contact with to get to heaven. We show others that sometimes it just takes one more step to make it to the next station. We see many examples of people at those water stations of life every day. I think about the people that work and volunteer in the crisis pregnancy centers. What an awesome example they are! As we near Memorial Day, I think of our military and veterans. What an awesome example they are! I think of my family’s experience with JP (my oldest son who died February 16, 2013) and the amazing doctors, nurses, hospital staff, teachers, priests and so many others who were “water stations” for our family. What an awesome example they are! May we all remember that we have a responsibility to be that help to those around us.
* Jason Peters (LIFE Runner) is married to Deanna, and they have three children. Jason is the President of JMJ Caseworks in Sioux Falls, SD.
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Faith Challenge: Think of the ways, many of them very simple, that you can be a water station to the people you come in contact with. Sometimes all it takes is a smile to keep someone going just one more mile.
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Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel.
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Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day: St. Felix of Cantalice
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Faith Quote: In the spring of 1977, Rick Hoyt told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick
agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.” Since then, Dick and Rick have completed over 1,000 races including marathons, duathlons and triathlons (6 Ironman competitions).
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Through Christ our Lord,
Jason

Heb 4:16

Love God’s Law (Ps 119:165) by Alton Pelowski

jpauls — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:30:14 +0000

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors.
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“Those who love your law have great peace, and for them there is no stumbling block.” ~ Ps 119:165 (full readings)
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Alton’s Reflections: We live in an age when most people in the Western world embrace moral relativism. Along with the denial of universal moral truths comes the denial of natural law, which St. Thomas Aquinas explained is based in the eternal law of God. In fact, the very idea of such law is perceived as something negative: a restriction of human freedom and thereby an impediment to happiness. Yet, the truth is that the law of God, which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ (cf. Mt 5:17), does not restrict freedom but rather teaches us how to be truly free. This is because our freedom is directly related to the truth of how we are created. As today’s responsorial psalm proclaims: those who love God’s law have great peace. The lives of the saints are universally characterized by abiding joy, even amid suffering, and there truly is “no stumbling block” for them. By contrast, the culture of death recognizes no law except for man-made positive law and reduces freedom to simply the “choice” between options. Such a perspective inevitably results in a conflict of the “strong” against the weak and voiceless. And far from bringing great peace, acting in such a way that denies the moral law and human nature — that is, sin — ultimately leads only to despair and heartache. Building a culture of life begins with the joyful and peaceful witness of those who love God’s law.
* Alton Pelowski is the editor of Columbia, the magazine of the Knights of Columbus, and a graduate of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. He is a LIFE Runner and has run 10 marathons in 10 different states in the past 10 years.
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Faith Challenge: Take some time to examine your conscience. Do you love God’s law, or do you fall into the temptation of seeing it as a restriction on your freedom? Do you believe that loving God’s law will bring great peace? Can others see this peace manifested in your life?
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Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel.
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Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day: St. Rita of Cascia
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Faith Quote: “To claim the right to abortion, infanticide and euthanasia, and to recognize that right in law, means to attribute to human freedom a perverse and evil significance: that of an absolute power over others and against others. This is the death of true freedom: ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin’ (Jn 8:34).” ~ Blessed John Paul II (Evangelium Vitae, 20)
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Through Christ our Lord,
Alton
Phil 4:6-7

One Child (Mk 9:37) by Rob Rysavy

rrysavy — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:30:02 +0000

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors.
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“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever recieves me, receives not me but the One who sent me.” ~ (Mk 9:37) (full readings)
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Rob’s Reflections: Today’s Mass readings begin with a passage from Sirach that discusses being patient and trusting in God for He will not disappoint us. With that guidance ringing in our ears, we then hear in the Gospel reading of Jesus’ tremendous promise. A promise crafted two thousand years ago and aimed across 20 centuries of time directly at the heart of every dedicated Pro-Life Warrior:  We are called to serve, and when we serve that young child, we receive not just the child, not just Jesus, but God Himself. This is a shattering promise and one to which every committed Pro-Lifer must cling. When we save a single life, one single child, it is as if we have reached across the infinity of eternity and held hands with the God who made us.
* Rob Rysavy is a LIFE Group board member and the regular Tuesday devotion author. He and his wife Michelle have six children and live in Riverside, California.
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Faith Challenge:   Millions die in the womb every year in our disordered world. If we permit it, that fact can crush our spirit and extinguish our drive to serve. But take heart. Yes, we want to save them all, but it starts with saving the one. In our zeal to save them all, let us never forget remind ourselves of the infinite victory in saving just that one.
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Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel.
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Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed & Patron Saint. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day:  Saint St. Cristóbal Magallanes and Companions.
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Faith Quote: “A man was walking by the sea and he noticed a young girl throwing starfish into the water. He asked her what she was doing. She told him she was throwing the starfish into the water because the sun was up, the tide was out and if they were not put back in the water the starfish would die. The man then explained to her that there were miles of beach, many thousands of starfish and she could not hope to make a difference. The young girl picked up a starfish, threw it in the water, turned to the man and said, ‘It made a difference for that one.’” ~ Adapted from various versions of this story.
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Through Christ Our Lord,
Rob
Mark 9:24

Believer’s Paradox (Mk 9:24) by Dr. Rich Reich

Rich — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:30:48 +0000

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion(FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors.
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“Then the boy’s father cried out, ‘I do believe, help my unbelief!’” ~Mk 9:24 (full readings)
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Rich’s Reflections: In today’s Gospel, the faith of the father of a possessed boy is severely tested. The father tells Jesus, “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us” (Mk 9:21-22). Jesus replies, “‘If you can!’ Everything is possible to one who has faith” (Mk 9:23). Then the father replies, “I do believe! Help my unbelief.” How paradoxical is this response, for it is almost a contradiction in terms. If the father is a genuine believer, then why should he bemoan his unbelief? In graduate school I experienced a similar paradox. The more I learned, the more I knew what I did not know. Unbelief is the great burden of Christians. It encumbers our spiritual movements and impedes our walk with Christ. There are times when the believer fears that they have abandoned their spiritual relationship with God. Mother Teresa experienced this so-called “dark night of the soul”, which is documented in the publication of her letters and writings in Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta. There is encouragement for those who are burdened with unbelief. It is not until God has communicated faith that any soul is conscious of its unbelief. Therefore, a living faith is necessary in order to recognize our dead unbelief!
* Dr. Rich Reich is the co-founder of the LIFE Group Devotions and the National LIFE Runners Team. He is married to Erica and lives in Satellite Beach, FL. Full bio.
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Faith Challenge: Reflect on your faith and ask Jesus to help your unbelief.
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Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel.
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Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray.
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Faith Quote: “Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.” ~ Mother Teresa
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Through Christ our Lord,
Rich
James 1:22

On your mark…get set for Crazy Horse!

acarmichael — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:22:27 +0000

On your mark…get set for Crazy Horse! For LIFE Runners planning to race the Crazy Horse 1K/5K/half/full Marathon (5-6 Oct): full marathon training starts 3 June and half marathon training starts 15 July. Flexibility and strength is key to a fit and injury free training experience. See training and injury prevention tips: www.liferunners.org/training.

Consider committing to memory the LIFE Runners Creed. Pray the Creed as you begin each training run. Great food for the soul. Also, ask for petitions from others that you can offer prayers for especially as you climb into the long runs each week. Remember to wear your LIFE Runner shirt while training. Get other LIFE Runners gear to add to your running ward robe.

Be excited about the 2013 LIFE Runners Weekend Retreat with Crazy Horse 1K/5K/half/full Marathon (4-6 Oct)! SUPER SCENIC and PERSONAL RECORD FAST (over 2/3 downhill). Race PHOTOS. Come to the Black Hills for Great Faces, Great Places, and Great Races! Promo VIDEO. LIFE Runners Relay A-Cross SD (Video). Local Native Americans will also run Crazy Horse races (article). Aerial view of SD.

* Flyer: Share this flyer with other LIFE Runners in your chapter and at local events.

* Register for Crazy Horse 1K/5K/half/full Marathon (Facebook): Half/Full at 8am, Sun, 6 Oct, Crazy Horse. 1K/5K at 12:30pm, Sat, 5 Oct, Hill City.
* Lodging (group rate, 3-7 Oct, Keystone): www.rushmoreexpress.com. All rooms $49.99 for double occupancy and $5 for extra adults (age 12 and under free). 42 std rooms (2 queens or 1 king) and 42 suites (first come). Breakfast included. 24 hr cancel. Exercise room, pool, hot tub, free Wifi, laundry, microwave/refrig. Contact Rick Greene at (832)301-2121 or rwjames21@gmail.com.
* Bus: departs St. Louis at 7pm, Thurs, 3 Oct and returns to St. Louis by 6am, Mon, 7 Oct. Pick ups in Columbia (9pm), Kansas City (11pm), Omaha, Sioux City. Stops for Sioux Falls breakfast, Corn Palace, Al’s Oasis lunch, Badlands, Ellsworth AFB. Limited to 57, $150 each, reserve seat at contact@LIFErunners.org.

Fundraising Campaign (28 Aug - 6 Oct): www.liferunners.org/fundraising.

* 2013 Team Beneficiaries: Vitae Foundation (national Pro-Life media), Rapid City Care Net (ultrasound), Sioux Falls Alpha Center (mobile medical center). Goal $100,000.

Other Scheduled LIFE Runner Events:

* Ellsworth AFB tour (3:30pm to 5pm, Fri, 4 Oct, Rapid City): meet at SD Air & Space Museum outside the main gate of Ellsworth AFB. Following base tour, dinner at Golden Corral. RSVP to contact@LIFErunners.org.
* Mt. Rushmore and Custer State Park (7am to 11am, Sat, 5 Oct): Meet at Rushmore Express Hotel in Keystone, SD.
* Crazy Horse 1K/5K, Lunch, Shopping (12pm to 3pm, Sat, 5 Oct, Hill City).
* Pre-race Banquet (6pm, Sat, 5 Oct, Blessed Sacrament Church, Rapid City, Donation): Awesome speakers include saline abortion survivor Melissa Ohden, Knights of Columbus magazine (Columbia) editor Alton Pelowski, “Running with God across America” author Jeff Grabosky. Dale Bartscher (FHA) with emcee, and Carol Nesbitt (former Miss SD) will sing National Anthem. Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. Seats reserved with 2013 LIFE Runner Sign Up for Crazy Horse races.
* Post-race Celebration (10:15am to 2pm, Sun, 6 Oct, Little White Church, Hill City, Free): co-sponsored by the SD Family Heritage Alliance and Rapid City Care Net PRC.

Make It A Road Trip:

Sample Itinerary from Kansas City

Day #1 – Drive from Kansas City to Sioux Falls (estimated 6 hours).

12:00 Lunch in Nebraska City or Omaha (2.5 hours from KC)

4:00 Arrive in Sioux Falls, SD.

4:30 Drive by the St. Joseph Cathedral.

5:00 Dinner @ Minervas, 301 South Phillips Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD. (605) 334-0386

7:00 See the Falls in Sioux Falls. Get ready for some outstanding pictures of this scenic waterfall wonder.

8:00 Check into your hotel and get a good night’s sleep.

Day #2 – Great American Road Trip!

4:00 Wake Up/Coffee /Breakfast

5:00 Go for run

6:30 Leave for the Black Hills of South Dakota!

8:00 Arrive at the Corn Palace 603 N. Main Street, Mitchell, SD.

10:00 Get gas and snacks at Al’s Oasis, 1000 East South Dakota Hwy 16, Oacoma, SD (605) 234-6051.

Turn watch back one hour – crossing time change from central to mountain time.

12:30 (time after turning clock back) Drive through the Badlands http://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/home/thingstodo/scenicdrives

Take exit at hwy 240 “Cactus Pass” which is the “Loop Road.” http://www.moon.com/files/map-images/mtru_04_Badlands-National-Park.jpg

1:30 Stop at Wall Drug for an hour then head to the Black Hills.

3:30 Arrive Rapid City, SD.

Link to map with all key places mentioned.

Please plan to join us for this outstanding weekend. LIFE Runner Joanne Zitz of Poughkeepsie, NY said this about last years event, “My weekend in St. Louis with the LIFE Runners was so spiritually rewarding. I LOVE the whole team aspect! The Black Hills are callin’ my name!” Listen close, they are calling yours too.

Don’t miss out…

Watch this video about the great American Road Trip with fellow LIFE Runners.

Waiting on the Lord (Is 40:31) by Susan Perkins

jpauls — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:30:47 +0000

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors.
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“They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not be weary. They will walk and not grow faint.” ~ Is 40:31 (full readings)
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Susan’s Reflections: While studying this passage of scripture, I was struck by the fact that Isaiah mentions runners and walkers in the service of God, but there is no one simply standing still. To love God is to be about His work. Secondly, for a long time, I thought that “waiting” just meant waiting for direction from God. While that is good to do, it is equally important to “wait” on the Lord, as in to be a waiter, i.e. serve the Lord. My work at the Vitae Foundation requires that I do a considerable amount of writing and editing. Keeping verb tense consistent is one of the most difficult parts of that job. When you consider this verse from Isaiah, notice that it declares what “will” happen. There are no qualifiers like “maybe” or “perhaps” . . .simply a statement of fact. It’s His promise to me and to you.
* Susan (Susie) Perkins is the executive assistant to the president of the Vitae Foundation, an organization whose mission is to encourage a culture of life through mass communications.
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Faith Challenge: Claim His promise that when we use our gifts to serve Him, we will receive wings to soar and strength and endurance to fulfill the mission He asks us to do.
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Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel.
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Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day: St. Paschal Baylon.
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Faith Quote: “God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises, leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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In His Service,
Susie
Proverbs 3:5-6

Ambassador for Christ (Acts 23:7) by Josh Brahm

jpauls — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:30:29 +0000

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors.
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“When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ~ Acts 23:7 (full readings)
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Josh’s Reflections: Notice what Paul does in this passage. He wisely made a claim about something he knew the Sadducees and Pharisees disagreed on. The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection, which is why they were so sad, you see. *rimshot* Pro-life people can learn from Paul’s strategy here. We should talk about things within the abortion debate that pro-choice people aren’t unified on. We can start great dialogues about abortion by asking questions like, “what do you think about late-term abortion?” “What do you think about sex-selection abortions, where people abort girls solely because they are girls?” “Should abortion be used as a form of birth control?” These are questions where you can find common ground with most pro-choice people at the grassroots level, while Planned Parenthood and NARAL leaders will typically have a more extreme opinion. (For a list of 25 of these types of questions and how to use them, check out my colleague Steve Wagner’s free book, “Common Ground Without Compromise,” at CommonGroundBook.com.) It’s important that you ask these questions with the right attitude. Don’t be a jerk about it. Be a gracious ambassador for Christ (2 Cor 5:20). See Stand to Reason’s material on the essential qualities of a good ambassador for Christ (STR.org). It’s essential that you are a good ambassador for Christ if you’re going to have a positive impact on the person you’re talking to. You can be a gracious person and get stumped by a tough pro-choice argument, and you can simply say, “wow, I hadn’t thought of that before. Can I think about it for a few days and get back to you?” No problem. But you could be the smartest pro-life apologist in the country and act like a jerk, and then win the argument, but lose the person. Don’t be that guy. If you have not love, you’re just a resounding gong.
* Josh Brahm is the Director of Education at Right to Life of Central CA and a speaker, blogger and podcast host. He is happily married with three kids and leads worship for his church in Clovis, CA. Full bio: http://joshbrahm.wordpress.com/about.
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Faith Challenge: Use one of the questions from Steve Wagner’s book (CommonGroundBook.com) or something you learn from my podcast (ProLifePodcast.net) to start a conversation with a pro-choice person this week.
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Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel.
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Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day: St. Margaret of Cortona
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Faith Quote: “A dialogue is more than two monologues.” ~ Max M. Kampelman
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Through Christ our Lord,
Josh

Consecrated in Truth (Jn 17:18-19) by Alice Chapman

jpauls — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:30:57 +0000

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors.
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“As you have sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth.” ~ Jn 17:18-19 (full readings)
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Alice’s Reflections: Despite the obstacles we face in our spiritual and physical journey on this earth, today’s Gospel reading reminds us that we are never left alone. We’re not sent into this world to fend for ourselves, stumbling along searching for what is true. We are already consecrated in truth through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Knowing the truth of His word strengthens us and gives us courage to speak out and witness for the unborn. As pro-life advocates we often find ourselves witnessing to the sanctity of human life even when the political and social climate seems to prevail against this truth. But recently, LIFE Runners were able to overcome adverse weather and road conditions, injuries and fatigue in order to witness for life while completing more than 2,000 miles in the inaugural A-Cross the Country Relay for Pro-Life. It is by this “knowing” deep inside that we are sent into this world consecrated in Truth that we have the courage to set such a bold and outrageous goal and accomplish it in His name.
* Alice is a public health officer in the U.S. Air Force and is stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH. She and her husband Glenn have a son. She is working to establish a Dayton LIFE Runners Chapter.
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Faith Challenge: Embrace the opportunity to share the gospel of life with someone you meet today.
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Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel.
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Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day: St. Peter of Tarentaise
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Faith Quote: “Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
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Through Christ our Lord,
Alice
Jer 29:11-13

That Others May Live (Jn 15:13) by Rob Rysavy

rrysavy — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:30:59 +0000

Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Leaders. Guest Authors.
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“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” ~ (Jn 15:13) (full readings)
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Rob’s Reflections: For the early Christians, this was a literal calling; they were often killed for their faith. Twenty centuries later, it is physically safe for most of us to be Christian; the ability to legally read this devotion is some indication of that safety. So what does it mean today to “lay down one’s life for one’s friends”? To lay down anything implies a positive action being taken, not a passive victimization.  To witness for the unborn today means we are willing to insert ourselves into a different kind of harm’s way.  We might risk losing our friends because of the uncomfortable topic we champion. We risk the scornful ridicule of the culture of death and a pliant media apparatus that advances that deformed culture. And we may yet risk loss of freedom because we unsurprisingly proclaim that the unborn are deserving of the right to be alive.  Perhaps evil no longer seeks to force us to literally lay down our life, but instead has lulled us into an invincible complacency where not only do we not lay down our life, but we don’t even lay down any of our many comforts. We think abortion is a terrible evil… And then we go about our business. When I reflect on the nature of these words of Jesus and the courage He calls us to, I draw inspiration from one of my close friends, an Air Force rescue pilot who flies a helicopter like the one pictured here, and the mantle of sacrificial love his community takes upon themselves. The motto of the Air Force Pararescue community represents a stark intersection of the unconditional love of neighbor and the tragic violence of warfare: “These things we do that others may live.” And so it is with the Pro-Life community, we live at the intersection of the unconditional love of the unborn and the tragic violence of abortion, and our motto could also be: “These things we do that others may live.”
* Rob Rysavy is a LIFE Group board member and the regular Tuesday devotion author. He and his wife Michelle have six children and live in Riverside, California.
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Faith Challenge:  What are you willing to do today that others may live? Which of your many comforts are you willing to lay down in order to lift up your unborn brothers and sisters?
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Counter-Culture News: LifeSiteNews, LifeNews, American Family, Vatican, Project Rachel.
*Abortion “Doctor” Kermit Gosnell was found guilty of first-degree murder yesterday. The prosecution demonstrated that Gosnell killed living children who survived abortions by cutting their spinal cords with a scissors. What you and I call evil, the abortion industry calls just another day profitting from the killing of the unborn.
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Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed & Patron Saint. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.
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Feast Day:  Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle. Generally believed to have died a Martyr’s death sometime around 80 A.D.
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Faith Quote: “These things we do that others may live.” ~ Motto of the Air Force Pararescue community.
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Through Christ Our Lord,
Rob
Mark 9:24