It was such a joy to be with you all on May 10th. I know that it is no small thing to get to Ottawa to give your testimony. I especially want to thank Janet Morana for coming once again to give us her support and her encouragement. It was great to have her with us!
Below are some links to videos taken during the National March for Life with good footage of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, just in case you haven’t seen them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMcOeoHZ5IM&NR=1&feature=endscreen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynushWyWDzo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPFVbUeRasc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTPPTUh80po&feature=related
I would like to share the following story which shows the fruit and the far-reaching effects of your witness.
On Tuesday, May 15th, I spoke at a symposium at St. Theresa’s High School in Richmond Hill, a suburb of Toronto. This invitation was a result of former presentations of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign at the National March for Life. After the first presentation, one of the teachers approached me to say that one of her students shared that his friend was scheduled for an abortion at Mogentaler’s Clinic at 12:30 p.m. As she asked me what to do, I was prompted to say, “Ask her if she will speak to me.”
The description of what follows was provided by Debbie Fisher, who was also at the symposium on behalf of the Toronto Right to Life.
Alex called the young woman, Margarita, right away. She was only five minutes away from the abortion clinic. He said she was determined to go through with it and wouldn't listen to him. Then he said the words that changed her heart..."there are some women here who regret their abortions". That's when she said 'why?' and her whole life changed. The word REGRET touched the heart of the young woman.
Why was she going to have an abortion? Because she didn’t know she was loved.
Alex brought Margarita to the school and they met with Debbie Fisher. Surrounded by the love and support of the students and teachers, and having heard the “regret” of Debbie Fisher and myself, she chose life for her little six-to-eight week old Constantine. As Debbie pointed out, the lives of this mother and child would not have been saved if it were not for the work of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. This is the fruitfulness of the transformation of our past lives, and it is the fruitfulness of our children who are with God.
Even though we weren’t all there that day, it was the commitment and the sacrifices of all of us that brought about the life-giving choice of Margarita. I just see us standing there on Parliament Hill in that freezing cold, and I think of Christ on the cross. What is a life worth? He told us that no greater love has a man than to lay down his life for another. We, who are in Christ, are one body. So, every “yes” we say moment by moment, united to Christ, is an act of love that goes out like a ripple and catches people from the edge of the precipice. Margarita and her little one were brought in from the edge of the precipice to firmer ground. Let us rejoice and give thanks to God that all things work unto good for those who love Him and work according to his purposes. Margarita’s experience is just one story; only God knows how many others have been and will be saved by your yes.