On the other side of "the fence"... is an abortion clinic, and within its walls abortions are being performed on Saturday mornings. The Church in which Nancy and Bill were married and continue to attend as a married couple.... is just a few blocks away. Every Saturday morning they have mass there at 8a and then walk down to pray in front of this amazing shrine that is on the other side of the fence from Robbinsdale Women's Health clinic. Mary with her namesake Our Lady of Guadalupe - the patronness of the Americas and also holding Christ in her womb - she appeared to Juan Diego wearing a black sash, which meant that she was pregnant with Jesus! Hence we pray to her to protect LIFE!
This is the sight we beheld as we were led in a super rosary - all 15 decades minus the new Luminous mysteries, and then a chaplet of divine mercy. This home was given to the Coalition of Life to be used to pray for Life! And a group of about 30 or more of us, including two of my daughters with myself, my son in law, Paul, and three of my grandchildren, along with one 7 months old in Nancy's womb... very powerful and "gut renching."
Four year old Mary stood by me repeating "Hail Marys." We had a discussion at home before we left about just what abortion is, and how we are called to fight against it! "Doesn't Jesus love every baby that is in her mother's womb... no matter how small?" Both Simon, 6, and Mary,4, said without hesitation - "Yes."
WE had talked about this hard topic, and both were shocked that some mom's are getting rid of the baby in their womb - some are misled to believe that it is just a "lump of tissue" and not a baby with arms and legs and a beating heart! They both agreed that we need to pray hard and fight to protect LIFE!
Paul with his boys praying... there were graphic posters there on display showing the mangled bodies of aborted babies... we passed them as two men had these just at the side of the gate as the people would pull into the parking lot. Walking past them had been hard for Simon to see, even though we had talked some about how babies are removed from the womb in an abortion.. it is a hard thing for any of us to see, much less young children! You can see that showing these are almost counter productive.... in that it makes us look like crazy radicals, and not those that love the sinner and hate the sin, and closes the minds of those that are doing what they think is the best thing for them under difficult circumstances...abortion
There was also a woman that was standing right by the gate that called out to couples as they were entering the clinic... she held a very large crucifix and I heard her call out to a man at one point..."You are the father of that baby, please protect it and give it life." This was all going on as we stood and prayed- led by an amazing priest with a "radio announcer" voice. 
To me the emotions were running high to be standing between my two oldest daughters on the day that I had given birth to Nancy - 29 years ago. And not only that but she being 7 months pregnant with her first child... There were points where Father would say things about what was going on inside the clinic - at the Scourging at the Pillar - which is the second decade of the sorrowful mysteries and the decade that I say for Nancy - I say a decade of the rosary every day for each of my 5 children... Father said that much like Christ being torn apart by the scourges leading to his death, that the unborn babies were being torn apart by the abortionist's tools of death and torture. Pretty hard to hear! 
I found another profoundly deep place when we were saying the 3rd decade of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy... it is the one where I always lift up my sister, Mary. She died of lymphoma cancer 24 years ago at age 28, and she was Nancy's Godmother! Just all the spiritual elements and the many parts and layers added up to a hugely deep experience of all that goes into life and after life and our need to pray for all those that we have been given! 
Today in mass the readings are about the waters that came forth from Christ's side as the lance pierced his side and the water and the blood came flowing out..."we wait by the waters of Christ's open side from which a river flows that gives life to every living thing." One thing in my discussion with my two young grandchildren about this hard topic...I could tell them that these 50 million babies that have been robbed of their lives since abortion has been legalized... are all with their loving and forgiving Savior, and that he loves every single one of them! They "know" that in their innocence that these "babies" are loved and wanted by Jesus!
Jesus, we are filled with life and the understanding of how precious that it is! We are driven with deep convictions to protect and cherish every life no matter how small. Use us to inform those that are confused and misled. May we never grow lax, but pray with every beat of our hearts and every breath that we take for LIFE! "Wherever the water flows, every sort of creature that can multiply shall live..." Ezekiel 47 We know that you are our life and our love - fill us to overflowing that we may touch all those that we come in contact with - with your Truth! Amen and Halleluia!
Bless-bless, Barb
"There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God,
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed;
God will help it at the break of dawn.
The Lord of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob."
Psalm 46 from mass today
This home was given to the Coalition of Life to be used to pray for Life!
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