Each spring, as we prepare for Lent and the 40 Days for Life campaign, I often contemplate the words of our Lord in St. Matthew, “Could you not keep watch with me for one hour?”
His words are, historically, a rebuke to the sleeping disciples. Perhaps many would say that, for this reason alone, the invitation presented by our 40 Days for Life Campaign to pray with us is an echo of the same rebuke, pointed toward a culture infatuated with abortion and consumed by distractions.
These words are also, however, a personal and ongoing invitation to accompany Christ in His suffering, to remain spiritually awake and anchored to both truth and hope, and to choose fidelity even when it is difficult or we are weary. It is in this sense that our Lord’s words serve as a call to action for our Spring 40 Days for Life campaign.
The campaign runs for the duration of Lent – Feb. 18 through March 29 from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. each day. We are seeking to cover 480 hours on the sidewalk outside of the abortion clinic, in prayer and witness. Can you keep watch with us? Can you pray with us, even for just one of those 480 hours?
We will be praying together at the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic located at 3255 E. Main St. While 40 Days for Life is often described as a “prayer vigil,” the local campaign is far more diverse, collaborative and sustained than many people realize. One by one, past 40 Days for Life campaigns have shut down abortion clinics – both locally and internationally. The local campaign supplements the work of year-round sidewalk counseling efforts in Columbus, bringing prayer and witness regardless of the clinic being open.
40 Days for Life is not just an intellectual or spiritual exercise, but an activity that bears tangible fruit for life; we know of nearly a dozen women who turned away from the abortion clinic last year after encountering team members during a campaign. Without our 40 Days for Life, those mothers would have been harmed, and those unborn lives would have been lost.
This spring, anchored in the truth of Christ’s death and the hope of His resurrection, we know we can do even more. You can “Spring” into action with Greater Columbus Right to Life by adopting a day, partial day or hour on the sidewalk to help end abortion by 2033. Individuals, families, schools, churches and other groups are all invited to participate. Often, Respect Life Groups, Knights of Columbus or parishes will “adopt” a full or partial day of work to fill their hours with other volunteers dedicated to the cause of life.
If you have coordinated a day in the past, our scheduler and materials are available online at www.gcrtl.org/40-days-for-life. This year, we will have new materials and opportunities to support you. If you are interested in leading a day or partial day but have never done so – give us a call and we can walk you through everything. If you would simply like to participate on your own or with a friend – the full calendar is also open at the above website, and we are happy to help connect you with others from your parish.
In many ways, the impact of 40 Days for Life is quiet and unseen. It may be a private conversation that plants a seed, a woman who chooses not to enter the facility that day or a simple referral to abortion pill reversal that gives a woman another choice. Often, it is an experience that quietly grows your own faith and sense of purpose. In every case, it is consistent witness to so many in the community – rooted in prayer, personal sacrifice and the conviction that every human life has value.
As we continue to navigate difficult conversations about life, law and conscience in the tumultuous landscape we currently face after the passage of Issue 1, 40 Days for Life remains a steady expression of peaceful, prayerful community engagement for the cause of life. It is a powerful witness of ordinary people willing to show up, one hour at a time. This Lent, will you pray with us for one hour? If so, visit gcrtl.org/40-days-for-life or give us a call at 614-445-8508.