Monday, February 13, 2012

Why pray for abortion clinic workers?

I was recently honored to be asked to write a short article fo rthe  St. Joseph Catholic Family Center in Manchester, NH. In particular, she asked me why prolifers should care about people working in abortion clinics. I only had about 250 words to work with, but this is the article. I would love to hear your thoughts.


When I worked at Planned Parenthood and marched in prochoice rallies, I never imagined I would one day be a prolife activist. I believed abortion was not only a right, but a good thing. I didn't know or believe that it was the taking of a life. Why was that? Was it because I buried the pain of my own abortion at age nineteen? Was it because abortion had become inextricably linked in the feminist cause?
              While we can't know for sure why any given individual chooses to work at an abortion clinic, we do know that each one is caught up in an unending web of lies. When everyone around you tells you abortion is a moral choice, even your own family, it is hard to think otherwise.
              It is hard to understand these choices, and sometimes we feel anger, even hatred, toward those participating in abortions. But we must remember them in our prayers, even the doctor performing the abortions. Not because we feel compassion toward them, but because Jesus commands it of us. Remember Mark 2:17: And hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." We don't get to decide who is worthy of our prayers. We pray for the salvation of all souls – all souls, even those that make us feel anger and disgust. For the sake of God’s kingdom, we must pray for them. Somebody was praying for me, and my conversion came. Let us pray for the conversion of all abortion workers and doctors. Jesus expects no less.