Dove of the Holy Spirit (ca. 1660, alabaster, Throne of St. Peter, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Discussion thought of the Day:

 ¹²  Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Matthew 6:12 (MSG)

 ³⁸  And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ ^{39   40}  Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’      Matthew 25:38-40 (MSG) 

 In this life of ours we must expect the Cross. Those who do not expect the Cross are not Christians, and they will be unable to avoid their own “cross”, which will drive them to despair.  (1)

If the atrocities that happened in Dr. Gosnell’s clinic sickened you, this blog may be difficult to read.  Please know that even a I type these words, I am praying specifically for those who will struggle with this.

I think we, as the church, must pray for this man, we must cry out to God that God would bring Dr. Gosnell to repentance, to the very transformation that leads to life.   I say this neither lightly, nor ignoring the horrors that occurred at his direction, at his hands.  I as much as any, struggle with the abortion issue, because of the circumstances of my birth.  If I was born 8-10 years later, society would have approved – heck – would have recommended that I be aborted.   Having now met my birth mother, I am pretty sure she still would not have…yet….

Obviously we need to pray for Dr. Gosnell’s sake that he finds the mercy that can only come through the Holy Spirit circumcising his heart, through the hardness being excised.  It would be a miracle as mind-blowing as any I’ve seen or heard of in my life, a conversion far more incredible than that of Chuck Colson, and perhaps even Dahmer. We cannot let this man go forgotten, we have to realize that sharing the gospel with him, and praying that God would raise up the chaplain who will minister to him in prison, is essential.

But, as we are taught to pray, we need to do it for our sake as well.  We can allow ourselves to be hardened and callous to this man, we cannot just demand justice, ignoring that he too, is a life.   If we do, if we are merciless – then we have turned into the same kind of monster we perceive him to be.

As St. Josemaria tells us – we have to expect this cross, we have to expect to bear the cross of ministering to the greatest of sinners.  We cannot avoid it.

For if we do we fail and despair.  If we do, we will convince ourselves that there is a limit to God’s grace, a limit to His reach, a limit to His ability to grant someone repentance.

And eventually, that limit will find itself growing – leaving more and more in the position of being beyond grace.  Until we find ourselves outside the limit of His grace.

If we determine Gosnell can’t be reached – if we decide his reconciliation is not something we will pray for, bearing that cross,  we will start down a dangerous path.

Dahmer was saved, as were Paul,  as was King David, as are we…

Let’s pray for Dr. Gosnell, and for those involved in the abortion industry, for the victims, for those convinced that it is “okay”, for those who work and advocate for it.

That they would come to know the grace found in the only begotten son of God.

May we find God’s mercy to pray for them, to pray for Him.

Let us pray….

LORD HAVE MERCY!

(1)  Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 2748-2750). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.

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