May 26, 2009
Dear Missionary of the Gospel of Life: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1.8). This Promise, especially fulfilled at Pentecost, was true for His first disciples and is still a gift for His Church today.
As we near the Feast of Pentecost, I
invite you to make some time to reflect on the Third Person of
the Trinity and to encounter Him intimately and in power. The
work of witnessing for Jesus and the Gospel of Life has its
origin, continuance, and completion in the power and grace of
the Holy Spirit. Let us also reflect on the working of the Holy Spirit by reading some of Fr. Frank's writings such as, The Holy Spirit and Abortion: www.priestsforlife.org/brochures/spiritandabortion.htm. The following excerpts should give us good reason to read this article in its entirety: “‘We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life.’ Christians pray these words each Sunday as they worship God in churches throughout the world. At the same time, the life which the Holy Spirit gives is being attacked and destroyed by abortion. In the United States alone, some 4000 children are legally killed each day by this surgical procedure.” “For a people filled with the Spirit, this is a tragedy that cannot possibly be ignored. Nor can we doubt for a moment that the Spirit who gives life will also give us all we need to defend it.” “The same Holy Spirit who created the universe, descended upon the womb of Mary, came as tongues of fire at Pentecost, and leads the Church on her mission, is the One who calls and equips us for our pro-life work. Let us not lack for a moment the confidence and the joy which come from Him, and which impel us to build a Culture of Life.” You may also hear Fr. Frank’s inspiring homilies and teachings on the Holy Spirit: www.priestsforlife.org/audio/holyspirit.htm. The number of fully Professed and Spirit-filled Missionaries of the Gospel of Life is increasing. Since May began, we have had 6 Promise Ceremonies, as several of our MEV made their Promises to God and to Fr. Pavone or other priests, to spend the rest of their lives doing all in their power to defend and promote human life! Juliana, Genevieve, Margaret, Pat, Lana, and Michelle have individually made their Promises and can now use the initials "M.E.V." next to their names. They represent our latest Professed Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, who now total 103! On June 20, Fr. Pavone is willing to hold a Promise Ceremony at the National Right to Life Conference in Charlotte, NC, and on July 10, Fr. Pavone will be receiving the Promises of several Missionaries at the Rachel's Vineyard Conference in Malvern, PA. If any of you have been registered as Missionaries for at least 10 months and if you are willing to work very hard to complete your Assessment Form (www.priestsforlife.org/missionary/lay-assessment-form.pdf), and request that your pastor promptly complete his Recommendation Form for you, it is still possible that you could make your Promises to Fr. Pavone at this NRL or Rachel's Vineyard Conference!
We are also happy to work with you in
scheduling a “Promise Ceremony” in your local area. Please reply
today and let us know how we may assist you in participating in
a national or local ceremony. Please mark your calendars for the next NATIONAL MEV TELECONFERENCE/WEBCAST on Thursday, June 25, beginning at 9PM Eastern Time. You will be receiving more information on this National Life Cell gathering. May your prayer and study of the Holy Spirit lead to deeper conversion, intimacy with God and a heavenly fire that burns with missionary zeal for the Gospel of Life.
Jim Pinto, Jr. M.E.V.
Have you made your MEV Promises?
www.priestsforlife.org/missionary/08-12-29eletter.htm |