Our Saturday started early with a 7:30 a.m. Holy Mass at St. Joseph the Worker Church before gathering to start our procession (march) for life! Our two daughters, Amanda (14) and Clare (11) joined me while mom (Kathy) was at a Marian Conference at another parish in town. The girls were excited about carrying the eight-foot Divine Mercy For America banner, I think this is what gave them the extra energy to get up extra early on a Saturday. The Very Rev. Daniel Flores, bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville, was one of the speakers that shared some important words with us along with his blessing before our walk. He shared with us the importance of maintaining “peace” and placed us in the thought of a “Procession” rather than a “march,” which was perfect because our Procession would take us in front of a pro-abortion clinic that had pro-choice advocates waiting for us before our final stop at Sacred Heart Church.
With over five-hundred gathered, rosaries on hand and banners shining bright with the morning sun we started eastward on our Procession for Life! We prayed the rosary ending right as we approached the abortion clinic. Sure enough, they were waiting for us, a good couple of hundred on all four corners and with plenty of loud instruments, PA’s and signage that only led us to more prayer within our soul.
In my Facebook I posted afterwards: “As I stood SILENTLY holding on to one end of the Divine Mercy For America banner, I listened deeply to the raving chants of the Pro-death people, while in the quietness of my heart I heard the Chaplet to the Divine Mercy being sung by the people praying, as they ascended to heaven by the angels sent in by God to reinforce us, to protect us. GOD always makes his presence known.” And believe me, I am glad that He sends the extra help because these clinics are spiritually dangerous, so approaching Sacramentally Balanced is highly recommended.
After about one-hour of praying by the abortion clinic, we proceeded on our procession with our Bishop and about ten priests thru the busy downtown streets of McAllen in route to Sacred Heart Church. There we ended our walk with a couple more talks and once again with our bishop’s blessing. Afterwards, the girls, our aunt and I headed over to a restaurant at the end of the block and within twenty minutes we found ourselves with forty pro-choice members at other tables and us four in one. The ratio was a clear sign of “much work is still to be done.”
Extremely tired, I looked at my step-counter on my watch and it indicated “5,500 steps.” You could say I just took 5,500 “Steps for Life,” not only me but my girls and my aunt too, so now it was 22,000 Steps for Life! All exhausted, we left all our efforts in the hands of Our Lady of Divine Mercy!!!
Jesus, I Trust in You!
Jose Gamez
McAllen TX
