When we are asked to take a candle with the words “Choose Life” on it and burn it on our porches, it is not a voter’s ballot, nor is it a political statement.  By lighting a candle we are not taking a woman’s “right to choose” away from her.  After all God gives us all freedom of choice in hopes that we will willingly choose Him and His will for us. The candle is a prayer raised to Heaven that affirms our faith in God the author and creator of all life.  No one can create life other than God. AND God doesn’t say of any of his creatures “That one was a mistake”. When we light a candle, it is a prayer of intercession so that those who do have to make a difficult choice will choose what pleases God. We pray for the loving choice that will not result in death for anyone including the fetus. We pray for the loving choice, a choice that Jesus himself would tell us to make if we go to him and ask.   When we light the candle, we are asking God’s love to radiate through us and to heal those wounded by death in is many forms. We pray for a society that offers many loving options to people facing such dilemmas.

 So don’t be afraid to pray for life.  In Ann Arbor, an abortionist just shut down his clinic because of many Catholics who were worried for his soul.  In one meeting with him, a week after one of many prayer vigils held outside of his clinic, he voiced concern about his own soul, and he thanked them for praying for him. Shortly after that, the clinic was abandoned with everything left in it. He had heard God’s voice and responded.  He chose life after many years of choosing death. Praise be to God!