The evening of June 26-27 saw Wendy Davis’ filibuster and hundreds of pro-abortion advocates clamoring and hollering past midnight in Austin, an effective tantrum that prevented the Texas legislators from voting on a bill that would require abortion facilities to comply with safety and sanitation standards and halt most abortions past twenty weeks. When Governor Perry called a special session for this past Monday and Tuesday, they achieved the first step in getting it passed into law. Through Wednesday, the next step is being fought over, and rightfully so.

“The Church first of all calls us to do everything we can within the law to correct injustices. That is why we must be politically active and utilize our democratic system to change laws that fall short of the very purpose of law.” (Fr. Pavone, This Rock, Mar-Apr 2010).

“Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimize…there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them.” (Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae).

My family and I have watched (and are watching, right now) the proceedings on pins and needles. In a moment of desperation, I asked my husband if we could fly to Austin. He is a calm, rational, polite man, so he did not laugh at me but slowly said, “They probably only want Texans; after all, it’s a state bill.” I said that no one need know but he figured that Texans recognize Texans the way Alaskans recognize Alaskans and reminded me that people need to sign in, which would ruin my ruse. Thwarted, I turned on my homeschooling-mother switch and gathered the children.

I reported the news (civics), pointed to Texas on the globe (geography), reminded them of Church teaching on life (catechism), and ordered groupings of kids to work on “God Bless Texas” posters (art) for display throughout the house. Thus manually and mentally engaged, we prayed, offering up our time and sacred words for those in Austin. Our Faith’s prayers often use the collective pronouns we, us, our, making it easier to remember that we are in this together and that we can help, even four thousand miles away.

 

One day, we recited the joyful Rosary mysteries, breaking up the decades into five little prayer times. Another day, we joined together several times and said the Our Father very slowly, bearing in mind our Texan brothers and sisters bringing light to the darkness of evil because “in the absence of light, everything becomes confused; it is impossible to tell evil from good.” (Pope Francis, Lumen Fidei). One day was a “help, Mother” day and the Hail Mary was heard many times.

So if you, like us, are not in Austin, pray! Check your newsfeed for updates and pray again. Be talkative and type-ative and pray again. May we all shine with the goodness and truth of Jesus in our attempt to clear out the evil. Right now, the fight is in Austin so we pray from far away, God bless Texas!