“Life from conception. No exception!” This was the slogan of  the UK March For Life on May 20th in Birmingham.  A joyful celebration of life that I had the pleasure to attend.

 

It was a Saturday morning like no other. My first march for life in the UK was a unique experience of grace and perseverance in the Lord’s name.

 

Thousands of fellow pro-lifers, from different parts of the UK and Europe, gathered in Birmingham’s Victoria Square to share the Truth in Love. We were there to declare the value of every life. We were there to witness that Life was, is, and will always be a fundamental  value.

 

However, not everyone welcomed our message. Many protestors tried to obstruct our event.  Heavy rain also challenged our strengths throughout the day. But, in those moments the Grace of God worked in the heart of every attendee.

 

 

Thousands of pro-lifers heard the call to endure inevitable hardships.

 

Thousands of pro-lifers heard the call to be the “light and salt” of the Earth.

 

For this reason,thousands of pro-lifers

knelt together to pray for

their opponents and for

the conversion of their

hearts.

 

 

 

Our calling to stand for the sanctity of life, indeed, is a seed that He has put in our hearts.

A seed that grows through the suffering of many crosses.

A seed that calls us to “stand up” and to embrace Pope St John Paul II’s message:

 

And so, we will stand up every time that human life is threatened. When the sacredness of life before birth is attacked, we will stand up and proclaim that no one ever has the authority to destroy unborn life. When a child is described as a burden or is looked upon only as a means to satisfy an emotional need, we will stand up and insist that every child is a unique and unrepeatable gift of God, with the right to a loving and united family.”(Pope St John Paul II, Mass at Capitol Hill, Washington DC, 7 October 1979).

 

Let us spread this Message with joy!