An Unrepentant Heart
“Theresa, you need to accept the possibility that your father may never repent of your abortion.” I will never forget those words said to me by my spiritual director. I had been praying a novena to Our Lady of Czestochowa for years, the patroness of the “Entering Canaan” post abortion ministry I developed with The Sisters of Life.
Coerced into abortion as a teen by my dad, I had made it a daily practice to ask her to change his heart and to bring him to the mercy of her Son. The thought that my dad may never open himself up to the graces being given was something I did not want to accept. I said that prayer everyday for over twenty years.
Forgiving my dad was not easy. I wish I could say he thought he was doing what was best for me when he forced me to abort, but my dad was concerned about the way things looked and I have since learned he was involved in other abortions.
The death of my unborn child altered my entire life and the struggles with abandonment and forgiveness were not easily overcome. Only through my own healing and the grace of God was I able to begin to show my father the mercy and forgiveness that was shown to me by God.
At the end of his life, thankfully, my dad did repent. He went to confession and our last words were me telling him to hug my unborn son when he saw him in heaven. It is a reminder that Christ came to call sinners. That we need to be patient and wait, because we never know how God is working. Yes, there are those who will continue to refuse the mercy of God, but it is our job to keep offering it never knowing if in that last second they will repent.
