A 'prayer chain,' for 'Pro-Life Reflections for Every Day'

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 2, 2019

January 2

"When you have a reception, invite beggars and the crippled, the lame and the blind. You should be pleased that they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid in the resurrection of the just." – Lk. 14:13-14
Reflection: Jesus calls us to the purest form of love, that is, love of those who cannot repay us. The unborn children, whose lives we seek to protect, cannot repay us and do not even know we are fighting for them. Pro-life work is motivated by pure love.
Prayer: Lord, increase my love for the children in the womb, who cannot acknowledge or repay me. May you be my only reward. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 3, 2019

January 3

"Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." – Lk. 14:27
Reflection: To stand up for what is right means we stand against what is wrong, and that means that those who love what is wrong will oppose us, just as they opposed Christ. Taking up the cross means we continue speaking and standing for the right even when that opposition comes.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the grace of being pro-life, and of standing strong when others may ridicule or oppose me. May your peace fill my soul, and may I become more like your crucified and risen Son.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 4, 2019

January 4

"We need now more than ever to have the courage to look the truth in the eye and to call things by their proper name , without yielding to convenient compromises or to the temptation of self-deception." (Evangelium Vitae, 58)
Reflection: Some call abortion “termination of pregnancy.”
But so is birth.
The fact is that every pregnancy terminates. The issue is how. Abortion supporters are simply masking an act of violence with their language.
It’s like a man killing his wife and saying, “I terminated our marriage.”
Prayer: Spirit of truth, keep us free from the power of deception. Give us clear minds to know truth, and courageous tongues to speak it. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 5, 2019

January 5

“The height of arbitrariness and injustice is reached when certain people… arrogate to themselves the power to decide who ought to live and who ought to die” – Evangelium Vitae, 66.
Reflection: When people ask me about the right to die, I say, Don’t worry – you won’t miss out on it. A right is a moral claim. We do not have a claim on death; it has a claim on us! It is our duty to surround our dying brothers and sisters with all the love and care we can.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you conquered the power of death. May we seek freedom from its power only in you! Amen!

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 6, 2019

January 6

"Take this and eat; this is my body" (Matthew 26:26).
Reflection: Supporters of abortion say, “This is my body, I can do what I want.” Jesus says, “This is my body, given up for you.” The same words are spoken from opposite ends of the universe, with totally opposite results. Let us resolve to live those words as Jesus did, giving ourselves away for the good of others, born and unborn.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for my body, my life and my freedom. May all of us understand the purpose of these gifts: to freely give ourselves away in love just as you did. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 7, 2019

January 7

"I would now like to say a special word to women who have had an abortion… Do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope." – John Paul II, The Gospel of Life, n.99.
Reflection: The God of Life is a God of Mercy. The pro-life movement rejects abortion, but does not reject those who have abortions. Rather, it embraces them with love and mercy, and invites them to the forgiveness and peace of Christ.
Prayer: Lord, I pray for all those who have had abortions. Through the compassion of those around them, make them confident that they can turn to you for forgiveness, and grant them your peace. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 8, 2019

January 8

"A consistent ethic of life…far from …equating all issues touching on the dignity of human life—recognizes instead the distinctive character of each issue while giving each its proper place within a coherent moral vision " – US Bishops’ Pastoral Plan for Pro-life Activities, 2001
Reflection: There is a big difference between abortion on the one hand, and war and capital punishment on the other. The fundamental pro-life principle is that we never target the innocent. War and capital punishment are never justified if they do, whereas abortion is never successful if it doesn’t.
Prayer: Lord, give us a consistent respect for every life and a proper understanding of every life issue. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 9, 2019

January 9

"People brought children to him so that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them. For it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs’" (Matthew 19:14).
Reflection: The apostles mistakenly thought that Jesus didn’t have time for the children, that they were not important enough for his attention, that they were a distraction from his mission. Instead, Jesus indicates they are at the heart of his mission.
Prayer: Lord, the kingdom belongs to children. Grant that we may treat them accordingly. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 10, 2019

January 10

"They mingled with the nations and adopted their practices… They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, polluting the land with their blood" (Psalm 106:35, 37-38).
Reflection: The killing of children is especially condemned by God through the prophets. In the land God gave his people to occupy, foreign nations had the custom of sacrificing some of their children in fire. God told His people that they were not to share in this sin. Sadly, however, they did so.
Prayer: Have mercy on us, Lord, and save us from the idolatry of death. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 11, 2019

January 11

"Give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace" (John Paul II, to those who have had abortions…Evangelium Vitae, 99).
Reflection: Every day, around the world, men and women who have lost children to abortion gather for Rachel’s Vineyard retreats, which provide an opportunity to face the wounds of abortion in a safe, affirming environment of prayer and the support of others who have been through the same experience.
Prayer: Lord, be with all those who are going through healing after abortion, and bring them quickly to your peace. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 12, 2019

January 12

"God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:26)
Reflection: It is only of God that the word “create” is used, because only he is the one who can bring life out of nothing. The sanctity of life has its root in the unique relationship that human beings have with their Creator. Life is sacred because it comes from God, belongs to God, and returns to God.
Prayer: Thank you, Father of Life, for creating me. Thank you for creating every human being, born and unborn, healthy and sick. Thank you for life. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 13, 2019

January 13

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." (Genesis 3:15)
Reflection: Life is victorious over death. This is one of Scripture’s most basic themes. The victory of life is foretold in the promise that the head of the serpent, through whom death entered the world, would be crushed. The promise is fulfilled when a mother, Mary, gives birth to a child, Christ, who destroys death.
Prayer: Lord, I renew my confidence today that your promise to us will continue to be fulfilled as your Kingdom of Life grows in the world. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 14, 2019

January 14

"Two blind men…shouted, ‘Lord, Son of David, take pity on us.’ The crowd rebuked them and told them to be silent…Jesus stopped and called them, saying, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’" (Matthew 20:30-32).
Reflection: Jesus always broke through the false levels of privilege that people around him set up. Somehow the crowd thought the blind men weren’t worth Jesus’ attention. They were just a nuisance, and so the crowd told them to keep quiet. But Jesus gave them his attention and care.
Prayer: Lord, in our day, too, you teach us to see beyond appearances, prejudices, and false distinctions. Help us care for every life, born and unborn. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 15, 2019

January 15

"In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
Reflection: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., fought for the equal dignity of every human life. “If we are to have peace on earth,” he wrote, “we must be concerned about…the sacredness of all human life. Man is a child of God, made in his image, and must be respected as such.” When we truly believe this, he continued, “we won’t kill anybody.” Many who knew Dr. King assert that he would be with us in the pro-life movement today.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the privilege of being part of the civil rights movement of today, the pro-life movement. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 16, 2019

January 16

"They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony" (Revelation 12:11).
Reflection: At the March for Life in Washington, women who have had abortions lead the way. They are the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. They march at the very beginning of the immense crowd, and carry signs that say “I Regret My Abortion.” Then, in the late afternoon, they gather at the steps of the Supreme Court, and share their testimonies one by one. Fathers of aborted babies are also there, with signs saying, “I Regret Lost Fatherhood.”
Prayer: Lord, bless these courageous men and women, and thank you for their powerful witness. Amen

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 17, 2019

January 17

"Stand firm and immovable, devoting yourselves completely to the work of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Reflection: An 11-year old girl wrote recently: “My mother and I are taking a bus and will be coming to the March for Life. My teacher said that I will receive 0’s on any work that I miss and it can’t be made up. I told her missing a day at school in order to stand up for life is more important and I’m willing to suffer the consequences.”
Prayer: Lord, may we imitate this young girl’s willingness to sacrifice for the cause of life! Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 18, 2019

January 18
"Many Christians from all Communities … are jointly involved in bold projects aimed at changing the world by inculcating respect for the rights and needs of everyone, especially … the defenseless " (John Paul II, "Ut Unum Sint).
Reflection: From January 18 to the 25th, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is observed by many denominations. All Christians, by definition, acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior of the world. That affirmation of Christ requires that we work to fight injustice. The pro-life movement continues to be the arena where these efforts are most visible and valuable.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, may we be one, as you and your Father are one. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 19, 2019

January 19

"I will praise your name, O Lord … for you have rescued me" (Psalm 54:8-9).
Reflection: Norma McCorvey, the plaintiff in the Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion throughout pregnancy, agreed to let her name be used in a case she hardly understood. She agreed to lie about how she became pregnant so that the case would have a better chance. She never did have the abortion. Eventually, she spoke out publicly at pro-abortion events, and even worked in an abortion mill. Now, she is completely pro-life and works to end abortion.
Prayer: Lord, I thank you for Norma’s conversion, a sign of hope for our culture. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 20, 2019

January 20

"Put an end to the malice of the wicked but continue to sustain the righteous" (Psalm 7:10).
Reflection: Doe v. Bolton is the Supreme Court’s companion case to Roe v. Wade, issued on the same day, January 22, 1973. It expanded the definition of health so widely that no abortion could be prohibited in practice. The plaintiff in Doe, Sandra Cano, was always against abortion, and was deceived into participating in this case. She worked until the end of her life to get this decision reversed.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the example of Sandra, and of all who work for the reversal of these disastrous decisions of our Court. Amen.

IsaiahSpirit · Jan 21, 2019

January 21

"In the Lord your labor is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Reflection: Every January tens of thousands of Americans participate in the annual March for Life in Washington, DC, or the annual West Coast Walk for Life in San Francisco. These are events which not only give public witness to the fact that most Americans want to see unborn children protected, but enable all the pro-life people who participate to be renewed and strengthened in their convictions and determination to work for that protection.
Prayer: Lord, bless all those who will march this year for life, and the many more who labor for life in their own communities. Amen.

A 'prayer chain,' for 'Pro-Life Reflections for Every Day'

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