"The Lord is the Judge of the nations’" (Psalm 7:9)
Reflection: On January 22, 1973, the most disastrous decision of the US Supreme Court was handed down – the decision called Roe vs. Wade, that legalized abortion. Today, in Churches and on public streets all over America, people of all ethnic backgrounds and all faiths are praying and protesting that decision, and recommitting themselves to the pro-life movement. Prayer: Lord, I unite myself today with all my brothers and sisters in this great pro-life cause. I reaffirm my hope that the day will come when protection will be restored to the unborn and we will all rejoice in the gift of life. Amen.
"I will grant them the safety for which they long" (Psalm 12:6).
Reflection: Dr. Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King, Jr., serves was marching at the annual March for life, and was asked, “Does this remind you of the civil rights movement and the marches with your uncle?” Her response was, “This is the civil rights movement.” The message of Martin Luther King was not just about the equality of our black brothers and sisters; it was about the equality of all our brothers and sisters. Civil rights begin with the right to life. Prayer: Defend your people, O God, and protect the rights you have given to them all. Amen.
"The disciples asked, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Then Jesus beckoned a child to come to him, placed it in their midst, and said, ‘Amen, I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven’" (Matthew 18:1-3).
Reflection: It is an understatement to say that children are loved by God or important to him. They are central, and they exemplify certain virtues and attitudes God wants us to have. Prayer: Holy Spirit, keep our minds clear about who is most important, and keep our hearts focused on the children, that we may learn from them. Amen.
"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" (Acts 9:4)
Reflection: January 25, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, concludes the week of prayer for Christian Unity. The Church prays that the whole world may convert to Christ, upon seeing strong unity among his followers. Christian Unity is not about pretending that there are no differences between denominations, but rather it is about recognizing and building on what we hold in common. The pro-life movement continues to be one of the most powerful practical ways that Christians are coming together. Prayer: Lord, we praise you for the conversions taking place each day. Bring the world to unity in you. Amen.
"I do ask you to protect them from the evil one" (John 17:15).
Reflection: If you are wrong on abortion, you can’t be right on other issues.
To permit abortion, but then to cry out for the right to work, housing, education, health care, and so forth, is to say that these other rights belong to some people but not to all. They obviously do not belong to those who were snuffed out by abortion. Prayer: Lord, protect your people in all of their rights. Preserve the goods you have given us, and help us to protect one another, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
"Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" – Ex.4:11
Reflection: God does not make mistakes. When a human being is alive, it is because God wants him or her to be alive. People do not have to measure up to our standards or expectations in order to have dignity and deserve protection. Prayer: Lord, I pray for all those who are disabled, frail, and ill. Give them your strength and peace, and give us the eyes to see their dignity and value. Amen.
"Life, especially human life, belongs only to God: for this reason whoever attacks human life, in some way attacks God himself." – John Paul II, The Gospel of Life, n.9.
Reflection: No human being can own another, not even one’s own child. God entrusts us to the care of one another, but he alone remains the owner of human life. That’s why we cannot throw it away, no matter how small, frail, or inconvenient it may sometimes be. Prayer: Lord, may all people acknowledge you as the only master of human life. May those who defend life understand that they are not only defending their brothers and sisters, but are also defending you! Amen.
"Dear children, keep away from idols" (1 John 5:21).
Reflection: Ginette Paris wrote a book called “The Sacrament of Abortion.” She claims that abortion is a sacred ritual sacrifice to the goddess Artemis. As patroness of animals and of hunters, Artemis represents the ability to both protect and kill. The so-called right to abortion means that the mother can give either life or death to her child. Prayer: Lord, free your people from the deception of idolatry, witchcraft, and false worship, which threaten not only our relationship with you, but the lives of others. Preserve us in true worship and effective justice. Amen.
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"On seeng what had taken place, the Centurion praise God and said,
'Surely this man was innocent." (Luke 23:47).
Reflection: When Jesus died on the Cross, the Centurion repented for his part.
Many who used to perform abortions have no also repented, and they say, “Surely, these were innocent lives, and we are sorry.” They have formed a group called the Society of Centurions. They seek God’s healing and invite other abortionists to stop the killing. Prayer: Lord, We pray today for the Centurions. Help them to find Your healing and peace. Amen.
“Remember, of these parents you were born; what can you give them for all they gave you?” (Sirach 7:28) Reflection: Some fathers are now beginning to claim the same kind of “right” to walk away from their parental responsibilities as mothers are able to do by abortion. They ask, if we can’t force the mother to be a mother, why should we force the father to be a father? The bitter fruits of Roe v Wade continue to unfold. Prayer: Lord, instill in all fathers and mothers a deep sense of responsibility for their children, born and unborn. Give them joy in giving of themselves to their children. Amen.
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Cor. 3:17)
Reflection: A teenager in Oregon went to a legal clinic for an abortion. When she tried leave a waiting room in order to get more information about the procedure, she found that the door to the room was locked from the outside! She never got her questions answered, nor was she told about the risks of abortion. She sued the clinic and won. Prayer: Lord, the spirit of abortion is a spirit of slavery. Let Your freedom shine forth, bringing truth, strength to do what is right, and the triumph of life. Amen.
"Be fruitful and increase in number." (2 Cor. 3:17)
Reflection: God Himself is fruitful. Love always overflows into life. By commanding us as a human family to be fruitful, God is commanding us to be like Him.
He wants us to share the joy He has of giving new life. God’s Word counts fertility as a great blessing and sign of His favor. Prayer: Lord, thank You for the gift of fertility. Help those who are trying to conceive. Give them the blessing of new life. Amen.
"He will judge the world with justice and the nations with equity." (Psalm 96:13)
Reflection: Some abortion advocates oppose “litmus tests” for judges. But if a judge had written an opinion in a law review about why women should not have the right to vote, wouldn’t that be enough to disqualify him from being confirmed? The fact is that we use litmus tests all the time, because certain lines should never be crossed. The killing of children by abortion is one of them. Prayer: Lord, Judge of all, give wisdom to those entrusted with the task of human judgment, and let those who select them be guided by Your righteousness. Amen.
"I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want; rather I do what I hate."(Romans 7:15)
Reflection: Abortion advocates say we should “trust” women. Are we then t simple trust that people won’t lie, cheat, run red lights, or rob a local store?
At times, people do not respect the rights of others. That is why laws exist. Prayer: Lord, with St. Paul, I ackowledge that I am inclined to sin despite my best intentions. Help us as we struggle against evil. Amen.
"We are all his children." (Acts 17:28)
Reflection: Abortion has killed children who may have been great scientists, doctors, inventors, and Presidents. Yet every life taken by abortion is equally valuable. People do no derive their value from how productive or famous they are or may become. The most hidden, obscure, and humble life has as much intrinsic value, and as many human rights, as the most notable personalities in history. Prayer: Lord, I cannot begin to imagine the plans you had for each aborted child. May we realize more deeply the value of each one of them, even the most humble and forgotten. Amen.
"LORD, open my lips…" - from Psalm 51:17
Reflection: If you were stranded on a desert island, and had a pen, paper, and a bottle the note you could write and put in that bottle could save your life. Before sealing it and throwing it i the sea, you would make sure that you put your very best effort behind what you said.
So it is with conversations you have [regarding sacredness of life and] abortion. Some day they may save a life or [a soul]. Conduct them well. Prayer: Give me confindence, OLord, at every moment in which I will need to speak on this topic. Open my lips that I may save lives. Amen.
"They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind." - from Hosea 8:7
Reflection: There is not a single social problem that abortion has solved; every problem its advocates once said it would solve is worse today than on the day abortion became legal.
Tens of millions of children have been [murdered] since [Lenin in Russia around 1920 and] in America since 1973. How many more have to be killed before we realize that abortion doesn’t fix society’s ills? Prayer: LORD, save us from false hopes and deceptive remedies. Only in the paths You point out for us can we find wholeness and salvation. Amen.
"From my mother’s womb, you have been my God." (Psalm 22:11)
Reflection: Abortion supporters sometimes ask, “Why don’t you focus on caring for people who are already alive?”
But if children in the womb are not already alive, why does it take an abortion procedure to kill them? When we speak about unborn children, we are not speaking about “possible” children; we are speaking about real children who are already quite alive. Prayer: Father, open our eyes to recognize our brothers and sisters in every place where they live, including in their mothers’ womb. Open our hearts to love them as you do. Amen.
"INDEED everyone is “his brother’s keeper,” for God has committed human beings to each other’s care. - The Gospel of Life, 19
Reflection: Some people think that because men cannot get pregnant, they have no right to say anything about abortion.
But any human being, male or female, has the right and duty to speak up when someone’s life is in danger, and do something to defend these children. Prayer: Lord, thank You for entrusting to me to my brothers and sisters in the human family, and for entrusting them to me. Keep us all faithful to this call. Amen.
"Whatever authorities exist have been instituted by God." (Romans 13:1)
Reflection: Some people say that the solution to the abortion problem is to change people’s hearts. In fact, changing people’s hearts is the solution to every problem that the world faces.
But that doesn’t mean that we don’t have laws. The fact is that while there are people around whose hearts are not in the right place, there have to be laws to restrain their heartless activities. Prayer: Father, I thank you today for law and for lawmakers. As you guide and convert our hearts, make them also obedient to authority, and make authority obedient to your law. Amen.
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riestsforlife(dot)org/pro-life-reflections/