Prayer for Pro-life Gathering

Transcription

1 Prayer for Pro-life Gathering Almighty Father, we gather here today in repentance, in resolve, and in rejoicing. We gather in repentance, because we, Your people, could long ago have ended child-killing in this nation. We gather in repentance, for so many of Your people rightly call on You to act to save the unborn, but fail to realize that You call them to act to save the unborn. We gather in repentance, for so many of Your people rightly lift up their hands and say "Lord have mercy," but fail to lift a finger to have mercy on the unborn. We gather in repentance, because not one drop of innocent blood is shed upon the land, without every person on the land sharing responsibility for it. We gather, Lord, in resolve. We are resolved to reach our goal, not just to fight abortion, but to end it. We will stop at no sacrifice and count no cost in defending the unborn. We resolve that we will continue to challenge public servants who fail to serve the public yet unborn, and will continue to challenge voters to elect only those who will advance a Culture of Life. Finally, Lord, we gather in rejoicing. We rejoice that You have called us to do pro-life work, not as some "hobby" to be squeezed in when we have time, but as the very heart and soul of our quest for justice in this world. Bless this gathering today, bless our fellowship, and bless this movement. We pray in the saving Name of the Author of Life, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Psalm 25 Confident Prayer for Forgiveness and Guidance To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul, my God, in you I trust; do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me. No one is disgraced who waits for you, but only those who are treacherous without cause. Make known to me your ways, Lord; teach me your paths. Guide me by your fidelity and teach me, for you are God my savior, for you I wait all the day long. Remember your compassion and your mercy, O Lord, mercy, O Lord, for they are ages old. Remember no more the sins of my youth; remember me according to your mercy because of your goodness, Lord.

2 Good and upright is the Lord, therefore he show sinners the way, He guides the humble in righteousness, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth toward those who honor his covenant and decrees. For the sake of your name, Lord, pardon my guilt, though it is great. Who is the one who feats the Lord? God shows him the way he should choose. He will abide in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The counsel of the Lord belongs to those who fear him; who frees my feet from the snare. Look upon me, have pity on me, for I am alone and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart; bring me out of my distress. Look upon my affliction and suffering; take away all my sins. See how many are my enemies, see how fiercely they hate me. Preserve my soul and rescue me; do not let me be disgraced, for in you I seek refuge. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; I wait for you, O Lord. Prayer to God the Son, Redeemer in the Womb Lord Jesus Christ, You took our human nature upon Yourself. You shared our life and death, our childhood and adulthood. You also shared our time in the womb. While still God, while worshiped and adored by the angels, while Almighty and filling every part of the universe, You dwelt for nine months in the womb of Mary. You were our Redeemer in the womb, our God who was a pre-born child. Lord Jesus, we ask You to bless and protect the children who today are in their mothers womb. Save them from the danger of abortion. Give their mothers the grace to sacrifice themselves, in body and soul, for their children. Help all people to recognize in the preborn child a brother, a sister, saved by You, our Redeemer in the womb. Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers, Rather, the law of the Lord is His joy; and on His law He meditates day and night. Psalm 1 True Happiness in God's Law

3 He is like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruits in season; Its leaves never wither; whatever He does prospers. But not so are the wicked, not so! They are like chaff driven by the wind. Therefore the wicked will not arise at the judgment, nor will sinners in the assembly of the just, Because the Lord knows the way of the just, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin. Prayer to God the Holy Spirit, Giver of Life Come Holy Spirit, Creator of all things You who breathed over the waters at the dawn of creation and brought forth all living beings You who filled the apostles when the Risen Lord breathed on them on the first Easter night, giving them the power to restore life to those dead in sin You who, on the last day, will breathe again over all the dead and raise them from the grave Come! Come and breathe on our world again, immersed as it is in the Culture of Death! Come, O Lord and Giver of Life! Defeat the works of death in our midst, that abortion may no longer stain our land. We worship You, O Holy Spirit, and we rejoice in You. We know that no matter how strong the forces of death may be, we can still find in You the endless source of life. Renew that life in each of us, and make us worthy apostles of the Culture of Life in our day! Amen. Leader: Lord, have mercy. All: Christ, have mercy. Leader: Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us. All: Christ, graciously hear us. Litany in Response to Abortion By Fr. Frank Pavone Leader: God the Father, Creator of the world, have mercy on us. RESPONSE: Have mercy on us! God the Son, through whom all things were made, Have mercy on us! God the Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of Life, Lord Jesus, the Beginning and the End, RESPONSE: Have mercy on us! Lord Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Lord Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, Lord Jesus, Eternal Word of Life, Lord Jesus, living in the womb of the Virgin Mary, Lord Jesus, Lover of the poor and weak, Lord Jesus, Defender of the helpless, Lord Jesus, Bread of Life,

4 For every sin against life, For the sin of abortion, For the daily killing of innocent babies, For the bloodshed throughout our land, For the silent screams of Your children, For the killing of Your future disciples, For the exploitation of women by abortion, For the silence of Your people, For the apathy of Your people, For the cooperation of Your people in this tragedy, For our pre-born brothers and sisters killed by abortion, RESPONSE: Lord, hear our prayer. For our pre-born brothers and sisters threatened by abortion, Lord, hear our prayer. For our brothers and sisters who have survived abortion, For mothers who have had abortions, For mothers tempted to have abortions, For mothers pressured to have abortions, For mothers who have refused to have abortions, For the fathers of aborted babies, For the families of aborted babies, For the families of those tempted to have abortions For abortionists, For all who assist and cooperate in abortions, For doctors and nurses, that they may nurture life, For government leaders, that they may defend life, For the clergy, that they may speak up for life, For the pro-life movement, For those who speak, write, and work to end abortion, For those who help provide alternatives to abortion For those who promote adoption, For national and local pro-life groups, For unity in the pro-life movement, For courage and perseverance in pro-life work, For those who suffer ridicule and rejection for their stand for life, For those imprisoned for defending life, For those who have been injured and mistreated for defending life, For legal professionals, For courts and judges, For police officers, For educators, For media professionals, In thanksgiving for the babies saved from abortion, Lord, hear our prayer. In thanksgiving for the mothers saved and healed from abortion, In thanksgiving for the former abortion providers who have become pro-life, In thanksgiving for all those who take a stand against abortion, In thanksgiving for the call to be part of the pro-life movement, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, All: spare us, O Lord.

5 Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, All: graciously hear us, O Lord, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, All: have mercy on us. Let us Pray Almighty and ever-living God, You have created all things through Your Son Jesus Christ. He trampled the power of death by His Paschal Mystery. May all who acknowledge You promote the sacredness of life and always serve You faithfully, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. Psalm 8 Divine Majesty and Human Dignity O Lord, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth! I will sing of your majesty above the heavens with the mouths of babes and infants. You have established a bulwark against your foes, to silence enemy and avenger. When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place What is man that you are mindful of him, and a son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him little less than a god, crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him rule over the works of your hands, put all things at his feet. All sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field. The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth! I thank God today for the gift of my life, And for the lives of my brothers and sisters. Pledge of Re-Commitment I know I am responsible for the unborn who cannot speak for themselves. I know that the most serious tragedy of our day is the tragedy of abortion. Today I commit myself, never to be silent, never to be passive, never to be forgetful of the unborn. I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement

6 And never to stop defending life Until all my brothers and sisters are protected, And our nation once again becomes A nation with liberty and justice Not just for some, but for all. Amen! Prayer to God the Father of all Life Eternal God, You have revealed Yourself as the Father of all Life. We praise You for the Fatherly care which You extend to all creation, and especially to us, made in Your image and likeness. Father, extend Your hand of protection to those threatened by abortion, and save them from its destructive power. Give Your strength to all fathers, that they may never give in to the fears that may tempt them to facilitate abortions. Bless our families and bless our land, that we may have the joy of welcoming and nurturing the life of which You are the source and the Eternal Father. Amen.