Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
“For greater things you were born.” (Ven. Mother Luisita)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 22nd Mk 3:20-21 “When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
January 22, 1973—one of the saddest days in American History!!!
Jesus’ relatives think that he is out of his mind for healing the sick and teaching the Truth. Can we say that is what others think of those who defend life from the womb to the grave?
PART 2: DEFENDING THOSE CHILDREN IN THE WOMB: Let us be the voice of the voice-less!!! By Fr. Ed Broom, OMV
Human life begins at the very moment of conception. Supernaturally, in the moment of conception, God who is the very origin and author of life, infuses in that small human person an immortal soul that will live for all eternity. How sublime this truth!
The Founding Fathers of the United States expressed the concept with brilliant clarity and conviction: “Every human person is endowed with inalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
This being said, it is incumbent upon all of us to make a concerted effort to do all within our means to defend human life, created in the very image and likeness of God. None of us should be on the sidelines as mere passive spectators; rather, we should be active participants, enthusiastically engaged in defending human life from the moment of conception up to natural death. Indeed, it is God who gives life and only He has the right to end life. The Book of Job reiterates this assertion: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I return to the earth; the Lord gives and the Lord takes away: blessed be the name of the Lord.”
We are people of life and therefore we would like to offer practical steps, action items, that we can undertake to foster love and respect for life. May Our Lady and Saint Elizabeth—in the Mystery of the Visitation—intercede for us to follow their YES to life and bring Joy to the very Heart of God, to Jesus who said: I am the Way, the Truth, and the LIFE!!!
Therefore, let us engage ourselves, choosing at least one activity, so as to promote the Pro-Life Movement and be the voice of the unborn child who cannot speak for themself. Indeed, we must be their voice!
1. STUDY THE ISSUE. It is incumbent upon us, with respect to the topic of abortion, to constantly study the moral issue of abortion. We would highly recommend the incredible Pro-life website: Priestsforlife.org. This website is excellent and offers endless activities, as well as tons of information on the topic of abortion: Biblical verses to defend the unborn child, statistics of the numbers of abortions, graphic photos to wake us up, political information so as to form our conscience on how to vote, testimonials or witnesses of those who have had abortions and been converted, Pro-life marches and activities, emergency numbers to call for those who are considering having an abortion, as well as information on P.A.S—the Post Abortion Syndrome and what steps to take to undergo the process of healing, and much more!
2. PRO-LIFE BUMPER STICKERS. You would be surprised how many people on the freeways or roadways may glance at your Pro-life bumper sticker. Many people have not decided firmly on the issue of abortion. Who knows, upon driving and seeing a catchy sticker: It’s a child, not a choice, or Abortion stops a beating heart—some undecided individuals might choose to stand under the Pro-life banner! It can be a silent but efficacious means of preaching the Pro-life Gospel.
3. TEEN-EDUCATION ON CHASTITY. An indirect but efficacious means of fighting against the abominable crime of abortion is to educate our young people on the virtue of chastity. We must teach our teens and young adults that there is a proper use of human sexuality and that is only in the context of a husband and wife united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. In other words, many abortions are carried out by teens not wanting the child or encouraged by adults to eliminate the child before they are born!
4. VOTING: PRO-LIFE. We should all cultivate a Christian-moral mentality upon which to base our voting. As a fundamental guide we should always take into account what are termed the Non-negotiables—this means that these are always intrinsically evil, by their very nature and essence. They are the following: Abortion (1st), Contraception, Practice of Homosexuality, Euthanasia, and Embryonic experimentation. In other words, before casting your vote, try to find a candidate who rejects what we call the Non-negotiables!
5. MARCH FOR LIFE. In Washington, D.C., as well as many other cities throughout the country, usually close to the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade (Jan 22nd), there are marches. These marches are public manifestations of the Pro-life cause, as well as the intrinsic evil of abortion—the killing of innocent, unborn children. Lend your support!
6. SPEAK UP! In conversation, when the topic of abortion surfaces do not be afraid to speak up! A famous writer warns us of the sin of negligence or omission with these cutting words: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” The unborn child cannot defend themself; they cannot speak for themself. Therefore, you have to be the voice of the unborn child in the womb of their mother. How many unborn babies have been saved due to valiant Christian defenders of life who had the courage to speak up!
7. USE OF THE ULTRASOUND. Another powerful, modern technological means that has proved to be very efficacious is the use of the Ultrasound. A pregnant woman viewing her little baby within her womb moving, yawning, stretching, sucking their thumb and scratching their little nose, can undoubtedly touch and move the most hardened of hearts to opt for having the child! (Read the life-story and conversion of Doctor Bernard Nathanson!)
8. PROMOTE PRO-LIFE MOVIES. Undoubtedly, the viewing of a powerful Pro-life movie can impress images and ideas on our minds to foster the Pro-life movement and cause to the max. If it is true that a picture is worth more than 1000 words, then what about a movie filled with countless pictures, images, and impacting scenes??? Some suggestions: The Silent Scream, Bella, October Baby, and in Spanish Madre, quiero vivir. More recently, Gosnell (2018) and Unplanned (2019). Bring together groups to view one or more of these movies, and then discuss its content. Better yet, ask your Pastor to have a movie night, age-appropriate, to view one or more of these movies!
9. SIDEWALK COUNSELING AND PRAYER. Needless to say, Sidewalk Counseling and Prayer are highly recommended to promote the Pro-Life cause. Those with sufficient training can strive to talk to the women walking into the abortion-mill and try to convince them to have the child. Others can simply pray many Rosaries in front of the abortion-clinic trusting in the power of God’s grace and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
10. PRAYER, PENANCE, AND MASS. Of course, the most powerful weapons that we have in our arsenal are those of prayer, penance, and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass! The Hail Mary, better yet the Rosary, is a powerful Pro-life prayer in which we call upon Mary, her Yes to God and the sacredness of her womb that brought Jesus into the world for our salvation: “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.” However the most powerful prayer, of course, is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In this prayer, the Sacrament and Sacrifice of Calvary are renewed, the Blood of the innocent Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world can be offered in reparation for the innocent blood of so many babies shed in the past 45 years—close to 60 million!!! Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! Participating in Holy Mass and receiving Holy Communion in reparation for the sins of abortion, as well as prevention for future sins of abortion, is very pleasing to God.
Let us end with some of the best Pro-life quotes for your meditation and encouragement to become more actively engaged in defending unborn children who cannot speak for themselves, much less defend themselves.
“I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.” (Ronald Reagan)
“A person is a person no matter how small.” (Dr. Seuss)
“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” (Lord of the Rings movie)
“The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.” (Thomas Jefferson)
“How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers.” (Unknown)
“This is a debate about our understanding of human dignity, what it means to be a member of the human family, even though tiny, powerless and unwanted.” (Henry Hyde)
“It seems to me as clear as daylight that abortion would be a crime.” (Gandhi)
“We’re all human, aren’t we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving.” (J.K. Rowling)
“The right to life is the first among human rights.” (Pope Francis)
“Being pregnant was very much like falling in love. You are so open. You are so overjoyed. There’s no words that can express having a baby growing inside you; of course, you want to scream out and tell everyone.” (Beyoncé)
She said that hearing her unborn baby’s heartbeat was “the most beautiful music I ever heard in my life.” (unknown)
“The fight for the right to life is not the cause of a special few, but the cause of every man, woman, and child who cares not only about his or her own family, but the whole family of man.” (Dr. Mildred Jefferson)
“I do not believe the promises of the Declaration of Independence are just for the strong, the independent, the healthy. They are for everyone—including the unborn children.” (George W. Bush)
(Taken from LIfeNews.com. 13 of the greatest quotes of all time.)
