9 Days for Life: Day Four: May expectant fathers lovingly support the mothers of their children in welcoming new life
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Table of Contents
9 Days for Life
Today’s Intention: May expectant fathers lovingly support the mothers of their children in welcoming new life.
Prayers
Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be
Reflection
Today, we mourn the many children’s lives ended by abortion and remember in prayer those who suffer the aftermath. We pray that children in their mothers’ wombs would again be protected in law and do penance in reparation for abortions that have been committed in our world.
In his encyclical Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life), Pope John Paul II said, “may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer” (EV 100). May that prayer arise in our hearts today and each day forward until every human being is protected in law and welcomed in love.
Acts of Reparation
(Choose one.)
- Fast from one meal today.
- Offer this brief “Prayer for Life” for all unborn children whose lives are at risk.
Father and maker of all,
you adorn all creation
with splendor and beauty,
and fashion human lives
in your image and likeness.
Awaken in every heart
reverence for the work of your hands,
and renew among your people
a readiness to nurture and sustain
your precious gift of life.
Grant this through our Lord
Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in
the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever.
Amen
- Offer some other sacrifice, prayer, or act of penance that you feel called to do for today’s intention.
One Step Further
More women and girls consider abortion than we may realize. They are our relatives and friends, people who work with us or for us. Even if someone identifies as being pro-life, the shock of an unexpected pregnancy, the devastation of a difficult prenatal diagnosis, shame, pressures, or fears may influence her to consider abortion.
If someone shared with you that she was pregnant and hadn’t ruled out having an abortion, would you know how to respond in a loving way that is life-affirming for both her and her baby? Learn about the four steps of the L.O.V.E. Approach™*: Listen and Learn, Open Options, Vision and Value, and Extend and Empower.
*The L.O.V.E. Approach™ is trademarked by Heartbeat International, Inc. and may not be adapted or modified. The L.O.V.E. Approach™ is used in “What to Do When a Friend Is Considering Abortion” with permission from Heartbeat International, Inc.
Did You Know?
“In all the Dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 373).
More Information: usccb.org/january-22
You Can Pray Each Day
We have nine days of prayer, which is the basic format for any novena. The term novena refers to 9 days, and is a way to recreate the experience of prayer that occurred in the Upper Room between the Ascension of Jesus into heaven, and today. As the apostles and Mary were in the Upper Room, they prayed each day in waiting for the Spirit of God to move, which, of course, we celebrate at Pentecost. Each day we will post an additional novena prayer.
Day One: May the tragic practice of abortion end.
Day Three: May all who defend life find strength and renewal in the Holy Spirit.
Day Four: May all unborn children be protected in law and welcomed in love.
Day Five: May all who support or participate in abortion experience a conversion of heart to seek and receive the Lord’s boundless mercy.
Day Six: May every expectant mother receive compassionate care and support as she nurtures the life in her womb.
Day Seven: May expectant fathers lovingly support the mothers of their children in welcoming new life.
Day Eight: May expectant mothers choosing adoption receive grace and support in embracing this loving option.
Day Nine: May civic leaders work for the protection of all human life, in every stage and circumstance.
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