Sisters of LifeThe pregnant woman who does not want to be a mother is already a mother".Amy Sinclair: "History will judge us for the barbarity of abortion".Isabel Vaughan-Spruce: "The damage abortion inflicts on women alone should be enough to make us pro-life".We all know that when we believe, everything is possible, and that "...faith is the certainty of what is hoped for, the conviction of what is not seen".
We are approaching another "March for Life" and pro-lifers are preparing to gather in D.C. On Jan. 19, Catholics across the country can join together and pray a "Nine Days for Life" novena that begins Jan. 16 and concludes on Wednesday, Jan. 24 to begin another year of work, defense and celebrations for the gift of life.
Participants can "access the novena and also subscribe to receive the daily prayers by email or text message in English or Spanish," as noted on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
Since its inception, the Ninth has reached hundreds of thousands of people in over one hundred countries and six continents, which is impressive, but the war is not over, so let's strive to reach a million more people. The intention is to end abortion, but to end it, we must eradicate it from subconscious and conscious minds. And education and being informed is essential to defend the unborn.
Fortunately, each daily prayer intention is accompanied by a reflection, "educational information and suggestions for daily actions." A resource kit is also available, along with other materials.
The annual Respect Life novena is an opportunity for prayer and reward in observance of the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children on January 22. "The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), no. 373, designates Jan. 22 as a particular day of prayer and penance, called 'Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.'"
God heard the cries of the voiceless and vulnerable on June 24, 2022, when the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion. And while we celebrate and praise the Dobbs v. Jackson Women 's Health Organization decision overturning Roe V. Wade, we continue to mourn the millions of children who have lost their lives and the countless families who suffer the wounds of abortion. We must remember that there continues to be a crusade to abort innocent lives, corrupt the minds of young women and men, and promote this "abortion on demand mentality."
Nearly fifty years of ardent prayers and fifty March for Life rallies proved that almighty God and novenas can overturn the most horrible law.
As encouraging and cheerful as things may seem, one would be remiss to forget the blatant hostility abortion providers have toward the unborn; therefore, we must remain steadfast in prayer and continued advocacy. The March for Life website states that while the March is an annual event, pro-life education is a year-round effort.
This year marks the fifty-first March for Life and the second in post-Roe America. The theme is "With Every Woman, For Every Child," which will focus on helping both mother and child during pregnancy and after childbirth. In a recent statement, Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, said, "We celebrate the heroic work of Pregnancy Care Centers and Maternity Homes while offering a roadmap for how we will truly achieve a life-affirming culture that respects the inherent dignity of all human life." She was also delighted to announce and welcome the "inspiring pro-life leaders who will speak at this year's March for Life."
In the encyclical of Pope St. John Paul II, Evangelium Vitaehe wrote:
"A great prayer for life is urgently needed throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, a passionate plea to God, Creator and lover of life, should be raised from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer".
