Prayer: First Means of Defending Human Life
As your shepherd, I urge you to pray fervently each day to God for the safeguarding of embryonic human life in our state. In particular, I ask you to pray the Rosary, seeking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on behalf of her tiniest and youngest children. Please join our Archdiocesan Rosary Crusade for the Safeguarding of Embryonic Human Life. A most helpful prayer leaflet of the Rosary Crusade is available in your parish and from the Respect Life Apostolate of the Archdiocese.
At other times in the history of the Church, when Christians seemed powerless before the forces of destruction and death, the faithful have prayed the Rosary, imploring God's mercy and strength. I think of the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. All of Christian Europe, at the urging of the Holy Father, prayed the Rosary for the victory of the Christian forces against the seemingly invincible Turkish forces. Against all reasonable predictions, the Christian forces won the victory.
Each year, when we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7, we recall the power of the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary on behalf of her children at the Battle of Lepanto and in so many other desperate situations. Let us not fail to call upon her help in our urgent need. Please pray the Rosary or, at least, some part of the Rosary every day, asking our Blessed Mother to intercede for the safeguarding of embryonic human life.
Acts of Reparation and Sacrifices
The gravity of the situation also calls for acts of reparation for the grave sin of the attack on innocent and defenseless human life in our society. When we consider how gravely offensive to God is our lack of respect for human life which He has created in His own image and likeness, and has redeemed with the Most Precious Blood of His only-begotten Son, we are inspired to make reparation, to offer prayers and sacrifices to God in sorrow for acts of human cloning and acts of deliberate destruction of human embryos.
By our fasting and other sacrifices, we purify our own consciences of the confusion regarding what is morally right and wrong. At the same time, we are strengthened to give clear and effective witness to the truth about human life. We also win strength for others who may be struggling in fulfilling their call to safeguard all human life, from the moment of inception to the moment of natural death.
