9 Days for Life: Day 9

The Marian Fathers, in union with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, encourage you to pray for the triumph of the culture of life in our nation. Please join us each day in praying the 9 Days of Life.

Intercession: May the tragic practice of abortion come to an end.

Prayers: Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be

Reflection: Today, on this 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we mourn the many children's lives ended by abortion and remember in prayer those who suffer the aftermath. The Church comes together today to pray for the protection of all unborn children and to make reparation for abortion, trusting that the Lord hears our prayers.

Pope Saint John Paul II wrote, "A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, 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" (Evangelium vitae, 100). May that prayer arise in our hearts today and each day forward until every human being is protected in law and welcomed in life.

Acts of Reparation (choose one):

Abstain from snacking today. Eat three meals only.

Learn how to pray the Angelus, and consider saying it every day for the next week-on awakening, at noon, or at 6 p.m. (or all three times).

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 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.

For other simple tips on how to provide loving, life-affirming support for a friend who is unexpectedly pregnant, read "10 Ways to Support Her When She's Unexpectedly Expecting.".

Text provided by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

You might also like...

Jesus said, "Today bring to Me ALL MANKIND, ESPECIALLY ALL SINNERS, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me."

The world may think that Christmas ended at midnight on Christmas Day, but the Church knows better. We celebrate an eight-day Christmas Octave, stretching from Dec. 25 to Jan. 1, with a number of special feast days, including three feasts of martyrs:

On Oct. 28, the Church celebrates the Feast Day of Sts. Simon and Jude, apostles of the Lord who zealously preached to the nations. Father Dan Cambra, MIC, tells their story.