Since we are travellers and pilgrims in the world, let us ever ponder on the end of the road, that is of our life, for the end of our roadway is our home (St Columban, 8th sermon).
Patroness of the Americas, of Mexico, of Unborn Children and Secondary Patroness of the Philippines
The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Opening
Prayer of the Mass of Our Lady of Guadalupe
O God, Father of
mercies, who placed your people
under the singular protection of your Son’s most holy Mother, grant that all who
invoke the Blessed Virgin of Guadalupe, may seek with ever more
lively faith the progress of people
in the way of justice and of peace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns
with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
Las Mañanitas a la Virgen
de Guadalupe - Basilica de Guadalupe 2012
Las Mañanitas is a Mexican birthday song, sung very early in the morning to the celebrant. Every year after the solemn Mass on her feast day in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe some of Mexico's top singers and musicians face the image of La Virgen de Guadalupe on the tilma (cloak) of St Juan Diego and serenade her with Las Mañanitas.
Virgin
of Guadalupe,
Patroness of unborn children,
we implore your intercession
for every child at risk of abortion.
Help expectant parents to welcome from God
the priceless gift of their child’s life.
Console parents who have lost that
gift
through abortion,
and lead them to forgiveness and healing
through the Divine Mercy of your Son.
Teach us to cherish
and to care for family and friends
until God calls them home.
Help us never to see others as burdens.
Guide our public officials
to defend each and every human life
through just laws.
Inspire us all to bring our faith into public life,
to speak for those who have no voice.
We ask this in the name of your Son,
Jesus Christ, who is Love and Mercy itself.
Amen.
Let us allow the Child in the manger to challenge us, but let us also be challenged by all those children in today’s world who are lying not in a crib, caressed with affection by their mothers and fathers, but in squalid 'mangers that devour dignity'. Children who hide underground to escape bombardment, on the pavements of large cities, in the hold of a boat overladen with immigrants… Let us allow ourselves to be challenged by those children who are not allowed to be born, by those who cry because no one relieves their hunger, by those who hold in their hands not toys, but weapons. (Pope Francis, Homily, 24 December 2016). [Emphasis added]
TORONTO, December 23, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) — Pro-life prisoner of conscience Mary Wagner will be in jail for Christmas following her arrest December 12 while attempting to save unborn children and their mothers from the violence of abortion.
Wagner, 42, was arrested at the Bloor West Village Women’s Clinic and charged with breach of probation and mischief.
A devout Catholic, Wagner does not agree to bail conditions requiring her to stay away from abortion facilities, so remains in custody until her trial and conviction.
Sister Immolatia of the Fraternity of the Poor of Jesus Christ, a fraternity founded fifteen years ago in Portugal and which ministers to the homeless and those in prison, witnessed Wagner’s arrest.
“My response to expressions of distress about her arrest is that the radical, subversive love that Mary is living, the personal sacrifice and hardship, are necessary,” Sister Immolatia wrote in a reflection on the day’s events.
May we too be challenged and called by Jesus. Let us approach him with trust, starting from all those things that make us feel marginalized, from our limitations and our sins. Let us be touched by the tenderness that saves. Let us draw close to God who draws close to us. Let us pause to gaze upon the crib, and relive in our imagination the birth of Jesus: light and peace, dire poverty and rejection. With the shepherds, let us enter into the real Christmas, bringing to Jesus all that we are, our alienation, our unhealed wounds, our sins. Then, in Jesus, we will enjoy the taste of the true spirit of Christmas: the beauty of being loved by God. With Mary and Joseph, let us pause before the manger, before Jesus who is born as bread for my life. Contemplating his humble and infinite love, let us simply tell him: Thank you. Thank you because you have done all this for me. (Pope Francis, Homily, 24 December 2016). [Emphasis added]
Read more about Mary Wagner and another courageous Canadian pro-life activist, Linda Gibbons, who has also spent much time in jail, here.
Tomorrow, Saturday, a Rally for Life will take place in Dublin, starting at the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square, and marching to Leinster House, where the Dáil (Parliament)and Seanad (Senate) chambers are.
Before the rally there will be Mass in near St Saviour's Church, the Dominican church just around the corner from Parnell Square, with Coadjutor Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin as the main celebrants
Earlier this week the main governing party, Fine Gael, expelled four of its members from the parliamentary party, Deputies Billy Timmins, Terence Flanagan, Peter Mathews and Brian Walsh. As Mr Timmins pointed out in The Irish Times, The party itself broke a pledge to the electorate that it would not legislate for the X case because, in the words of former taoiseach John Bruton, it would legislate for abortion. The issue was not in the Programme for Government, so certainly from that aspect, I feel a little bit hard done by.
In other words, these four TDs (members of parliament), have been thrown out - they had to vacate their offices the morning after the vote - for being faithful to the programme their party put before the electorate.
The GENERAL SCHEME OF THE Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 is online.
Under 'Head 1 Interpretation', on page 3, it says: (1) In this Act . . . “neonate” means a baby who is 4 weeks old or younger.
Two words there are used only for human beings: 'baby' and 'who'. In other words, the bill clearly sees the child in the mother's womb in the first few weeks of her pregnancy as a human being.
The Government persists in including the threat of suicide by the mother as a valid reason to allow an abortion right up to the time of birth despite the clear medical and psychiatric advice that abortion is not a 'cure' for suicidal thoughts. A Supreme Court judgement made in 1991 that has no basis in medical science or psychiatry surely isn't a basis for allowing the taking of one life to 'save' another.
The Twenty-first Amendment of the Constitution Act, 2001, approved by the people on 27 March 2002, forbids the use of the death penalty. Perhaps this should be brought to the attention of the legislators since the 'Protection of Life' Bill - what a misleading title - if passed would condemn to death innocent and voiceless beings already implicitly defined as humans in the bill.
Today's Issue of The Irish Times carries two stories about Peadar Tóibín, a Sinn Féin TD
(Teachta Dála, Member of Parliament), Tóibín censured on abortion vote, and Sinn Féin TD faces party discipline if he votes against abortion Bill. Deputy Tóibín [TDs are referred to as 'Deputy'] announced last night that he would vote against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill when it comes before the Dáil [Parliament]. This misnamed bill would legalise abortion for the first time in the Republic of Ireland, which has one of the best records in the world in terms of safety for pregnant women and their children before, during and after birth.
Part of the second Irish Times report reads [emphases and comments added]:
He continued by saying he would vote against the Bill, because it would introduce for the first time in law a therapy for suicidal ideation that included the ending of another human life.
“It would also mean for the first time that a therapy for suicidal ideation in Ireland would have no basis in science. [At a hearing held in Ireland's Senate earlier this year medical experts, including psychiatrists, were unanimous on this.]
“On the contrary the evidence states that abortion often does damage the health of the mother, can lead to suicide and of course is completely destructive of the life of the child.”
‘Cusp of viability’
“I am also seriously concerned that this legislation allows for abortion up until birth and that this legislation allows for a healthy unborn child on the cusp of viability to be brought to term with the likely probability that the child would be disabled by the State and possibly be institutionalised for life. [Deputy Tóibín is pointing out two horrific consequences of this bill.]
“It is an impossible ask for me to vote for legislation that will lead to another person’s death. TDs are responsible for their actions . . . I believe that if a TD votes for abortion that TD is in part responsible for abortions that happen under that legislation. I do not believe that it is possible to claim to be pro life and legislate for abortion,” he said. [What a clear statement about the responsibility of a legislator and of the consequences of decisions that we make.]
The leaders of the two government parties, Fine Gael and Labour, and the Sinn Féin, have stated that their members must vote for the Bill or lose the party whip. A deputy who loses his party's whip is expelled from the parliamentary party, though not from the party itself, a kind of 'excommunication'. The other opposition party, Fianna Fáil, is allowing its members to vote according to their consciences, because many TDs and Senators had made it clear that they couldn't in conscience vote for the Bill.
I have never been a supporter of Sinn Féin nor indeed did I know anything about Deputy Tóibín until now. But this morning I sent him an email thanking him for his stand. His official email address is peadar.toibin@oir.ie. I'm sure that he would appreciate a 'thank you' note from others. And his stand may give courage to members of the government parties who are under tremendous pressure from their leaders to toe the line and to vote to bring the Republic of Ireland into the Neo-Dark Ages. NB The email address above for Deputy Tóibín is the one I found on the Sinn Féin website. I've since found the following on the website of the Oireachtas (the umbrella name for the Irish legislature): peadar.toibin@oireachtas.ie. Though my earlier email to Deputy Tóibín didn't bounce back, I re-sent it to the second address. Probably both are correct.
Another video of last Saturday's Vigil for Life in Dublin
Blurb with the video: The National Vigil for Life takes place at a key moment with the Government intending to introduce abortion in July. Get involved by attending yourself and inviting as many others as possible. Bring a car-load or even a bus-load. To organise a bus or get information on buses from your area please telephone Denise on (087) 266 8702 or Theresa on (085) 871 1100. Like National Vigil For Life on Facebook and Follow @natvigil4life on Twitter for updates. See you on 8th June!
The government of the Republic of Ireland is trying to introduce legislation that would legalise abortion. The most contentious part of the bill would allow abortion if the mother was threatening abortion. The medical and psychiatric advice given during consultations held in the Senate chamber earlier in the year dismissed as having no basis the idea that aborting a child was a 'cure' for suicidal ideation.
Fears too have been expressed that if this legislation is approved it would give a l'legitimacy' to suicide. And this at a time when suicide is the cause of the deaths of many young people, about 80 percent of them men.
Little or no attention has bee paid to the reality that in many cases having had an abortion has led women to suicide or to attempted suicide.
LifeZine, the official magazine of Family & Life in Dublin, states:
Right now the Irish government proposes dangerous and unjust abortion legislation. The Taoiseach says it's restrictive, that it's about saving lives, and that it won't actually change anything. Nothing could be further from the truth. The government plans to rush this legislation through in July - even avoiding a vote in the Dáil [Irish parliament] if possible. Your presence at the National Vigil For Life in Merrion Square, Dublin, this Saturday at 3pm is vital to challenge this. Before the Vigil, there will be a special Prayer Service for Life in Saint Andrew's Church, Westland Row, from 1.30 to 2.30 pm, led by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin. Please do as much as you can to make this event a success. Invite family, friends and colleagues. This may be your last chance to make your voice heard.
Though I am an Irish citizen, with no other citizenship, I cannot vote in Irish elections because I am living overseas, even though in the Philippines where I have permanent residency I cannot vote in elections at any level there either. I am outraged at the possibility that legislation dealing with life and death could possibly be passed without a vote.
Archbishop Michael Neary of Tuam gave a powerful homily on the issue last Saturday in the Basilica in Knock, where the Blessed Mother appeared in 1879, and which is in his diocese. Here is the conclusion of his homily:
Clear Catholic Position
The Catholic bishops of Ireland point out that “the Bill as outlined represents a dramatic and morally unacceptable change to Irish law and is unnecessary to ensure that women receive the life-saving treatment they need during pregnancy”. The Pro-life commitment of the Church is reflected in her compassion for those who so often regret having had an abortion, her understanding for those who are facing difficult decisions, and her assistance for those who choose life. The work of CURA in this regard is a clear expression of the compassion, understanding and care with which the Church wishes to respond to every woman who faces difficulties or crisis in pregnancy.
Appeal to legislators!
Legislators are being asked to pass a law prescribing the death of innocent human beings. I ask that Legislators would reflect on the seriousness of the situation before voting. Is it really necessary to provide for Abortion in circumstances where evidence overwhelmingly indicates it is unnecessary and unjustified? Are we not crossing a moral Rubicon here?
As we consider something as fundamental as this we ought not to behave as if our faith could be divorced from our decision and left 'outside the room'. Our faith confirms the fundamental truth upon which every human right and the very future of humanity depends: that every human life is beautiful, every human life is precious and every human life is sacred. I conclude therefore by making this simple and urgent appeal to all our public representatives: Choose life!
The last paragraph highlights one of the most harmful heresies of our day, that our Christian faith has no bearing on our lives, that it is nothing more than a harmless hobby or indulgence that may make us feel good. That kind of 'Christianity' has no connection with the invitation of Jesus in Luke 7:23: If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Archbishop Neary mentioned CURA, a crisis pregnancy programme that has the full support of the Irish bishops. Here is a short video about the services it offers.
Rachel's Vineyard is a ministry of healing for women and men who have been affected directly by abortion. It holds about five healing weekends per year in Ireland. The movement in Ireland has also organised weekends in the Faroe Islands and in the Republic of Korea. There is a weekend in Ireland this coming weekend, Please keep the participants in your prayers. These weekends are always held in private locations.
Readings(Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India
[optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)
Gospel
Matthew 2:1-12(Revised Standard Version – Catholic
Edition)
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod
the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where
is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the
East, and have come to worship him." When Herod the king heard this, he
was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests
and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the
prophet: 'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least
among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my
people Israel.'" Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained
from them what time the star appeared; and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying,
"Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring
me word, that I too may come and worship him." When they had heard the
king they went their way; and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went
before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they
saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the
house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and
worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and
frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod,
they departed to their own country by another way.
Liturgical note: The 2002 edition of the Roman Missal re-introduced the Vigil of the Epiphany. The Vigil Mass, celebrated before or after Evening Prayer on the eve of the Epiphany, has its own prayers, Entrance and Communion antiphons, but uses the same readings as on the feast day itself. It is incorrect to refer to a Vigil Mass as an 'anticipated Mass'. The Vigil Mass fulfils the obligation to attend Mass on a holyday of obligation or on a Sunday.
The history of the Church in Korea is unique. The faith was brought there by a 'wise man from the East', the 'wise man' in question being a diplomat and 'the East' being Korea, to the east of China where the diplomat went on a mission to Beijing where he was baptised. He then brought the faith to his own country. The video above, which marks the feast of the Korean Martyrs celebrated on 20 September, gives a brief synopsis of the story. Blessed Pope John Paul II canonised 103 Korean martyrs in Seoul on 6 May 1984. It is estimated that about 8,000 Koreans died as martyrs for the faith.
The Koreans embraced the Catholic Christian faith at great cost. There were four major persecutions in the 19th century. Korea's first priest, St Andrew Kim Taegon, was martyred in 1846 aged 25. His father, Ignatius, was also a martyr.
The last persecution was in 1868. One little incident in that shows a remarkable contrast to the aftermath of the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem when King Herod had all the boys aged two and under killed. Fr Donal O'Keeffe, the Columban superior in Korea, wrote about this after the death of Stephen Cardinal Kim, former Archbishop of Seoul, on 16 February 2009 :
Kim Sou-Hwan (Stephen) was born in May 1922 in Taegu in the province of Kyongsangdo to a fervent Catholic family. His grandfather Kim Bo-hyun (John) was arrested and martyred in Seoul in 1868 during the last persecution of Christians in Korea. His grandmother was also to be executed with him but was released because she was pregnant. The child born was Kim Young-sok (Joseph) who was to become the father of Kim Sou-hwan.
The persecutors spared the Cardinal's grandmother because she was pregnant!
Stephen Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan (8 May 1922 - 16 February 2009) with friends
Mary, the Mother of God, is central to the whole Christmas story. The Magi saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Korean soprano Sumi Jo sings a setting of the words Ave Maria, 'Hail Mary', attributed to Giulio Caccini who died in 1618. But it seems it was written anonymously by Russian composer Vladimir Vasilov in 1970. The two words Ave Maria, the music and the singing of Sumi Jo surely draw us to behold the beauty of your sublime glory, as the Collect of the Mass prays. Collect O God, who on this day revealed your Only Begotten Son to the nations by the guidance of a star, grant in your mercy that we, who know you already by faith, may be brought to behold the beauty of your sublime glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Second reading from the Mass of the Solemnity, Mary Mother of God (Galatians 4:4-7, RSV Catholic Edition)
But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then an heir.
Introit
Salve, sancta Parens, eníxa puérpera Regem, qui caelum terrámque regit in saecula saeculórum.
Entrance Antiphon
Hail, Holy Mother, who gave birth to the King,
who rules heaven and earth for ever.
The recording by the Benedictines of the Abbey of Solesmes, France, is of the fuller version used in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, the 'Traditional Latin Mass', which includes the Gloria Patri and repeats the antiphon.)
The Church also observes New Year's Day as World Day of Peace, though not liturgically. the theme of Pope Benedict's message for World Day of Peace, 1 January 2013, is Blessed are the Peacemakers. Two paragraphs are of particular relevance in the context of proposed legislation in a number of countries, including the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, and of recent legislation approved in the Philippines. And our focus during the seasons of Advent and Christmas is on the Birth of a Child.
Those who insufficiently value human life and, in consequence, support among other things the liberalization of abortion, perhaps do not realize that in this way they are proposing the pursuit of a false peace. The flight from responsibility, which degrades human persons, and even more so the killing of a defenceless and innocent being, will never be able to produce happiness or peace. Indeed how could one claim to bring about peace, the integral development of peoples or even the protection of the environment without defending the life of those who are weakest, beginning with the unborn. Every offence against life, especially at its beginning, inevitably causes irreparable damage to development, peace and the environment. Neither is it just to introduce surreptitiously into legislation false rights or freedoms which, on the basis of a reductive and relativistic view of human beings and the clever use of ambiguous expressions aimed at promoting a supposed right to abortion and euthanasia, pose a threat to the fundamental right to life.
There is also a need to acknowledge and promote the natural structure of marriage as the union of a man and a woman in the face of attempts to make it juridically equivalent to radically different types of union; such attempts actually harm and help to destabilize marriage, obscuring its specific nature and its indispensable role in society.
I used the video above recently. It's message is not only the powerful words of the Beatitudes given us by Jesus but the dignity of those who proclaim them here. Some say, in all sincerity, that if it is known before birth that a child has a disability, especially a mental one, better that that child not be born. They are really saying that the persons in this video, whose names appear at the end, were not worthy of being born, or would have been spared a life of suffering had they been aborted. Pope Benedict is speaking to those who see things in this way.
I have a close friend whose first child, a son, was born with severe mental and physical disabilities, due to something that happened during the birth. She told me that it has taken her nearly five years to accept this reality. But there is no way that she and her husband regret the birth of their son, whom they have loved to bits from the moment of his birth, indeed from the moment they knew their first child was on his way. And their daughter, now four, loves her older brother to bits in the same way.
How often persons who are pro-life in word and in deed are taunted or dismissed as caring only for the lives of the unborn. My friends are taking care of their son, with professional help, 24/7. There are countless others caring with all their hearts for those in need.
Pope Benedict's words are a message of hope to the many who lovingly care for persons with special needs at whatever stage of life and he is telling them that they are truly peacemakers. He is also quietly challenging those who see things differently.
The bishops of Ireland have found their voice again, in defence of the life of the unborn child. The scandals of the abuse of children by priests and religious and the way bishops and superiors are perceived to have dealt with the situation, had all but crippled the ability of the Church in Ireland to proclaim the Gospel.
The above video carries an interview on national radio with Bishop Leo O'Reilly of Kilmore. The night before some bishops had taken part in a peaceful pro-life rally outside Leinster House, Dublin, where the Dáil and Seanad (parliament and senate) meet.
Yesterday the bishops, who have been holding their winter meeting this week, issued a statement yesterday:
A society that believes the right to life is the most fundamental of all rights cannot ignore the fact that abortion is first and foremost a moral issue.
As a society we have a particular responsibility to ensure this right is upheld on behalf of those who are defenceless, voiceless or vulnerable. This includes our duty as a society to defend and promote the equal right to life of a pregnant mother and the innocent and defenceless child in her womb when the life of either of these persons is at risk.
By virtue of their common humanity the life of a mother and her unborn baby are both sacred. They have an equal right to life. The Catholic Church has never taught that the life of a child in the womb should be preferred to that of a mother. Where a seriously ill pregnant woman needs medical treatment which may put the life of her baby at risk, such treatments are morally permissible provided every effort has been made to save the life of both the mother and her baby.
Abortion, understood as the direct and intentional destruction of an unborn baby, is gravely immoral in all circumstances. This is different from medical treatments whichdo not directly and intentionally seek to end the life of the unborn baby.
Current law and medical guidelines in Ireland allow nurses and doctors in Irish hospitals to apply this vital distinction in practice. This has been an important factor in ensuring that Irish hospitals are among the safest and best in the world in terms of medical care for both a mother and her unborn baby during pregnancy. As a country this is something we should cherish, promote and protect.
The Report of theExpert Group on the Judgement in A, B and C v Ireland has put forward options that could end the practice of making this vital ethical distinction in Irish hospitals. Of the four options presented by the Report, three involve abortion – the direct and intentional killing of an unborn child. This can never be morally justified. The judgement of the European Court of Human Rights does not oblige the Irish Government to legislate for abortion.
Other aspects of the Report also give rise to concerns. These include, but are not limited to the fact that:
The judgement of the European Court of Human Rights permits options on this matter of fundamental moral, social and constitutional importance that are not offered by this Report. This includes the option of introducing a constitutional prohibition on abortion or another form of constitutional amendment to reverse the ‘X-case’ judgement.
The Report provides no ethical analysis of the options available, even though this is first and foremost a moral issue and consideration of the ethical dimension was included in the Terms of Reference.
The Report takes no account of the risks involved in trying to legislate for so-called ‘limited abortion’ within the context of the ‘X-case’ judgement. The ‘X-case’ judgement includes the threat of suicide as grounds for an abortion. International experience shows that allowing abortion on the grounds of mental health effectively opens the floodgates for abortion.
The Report also identifies Guidelines as an option. It notes that Guidelines can help to ensure consistency in the delivery of medical treatment. If Guidelines can provide greater clarity as to when life-saving treatment may be provided to a pregnant mother or her unborn child within the existing legislative framework, and where the direct and intentional killing of either person continues to be excluded, then such ethically sound Guidelines may offer a way forward.
A matter of this importance deserves sufficient time for a calm, rational and informed debate to take place before any decision about the options offered by the Expert Group Report are taken. All involved, especially public representatives, must consider the profound moral questions that arise in responding to this Report. Abortion is gravely immoral in all circumstances, no matter how ‘limited’ access to abortion may be.
The bishops also announced that they had set up a new website, CHOOSE LIFE 2012. The site has links to Facebook and Twitter (I haven't tried the latter yet). This video is from the website, as is the prayer below.
Meanwhile, yesterday The Daily Telegraph (London) carried an article by Cristina Odone that highlights how the tragic deaths of a young Indian woman and her unborn child in a hospital in Galway have been exploited by pro-abortion advocates: Doubts over Savita's tragic death: she may not have been denied an abortion. The article has a link to an interview on Irish radio with Kitty Holland who broke this story. The interview is on the video below.
Choose Life: Prayer for the Child in the Womb
Lord Jesus, you are the source and lover of life. Reawaken in us respect for every human life.
Help us to see in each child the marvellous work of our Creator.
Open our hearts to welcome every child as a unique and wonderful gift.
Guide the work of doctors, nurses and midwives.
May the life of a mother and her baby in the womb be equally cherished and respected.
Help those who make our laws to uphold the uniqueness and sacredness of every human life, from the first moment of conception to natural death.
Give us wisdom and generosity to build a society that cares for all.
Together with Mary, your Mother, in whose womb you took on our human nature,
Help us to choose life in every decision we take.
We ask this in the joyful hope of eternal life with you, and in the communion of the Blessed Trinity.
