“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. ~ Psalm 139:13-14
We remember today the tragic United States Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, issued on January 22, 1973, that essentially legalized abortion in all fifty states for almost fifty years. By God’s grace, that decision was finally overturned on June 24, 2022, by the Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson. The over 60 million abortions since the 1973 decisions of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton reflect with heartbreaking magnitude what Pope Francis means by a “throwaway culture.” However, we have great trust in God’s providence. We are reminded time and again in Scripture to seek the Lord’s help, and as people of faith, we believe that our prayers are heard. And while the decision of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to overturn Roe v. Wade on on June 24, 2022 gives us much to be grateful for, the battle for the sanctity of life must continue, since the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling simply deferred the decision on abortion to state legislatures. Thus, abortion remains legal in the majority of states in the United States and continues to be legal in many other countries around the world. So, great prayer and advocacy is still very needed.
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), no. 373, designates January 22 as a particular day of prayer and penance, called the “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children”: In all the Dioceses of the United States of America, January 22nd (or January 23rd, when January 22nd 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. The most vulnerable and at-risk human beings need you, as does every mother who finds herself in an unplanned pregnancy. They need your prayers and your acts of penance—that every mother makes the choice for life, and that the right to life will be enshrined in civil law throughout the world. Don’t underestimate the power of your prayers and penance. Unite yourself to the Body of Christ, and do your part to bring healing to the past and true hope for the future.
Eternal truths never change. “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2270). Let us pray for the respect and protection of life at its earliest and most vulnerable stage, as Pope John Paul II once exhorted: “Please God you may continue, closely united with one another, to be a force of renewal and hope in our society. May the Lord help you to work ceaselessly to enable all, believers and non-believers alike, to understand that protection of human life from conception is an essential condition for building a future worthy of the human being.”
“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.” ~ Pope Saint John Paul II “Evangelium Vitae,” No. 100
The liturgical celebrations for this day may be the “Mass For Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life” (no. 48/1 of the Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions), celebrated with white vestments, or the Mass “For the Preservation of Peace and Justice” (no. 30 of the Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Occasions), celebrated with violet vestments.
PRAYER: Most precious Lord, You dwelt within the womb of your dear mother, sanctifying the womb and elevating the dignity of all human life. Heavenly Father, and Mother Mary, today we storm heaven with our prayers, fasting, and almsgiving in the hope that all unborn children will be protected in law so that they can grow into the men and women you planned them to be. Amen🙏
9 Days for Life Novena Prayer Link | January 16-24, 2025 | USCCB | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/2025/01/17/9-days-for-life-novena-usccb/