Fifteenth
Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A
General Intercessions
Celebrant: With trust in the power of God's word to change our
lives and to change our world, we entrust all our needs to Him.
Deacon/Lector:
That all Christians will share the message of the Gospel, with all its
radical demands, while showing respect for the beliefs of others, we pray to
the Lord...
That God, the great Sower of the Gift of Life, may see that gift welcomed
and celebrated by all His people, and never trampled underfoot, we pray to
the Lord…
That all who teach God's Word in pulpits and classrooms, in Bible studies
and prayer groups, and in their own families, may be ever more effective and
faithful, we pray to the Lord...
For an increase in the numbers of priests, deacons, and religious
brothers and sisters throughout the Church, we pray to the Lord...
For the sick, the poor, the unemployed, the marginalized, and the
forgotten, we pray to the Lord...
For all who have died, that they be given a place of rest and peace in
God's eternal Kingdom, we pray to the Lord...
Celebrant:
Father, We thank you for your Word. As you hear our prayers, May we
always hear you ever more clearly, And be faithful to your call. We ask this
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bulletin Insert
An Abortion Testimony
The following words were written by one of the many women whose abortion
testimonies can be found at
www.priestsforlife.org/testimonies.
“I went to Planned Parenthood for a pregnancy test. They didn't do ANY
counseling about fetal development or alternatives. An abortion was "the
answer" just because I didn't want to be pregnant yet, even though I was
happily married and had no financial problems, etc. etc.
“I was treated like a cow. There was no explanation AT ALL by the
abortionist regarding ANYTHING that could have helped me think twice about
"my" decision to have an abortion. Of course, it wasn't really "my" decision
at all. Everybody else decided for me. My husband didn't want me to abort,
but all the professionals "knew better what was best for me."
“I still cannot tell anyone else about it, even though it's been over 20
years now. It's made me very pro-life, because I KNOW the deceit that goes
on in so-called "counseling." Not one day goes by that I don't think about
it with regret and sorrow.
“I also have accepted the Lord as my Savior, and that has helped.”
Homily Suggestions on Pro-life Themes
Is 55:10-11
Rom 8:18-23
Mt 13:1-23 or 13:1-9
The whole world was created by the Word of God. Genesis shows God
creating by speaking, and John’s Gospel points out in the first chapter that
this Word that God spoke in the beginning was in fact Christ. Paul expounds
the same truth in the first chapter of Colossians, which in fact contains a
commentary on the first verse of the Bible. Christ is that “beginning” of
which Genesis speaks, and “all things were created by him and for him.”
When, therefore, today’s readings speak about the fruitfulness of the
Word of God – Isaiah declaring that the word accomplishes the end for which
it is sent, and Jesus explaining how the seed will bear fruit – they are not
to be understood only in a spiritual sense. The fruitfulness of the Word is
also physical, starting with human life itself. Mary said, “Be it done unto
me according to your word,” and by that word the physical
conception of Christ took place.
Likewise, the conception and birth of each human being is a fulfillment
of the promises in today’s readings. When did God decide that you or the
people around you should start to exist? The answer is, “From all eternity.”
There was never a time when God did not intend each living person to exist,
nor when he did not have definitive plans for each person’s life.
“My word will not return to me void.” The plan, the eternal word, that
God has for each person, is not to return void because of a veto on our
part. Contraception, abortion, and euthanasia all constitute an offensive
“No” to this Word, an attempt to veto an eternal decision of God regarding
the fruitfulness of each life. Part of the reason for these “vetoes” is the
“worldly anxiety” referred to in the Gospel. This anxiety leads to the
temptation to cut off the fruitfulness of life.
Yet Paul, in the second reading, puts those anxieties in an
eschatological perspective, inviting us to hold firm through life’s
difficulties and continue saying yes to God’s plan. Interestingly, it is
precisely the reality of childbirth that he uses to describe the full
unfolding of God’s plan for all creation.
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