Celebrant: We are gathered to celebrate the mystery of our
salvation in Jesus Christ. Let us ask God our Father to open for all the
world this fountain of life and blessing.
Deacon/Lector:
For the Church, that she will joyfully proclaim the living Word of God to
all people, we pray to the Lord...
That pastors may lead in faith and serve in love the flock entrusted to
their care by Christ the Good Shepherd, we pray to the Lord…
That those who serve in public office and all those entrusted with the
common good, that they may promote true justice and peace, we pray to the
Lord…
That all who are pregnant and feel they cannot carry their child will
find new strength from the presence of Christ who says, "Do not be afraid,"
we pray to the Lord...
For the aged who suffer from loneliness and infirmity, that we will
sustain them by our love and compassion, we pray to the Lord…
For all who have died, may they come into the light of God's presence, we
pray to the Lord…
Celebrant:
Father, hear the prayers of your people. Increase our confidence that you
always provide for our needs, And give us grace to serve you faithfully. We
ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bulletin Insert
Pope Benedict XVI at World Youth Day, Sydney, Australia (July 17,
2008)
“Do we recognize that the innate dignity of every individual rests on his
or her deepest identity - as image of the Creator - and therefore that human
rights are universal, based on the natural law, and not something dependent
upon negotiation or patronage, let alone compromise? And so we are led to
reflect on what place the poor and the elderly, immigrants and the
voiceless, have in our societies. How can it be that domestic violence
torments so many mothers and children? How can it be that the most wondrous
and sacred human space – the womb – has become a place of unutterable
violence? My dear friends, God’s creation is one and it is good. The
concerns for non-violence, sustainable development, justice and peace, and
care for our environment are of vital importance for humanity. They cannot,
however, be understood apart from a profound reflection upon the innate
dignity of every human life from conception to natural death: a dignity
conferred by God himself and thus inviolable.”
Homily Suggestions on Pro-life Themes
1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a
Rom 9:1-5
Mt 14:22-33
St. Paul expresses profound anguish in today’s second reading for his
people. He longs that they accept Christ, who is “God blessed forever,” and
the only hope of the human family. For every disciple, Christ is everything.
Each event and decision of life, each project and plan, finds its standard,
meaning, and fulfillment in him.
Yet those events, projects, plans, and the circumstances of life under
which they unfold, are very much like the tempestuous behavior of nature
that we see in both the first reading and the Gospel. Wind, waves,
earthquakes, noise, danger, and the confusion of constant change mark many
chapters of life. Yet there isn’t a single chapter, nor a single moment, in
which the believer cannot cling to Christ, find him present, and embrace his
hand that saves them from drowning.
In the pro-life effort, this theme applies directly to those confused by
a pregnancy they feel they cannot handle, those who have had an abortion and
are suffering the storms of anguish that follow – and risk drowning in
despair – and those who are in the heat of the battle, defending life
against numerous odds and attacks.
In all of this, we seek and cling to Christ, who gives us the strength to
stand on the side of life and experience his forgiveness and strength for
the battle.
