Thirty-Third Sunday in
Ordinary Time, Cycle A
General Intercessions
Celebrant:
With joy and hope, we present our petitions to our generous and loving Father:
Deacon/Lector:
For the Church of God, that she will joyfully
proclaim and live the faith of Christ in the world, we pray to the Lord…
For all Church ministers, that they may serve
the people faithfully and with conviction for the truth, we pray to the Lord…
For all God's people, may they use their many
talents to proclaim the sanctity of life in the arenas of business, media, the
arts, and politics, we pray to the Lord...
For mothers and fathers who await the birth of
their child, that God might fill their hearts with an ever-deepening love each
day, we pray to the Lord…
For the dead and all those who mourn, may they
be comforted by the promise of new life in Christ, we pray to the Lord…
Celebrant:
God of mercy and compassion,
hear our prayers and always assure us
of your presence in our time of need.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Bulletin
Insert
In 1973, the
Supreme Court’s Doe vs. Bolton decision was the companion case to Roe
vs. Wade, making abortion legal throughout pregnancy. Sandra Cano, the "Mary
Doe" plaintiff of Doe vs. Bolton, technically won the case and the right
to have an abortion – except that she never wanted one. Sandra is a pro-life
Christian. On March 23, 1997, she declared these memorable words: "I am Sandra
Cano. I became know as Mary Doe when the U.S. Supreme Court released Doe v.
Bolton, which allowed abortion for virtually any reason. I am against
abortion; I never sought an abortion; I have never had an abortion. Abortion is
murder. For over twenty years, and against my will, my name has been synonymous
with abortion. The Doe v. Bolton case is based on deceit and fraud. I
stand today in this place of healing, the National Memorial for the Unborn, and
pledge to the memory of these innocent children, that as long as I have breath,
I will strive to see abortion ended in America."
Homily
Suggestions on Pro-life Themes
Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31
1 Thes 5:1-6/Mt 25:14-30 or 25:14-15, 19-21
We all have
talents, the use of which will be judged at the end of time. In preaching about
the use of our talents in a fruitful way, we can preach about the wide variety
of talents that are applied to the effort to defend and promote the sacredness
of human life. A wide variety of activities comprise the pro-life movement.
People provide alternatives to abortion, legal advice, counseling, medical
services, adoption services, employment searches, housing, education and the
many other services of Pregnancy Resource Centers accessed through hotline
numbers and websites. There is also the wide range of healing ministries for
those who have had abortions. Moreover, the pro-life effort is advanced through
research, medical expertise, litigation, lobbying, media work, writing,
speaking, grassroots activism, and much more. In short, there is room for
everyone in the movement. The greatest fruit of our talents would be to be able
to present to the Lord the lives saved through our efforts.
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