Sixth Sunday of Easter, Cycle B

General Intercessions

Celebrant: Today we call upon the Lord to help us to love others as he loved us. With that desire in our hearts, we present our needs to him.

Deacon/Lector:

That the Church may continue to proclaim the message and love of Christ to the world with clarity and conviction, we pray to the Lord...

That bishops and priests may never fail to proclaim the Gospel even in the face of adversity or trial, we pray to the Lord...

That public officials will be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in their decisions and actions, we pray to the Lord...

For all who lay down their lives, their resources, and their reputations to defend unborn children from abortion, we pray to the Lord...

That the members of this faith community will pattern their lives on the commandment of Jesus to love one another, we pray to the Lord...

That all who have died may receive the blessings which Jesus promises to his friends, let us pray to the Lord...

Celebrant:

Father, 
God of love, you sent Jesus to show us how to live and care for each other. Hear our prayers and help us to discern your will for us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Bulletin Insert

God makes no Distinctions 

On February 27, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI said the following in a talk to the Pontifical Academy for Life:

“The sacred books, in fact, set out to show God's love for every human being even before he has been formed in his mother's womb.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you" (Jer 1: 5), God said to the Prophet Jeremiah. And the Psalmist recognizes with gratitude: "You did form my inward parts, you did knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for you are fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are your works! You know me right well" (Ps 139[138]: 13-14).

These words acquire their full, rich meaning when one thinks that God intervenes directly in the creation of the soul of every new human being.

God's love does not differentiate between the newly conceived infant still in his or her mother's womb and the child or young person, or the adult and the elderly person. God does not distinguish between them because he sees an impression of his own image and likeness (Gn 1: 26) in each one.

He makes no distinctions because he perceives in all of them a reflection of the face of his Only-begotten Son, whom "he chose... before the foundation of the world.... He destined us in love to be his sons... according to the purpose of his will" (Eph 1: 4-6).”

Homily Suggestions on Pro-life Themes

The readings today teach us that God’s love for us takes precedence over our love for him, and that his choice of us takes precedence over our choice for him. “In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us” (First reading); “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you” (Gospel). In a society that places such a high value on “freedom of choice,” this truth is especially important. It is God’s choice of a human life that gives it value, not our choice. It is God’s decision to entrust us to the care of each other that creates the responsibilities we have toward human life, not the choice we make to be responsible for them.

If our responsibility to love and care for human life, starting with our own children (born and unborn) is rooted in God’s eternal choice and his decision to love us (and those children), then we do not have the moral right to reject that responsibility, love, and life.

Giving life, moreover, is the very revelation of God’s love. “In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent hid only Son into the world so that we might have life through him” (First reading). The command given to us to love, therefore, is a command both to receive and give the kind of love God shows. “Love one another as I love you” (Gospel). We are to lay down our lives for one another, which is exactly the opposite of laying down others’ lives for ourselves (as so many do by abortion and other forms of violence).