Celebrant: We now present our needs, and those of the world, to our loving and compassionate God. 

Deacon/Lector: 

That the leaders of the Church may continue to spread God’s word with joy to the people of the world, we pray to the Lord.. 

That the governments of all nations seek just and peaceful solutions to conflict, we pray to the Lord... 

That those who suffer from oppression or violence may draw strength from the suffering of Jesus and have the support of caring people, we pray to the Lord... 

That Scripture's teaching that our lives and bodies belong to the Lord may increase our reverence for all human life, and our awareness that only God can give it or take it away, we pray to the Lord... 

That unity among Christians, and their collaboration for the good of society, may increase, we pray to the Lord... 

That those who have died may rest in the peace of the heavenly kingdom, we pray to the Lord. 

Celebrant:

Father, every good gift comes from you.
We trust you today to hear our prayers,
and grant us every grace we need to serve you faithfully. 
We pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Pro-life Words from Hollywood 

“Indeed the tragedy of abortion haunts women from all walks of life. Abortion advocates are spending millions to package their tired rhetoric and half-truths in cutting-edge advertising campaigns targeted to young women... The early feminists were pro-life. And really, abortion is a huge disservice to women, and it hasn't been presented that way." -- Emmy winning actress, Patricia Heaton, from Everybody Loves Raymond

1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19
1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20
Jn 1:35-42

Watch a video with homily hints

The most powerful way to draw the pro-life theme from today’s readings is to build on Paul’s declaration to the Corinthians, “You are not your own” (second reading). The battle cry of “pro-choice” is “my body, my life, my decision” – in other words, the idea that we are indeed our own. The idea is that we are each the captain of our own ship, and nobody can tell us what to do. 

Christianity changes and challenges all that. Because of what Jesus Christ did, we are no longer our own. He owns us – yet not to oppress or enslave us, but to incorporate us into His Body. Nobody owns himself, and nobody owns anyone else. In Christ, we go beyond merely the natural concept of the “common good” (which also challenges the “pro-choice” mentality). Rather we enter into a new humanity and a level of love and unity with one another (including the unborn) that could never be achieved by human effort alone. 

A striking contrast to this teaching is the way the late Dr. James McMahon, an abortionist from Southern California who performed partial-birth abortions, answered the question posed to him by the American Medical Association news regarding how he justified doing what he did. He said, “After 20 weeks (4-½ months) where it frankly is a child to me, I really agonize over it. ... On the other hand, I have another position, which I think is superior in the hierarchy of questions, and that is: 'Who owns the child?' It's got to be the mother." -- Abortionist James McMahon, interview with American Medical News, July 5, 1993.