Celebrant: Let us pray to our Father in heaven for ourselves and the needs of the whole world.

Deacon/Lector:

That the Church may continue to be a beacon of light and truth in the world, we pray to the Lord…

For all Church leaders, that they preach and teach the truth of the Gospel with courage and conviction, we pray to the Lord…

For all who have had abortions, that St. Paul's message that nothing can separate us from Christ's love will give them strength to seek reconciliation in the Church, we pray to the Lord…

That the Lord may bless the world with his peace and the protection of his love, we pray to the Lord…

That the Lord may heal the sick, comfort the oppressed, and protect us from all natural disasters, we pray to the Lord…

That the Lord will welcome into his heavenly kingdom those who have died, we pray to the Lord…

Celebrant:

Father,
we come before you in faith and love.
Hear the prayers we offer,
And grant us all we need
To serve you faithfully in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A woman who is pregnant is not "expecting" a child. She already has one. The child exists and is living and growing in her womb. She is not about to bring the child "into the world." The child is already in the world. The mother's womb is as much in the world as the mother herself. We all use these expressions from force of habit, and using them has no reflection on the strength of our pro-life convictions. If our language reflects this reality, we will help the world to understand that children in the womb are indeed members of the human family-right here and now! - Correct Language About Pregnancy and Abortion, Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life

Is 55:1-3
Rom 8:35, 37-39
Mt 14:13-21

Watch a video with homily hints

Abortions do not happen because of “freedom of choice,” but rather because some mothers and fathers feel they have no freedom and no choice. They have needs that they think cannot be met without aborting their child. They are captive to the coercive power of despair.

Today’s readings are about the Lord providing for our needs, issuing an invitation to us to come to him confidently, to trust that he can fulfill all those needs. Fundamentally, of course, this is an invitation to salvation. But salvation is integral; it is bodily as well as spiritual, it is communitarian as well as individual, and it extends its effects to our daily needs, including those related to parenting.

No trial, such as the intense anxieties that can accompany pregnancy, is too great for the love of Christ.

It is in that power and with that confidence that the People of God are not only to come to him for their needs – for the grace to do what is right and choose life in every circumstance – but also that the People of God are to go to others who have such needs and trials, and strengthen them. We are to ‘feed’ one another. The Gospel passage for today does not say that the Lord simply went ahead and fed the crowds himself. It says he ordered his disciples to feed them. They weren’t sure how to do that, but he enabled them to do so.

And so it is today. Together, as the People of Life, we can meet the needs faced by those who are tempted to abort, and we can meet their anguish and distress with the victorious love of Christ.