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.

Pope Francis: Abortion is Not 'Progressive'

In November of 2013, Pope Francis issued his Apostolic Exhortation called “The Joy of the Gospel.” In it he says, “Among the vulnerable for whom the Church wishes to care with particular love and concern are unborn children, the most defenseless and innocent among us. Nowadays efforts are made to deny them their human dignity and to do with them whatever one pleases, taking their lives and passing laws preventing anyone from standing in the way of this… Human beings are ends in themselves and never a means of resolving other problems… Once this conviction disappears, so do solid and lasting foundations for the defense of human rights …It is not “progressive” to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life.” Together with Pope Francis, let us defend life!

1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a
Rom 9:1-5
Mt 14:22-33

See a video with homily hints.

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.