Celebrant: Our heavenly Father knows our many needs.  In faith, we come before Him and humbly ask that he grant our prayers.

Deacon/Lector:

For the Church, that she may continue to guide the people of God in truth and holiness, we pray to the Lord… 

For those who have responded to God’s call to spread the Good News through missionary activity around the world, we pray to the Lord…

That God, who hears the cry of all who are injured and vulnerable, may open our ears to that same cry and enable us to build a Culture of Life, we pray to the Lord...

For the youth of the world, as they search for the living God, that they may grow in faith and be living witnesses to the power of the risen Christ, we pray to the Lord…

 For the intentions we hold silently in our hearts, in union with Mary, the Mother of God and all the saints, we pray the Lord…

 For all who have died, that they share the banquet of eternal life, we pray to the Lord…

Celebrant:

Lord, we rejoice in your presence
And we ask your mercy.
Hear our prayers
And keep us faithful to your Word.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. 

Healing after Abortion

Every day, women who have had abortions are coming to the healing of the Lord. One such person has shared the following: “[My husband] convinced me to get an abortion. I was of the feeling (although I knew better) that this wasn’t really a baby. It was a ‘mass of tissue’ I was getting rid of.  I grieved for a long time when I faced what I had really done.  It made me a much sadder person for a while.  I made a confession to a Priest, [and] followed his advice to become involved in letting people know that they are carrying a life inside of them. I feel very good about myself now.  I am involved in the Pro-Life Movement.” For more info, visit www.SilentNoMore.com. 

Ex 22:20-26
1 Thes 1:5c-10
Mt 22:34-40

Watch a video with homily hints

The readings for today make it clear that love of God and practical, concrete attention to the needs of one’s neighbor are inseparable. To love one’s neighbor “as oneself” means to love the neighbor as a person like oneself…to recognize, in other words, that despite any differences the neighbor may have, he/she is a person who never loses his/her human dignity.

So it is with our relationship with the unborn child. Recognizing that child as a person like ourselves is the foundation of extending our love to them and our efforts to protect them. The love of God cannot co-exist with indifference toward the slaughter of the unborn.