Celebrant: In Christ, death is swallowed up in victory. We can therefore, in his name, bring all our needs with confidence before the Father. Deacon/Lector: That the Pope and bishops, and all who collaborate with them in ministry, may experience the constant guidance of the Holy Spirit, we pray to the Lord... That all who hold and seek public office may pursue the common good above any personal gain or advantage, we pray to the Lord... That the pro-life movement may grow in unity and strength, declaring with St. Paul that death has been swallowed up in victory, we pray to the Lord… That all God's people may, by their conversations, honor the Lord and help others to draw closer to him, we pray to the Lord... For the poor, the sick, the homeless, the unemployed, the unborn, and those on death row, we pray to the Lord...
That all who have died may have eternal rest, and that all who mourn them may have the Lord's consolation, we pray to the Lord... Celebrant: Father,
We rejoice in your Word
And in your compassion.
Hear our prayers,
And give us the joy that comes
From sharing the victory Christ has won for us,
For he is Lord forever and ever. Amen.
Be the Voice of the Voiceless "Today we stand before new challenges that call us to be the voice of the voiceless. The child growing in its mother’s womb and people who are in their declining years are a claim for dignified life that cries out to heaven and that cannot but make us shudder. The liberalization and routinization of abortion practices are abominable crimes, just as are euthanasia, genetic and embryonic manipulation, unethical medical testing, capital punishment, and so many other ways of assaulting the dignity and life of the human being. If we want to maintain a solid and inviolable basis for human rights, we absolutely must recognize that human life must always be defended from the very moment of conception. Otherwise, the circumstances and conveniences of the powerful will always find excuses for abusing persons." -- From n. 467 of the “Aparecida Document" of the Bishops of Latin American and the Caribbean, 2007, presented by Cardinal Bergoglio of Buenos Aires (now Pope Francis).
Sir 27:4-7
1 Cor 15:54-58
Luke 6:39-45 Watch and share this video with homily hints Building the Culture of Life, which is the irrevocable and fundamental commitment of the Church, is a matter of proclaiming, in word and deed, the victory that has already been won in Christ, and applying it to every sector of society. "Death is swallowed up in victory," as the second reading declares. That is the starting point for the Church and the pro-life movement. If death is swallowed up in victory, then so is abortion. This victory changes the way we respond to the gift of human life. We proclaim the victory of life, and we work to defend it from the lingering destructive effects of the kingdom of death. We do so not only in action, but also in speech. The first reading and the Gospel today reveal the power of words. They are a revelation of the heart, of the person, and they have a profound impact on others. In the Culture of Life, we respect and exalt life in the way that we speak about it. We use words that welcome the burdensome. We use words that reflect that our hearts are with the children, and with the weak and defenseless. It is a language of affirmation. When people are oppressed, the oppressor uses language of degradation, of dehumanization. This has been true throughout history, as we see in the Holocaust, and it is true regarding abortion. The unborn are called "tissue," "parasites," "waste," and other degrading words. But they are our brothers and sisters, creatures of God, equal in their human rights and dignity. They are a blessing entrusted to us. Our language, revealing our hearts, is to reflect this day by day and thereby help to change the world.
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