Celebrant: All our hope lies in the saving death and Resurrection of Christ. Through him, we now present our needs to the Father.

Deacon/Lector:

That all bishops, the successors of the apostles, may be steadfast in proclaiming Christ as the only Savior, we pray to the Lord...

That government leaders may turn each day to the Lord of all nations for wisdom, strength, and truth, we pray to the Lord...

That we may build a Culture of Life which welcomes the born and unborn, the stranger and neighbor, and the saint and sinner, we pray to the Lord…

That all who have wandered far from God may find the strength to return and experience his tender mercy, we pray to the Lord...

For all those preparing for baptism at Easter, that they may grow deeper each day in their understanding and acceptance of God's Word, we pray to the Lord...

For all who are alone and forgotten, for the sick, and for all who have been called from this life, we pray to the Lord...

Celebrant:

Father,
You make all things new
in Jesus your Son.
May we who pray in his name
experience your saving power and love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Precisely because this involves the internal consistency of our message about the value of the human person, the Church cannot be expected to change her position on this question [of abortion]. I want to be completely honest in this regard. This is not something subject to alleged reforms or “modernizations”. It is not “progressive” to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life. On the other hand, it is also true that we have done little to adequately accompany women in very difficult situations, where abortion appears as a quick solution to their profound anguish, especially when the life developing within them is the result of rape or a situation of extreme poverty. Who can remain unmoved before such painful situations? - Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, Paragraph 214, November 26, 2013

Is 43:16-21
Phil 3:8-14
Jn 8:1-11

Video with preaching tips

“See, I am doing something new,” the Lord declares today through the Prophet Isaiah.

That is what we proclaim to the world as we build the Culture of Life, and that is what Lent prepares us for. “By your gracious gift each year, your faithful await the sacred paschal feasts with the joy of minds made pure.” (Preface 1 of Lent).  The paschal mystery renews the world, and ushers in the new humanity, built on Christ and reconciled with God. That is the source of the Culture of Life.

The error of excluding entire segments of the human family, like the unborn, from personhood and protection, is an error that is old. It crops up throughout human history, and leads to genocide, holocausts, various forms of slavery, segregation and oppression.

But Christ makes all things new. As today’s Gospel passage reveals, he does not condemn us, but reveals to us the mercy that flows from his love for every human life. Yet that mercy is not permission to return to our old life of sin, but rather power that raises us up beyond the life of sin to a new way of responding to the people around us.

Some will maintain that it is not really possible to overcome the culture of death or to stop the advance of abortion, euthanasia, and other forms of violence. But if we are to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed, and are to hear the message, “See, I am doing something new,” then we are called to believe that it really is possible – and we are called to use our gifts and energy to make it real.

In addition to these themes, the homily today may well speak about ministries that provide healing after abortion. A good clearinghouse for such ministries is www.SilentNoMore.com, a joint project of Priests for Life and Anglicans for Life.