In the Heart of His Mercy prayer booklet by Prolife Leader Frank Pavone (PDF)
Prayers for Healing the Wounds of Abortion
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| Below are individual paragraphs that can be inserted into church bulletins or on websites that echo the theme of healing after abortion. [PDF to Download/Print] |
"I would now like to say a special word to women who have had an abortion... Do not give in to discouragement and do not lose hope." -- John Paul II, The Gospel of Life, n.99.
Reflection: The God of Life is a God of Mercy. The pro-life movement rejects abortion, but does not reject those who have abortions. Rather, it embraces them with love and mercy, and invites them to the forgiveness and peace of Christ.
Prayer: Lord, I pray for all those who have had abortions. Through the compassion of those around them, make them confident that they can turn to you for forgiveness, and grant them your peace.
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"Give yourselves over with humility and trust to repentance. The Father of mercies is ready to give you his forgiveness and his peace" (John Paul II, to those who have had abortions...Evangelium Vitae, 99).
Reflection: Every day, around the world, men and women who have lost children to abortion gather for Rachel's Vineyard retreats, which provide an opportunity to face the wounds of abortion in a safe, affirming environment of prayer and the support of others who have been through the same experience.
Prayer: Lord, be with all those who are going through healing after abortion, and bring them quickly to your peace. Amen.
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"They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony" (Revelation 12:11).
Reflection: At the March for Life in Washington, women who have had abortions lead the way. They are the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. They march at the very beginning of the immense crowd, and carry signs that say "I Regret My Abortion." Then, in the late afternoon, they gather at the steps of the Supreme Court, and share their testimonies one by one. Fathers of aborted babies are also there, with signs saying, "I Regret Lost Fatherhood."
Prayer: Lord, bless these courageous men and women, and thank you for their powerful witness. Amen.
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"On seeing what had taken place, the centurion praised God and said, 'Surely, this man was innocent.'" (Luke 23:47)
Reflection: When Jesus died on the cross, the Centurion standing next to him repented of participating in his crucifixion. Many who used to perform abortions have now also repented, and they say, "Surely, these were innocent lives, and we are sorry." They have formed a group called the Society of Centurions. They seek God's healing and invite other abortionists to stop the killing.
Prayer: Lord, I pray today for the Centurions. Now that they have stopped killing children, let them find your healing and peace. Amen.
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"You have come to Jesus ... and to the sprinkled blood that speaks more powerfully than even the blood of Abel" (Hebrews 12:24)
Reflection: In the culture of death, the blood of tens of millions of unborn children is shed together with that of Jesus. Scripture teaches that the blood of the innocent cries out to God. Fortunately, it also teaches that the blood of Jesus cries out louder, calling for mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
Prayer: Lord, in Communion, we receive your Body and Blood. May we weep for the blood of the babies; may we be consoled as we receive the blood of Christ. Amen.
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"You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am wonderfully made; awesome are your works" (Psalm 139:13-14).
Reflection: This psalm not only declares that God made us in the womb, but also that the life in the womb belongs completely to him, is called by him, and is destined to fulfill a plan given only to that individual from all eternity.
Prayer: Lord, what kind of an act is it to destroy a life by abortion? Forgive those who deny the child's right to live, and destroy your intricate handiwork and plan initiated from all eternity. Amen.
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"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" -- Matthew 5:4
Reflection: We are blessed, indeed, if we mourn over our sins, and over the evils in the world, like the daily killing of children by abortion. When is the last time we shed tears over the shedding of blood, and wept for the lives of these babies killed and moms and dads wounded? Let us pray for the gift of those tears!
Prayer: Lord, give me a broken heart over abortion. Give me the grace to do my part in ending this evil. And give me comfort, as you bring justice to the earth. Amen.
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"Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you" (Mark 5:19)
Reflection: Do post-abortion healing programs and pro-life activism mix? Countless women and men say yes. Many activists, of course, have had abortions. They speak up for the children they once killed -- and that is part of the healing. Many of those in need of healing begin that journey because their conscience is stirred by those who expose the reality of abortion.
Prayer: Lord, you inspire those who have found your healing to carry out your mission. Give fruitfulness to their words and works! Amen.
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"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20).
Reflection: Abortion leads to isolation, despair, and a feeling of being abandoned by everyone. The Church, on the other hand, brings the assurance of Jesus: "I am with you." The People of God, while rejecting abortion, embrace with love those who have had abortions, and lead them to the healing mercy of Christ.
Prayer: Lord, I pray for every person who feels alone and abandoned today, in the dark shadows of the abortion they have committed. Reach into that darkness, and enable your people to bring the light of Jesus' presence to wounded hearts. Amen.
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"If anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (1 John 2:1).
Reflection: Often, we tend to think that God is advocating *against* those who have committed sins against human life and dignity. Scripture tells us, however, that if we sin, he advocates *for us* – not, of course, to justify the sin, but to justify us, to bring us reconciliation, healing, and salvation. This is true precisely because of the dignity of the human person.
Prayer: Lord, as we steadfastly oppose sins against human life and dignity, may we steadfastly proclaim your mercy and healing. Amen.
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"To the Father and to his mercy you can with sure hope entrust your child" (John Paul II to those who have had abortions, *The Gospel of Life*, n.99).
Reflection: Baptism is the ordinary way to be born into God's grace. But for those killed without baptism, we can still have sure hope. St. Paul wrote that God wants all to be saved. Let us entrust these children to the Lord, who does not forget anyone that He creates, even when we do.
Prayer: Father, to you we commend the souls of all children killed by abortion. Bring them to heaven, and bring us your comfort. Amen.
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"O Lord, do not withhold your mercy from me...my sins have so engulfed me that I cannot see...and my heart sinks within me" (Psalm 40:12-13).
Reflection: A woman who had an abortion wrote, *"I was deceived by all I had read or heard ... It was a rough procedure. I knew as soon as my uterus was violated that I had participated in a murder. My spirit fragmented and the evil that was in that clinic came in all around me. I lost my mind."*
Prayer: I lift up to you, Lord, all those enduring mental anguish from their abortion. Send your Spirit to heal them. Amen.
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"They do more harm to those who practice them than to those who suffer from the injury" (Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, 27).
Reflection: This quote from Vatican II is speaking about abortion, euthanasia, genocide, and various other forms of violence against human life and dignity. It obviously calls for a deep concern for the welfare of those who carry out these activities. Such people distort their own humanity and jeopardize their salvation. The Church seeks both the protection of the victims and the salvation of the perpetrators.
Prayer: Lord, have mercy on those who carry out practices against human life and dignity. Convert, heal and save them. Amen.
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"Be mindful, O Lord, that mercy and kindness have been yours from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth" (Psalm 25:6-7).
Reflection: A woman wrote of her abortion, "It was very painful, physically and mentally. It affected me in the worst way. I felt very guilty. I couldn't look at any kids. I know I won't ever do it again." Those getting an abortion think it will solve their problems, and they find out it only creates more of them.
Prayer: Lord, show us how to reach out to those who have had abortions, and how to understand their pain. Bring us all to healing. Amen.
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"You will show me the path to life; you will fill me with joy in your presence" (Psalm 16:11).
Reflection: Many men and women who have lost children to abortion are speaking publicly about their sin and forgiveness through the Silent No More Awareness Campaign (a project of Priests for Life and Anglicans for Life). This campaign shows the harm abortion does, leads people to healing, and reveals the power and mercy of Christ. There is no reason to be locked in sin, shame, and silence.
Prayer: Lord, bless all the men and women who are speaking out about their abortion experiences. Thank you for their courage. Amen.
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"You restored me to health and let me live" (Isaiah 38:16).
Reflection: Pro-abortion politicians will say, "I support women's rights and health." Yet that is precisely why they should examine the evidence that abortion is destructive of women's health, and listen to the growing voices of those who have been harmed by abortion. That is also why they should examine how the abortion industry, through unregulated and dangerous clinics, continues to deceive and exploit women.
Prayer: Lord, I pray today for all those women who have been injured, physically and emotionally, by abortion. Bring them healing, and awaken our public officials to the harm abortion does. Amen.
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"As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12).
Reflection: Today is the Feast of St. Faustina, to whom Jesus revealed the wonders of divine mercy. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy was given to her especially because of the sin of abortion. God revealed to her that because of this evil, the world needs His mercy more than ever. He even permitted St. Faustina to suffer special pains, representing the pain of abortion.
Prayer: For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world! Amen!
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"A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more" (Jeremiah 31:15).
Reflection: A woman wrote of her abortion, "I had a severe emotional collapse. I was thinking of killing myself. I cried every day for a year or more. I did not get along with anyone too well. I felt like I hated the world. I suffered nightmares. Every time the vacuum was used I thought about how my baby died."
Prayer: Lord, receive the tears of so many who cry for their aborted children; may we cry with them. Amen.
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"He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will no longer be death" (Revelation 21:4).
Reflection: Men continue to suffer from the abortion of their children. Many of them repent of having shed the blood of the person God entrusted to their care, love, and protection. Others tried to protect their child, and were not allowed by the child's mother or by the law to intervene to stop the abortion. Men in these circumstances need to know that they do not weep alone, and that healing is available.
Prayer: Redeem, O Lord, the fathers whose hearts are torn by the abortion of their children. Amen.
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"The program of Jesus is 'a heart which sees'. This heart sees where love is needed and acts accordingly" (Pope Benedict XVI, God is Love).
Reflection: What can you do to stop abortion? One of the first things is to be sure you know, by memory, a phone number that people can call for alternatives to abortion and healing after abortion. The national hotline number 1-800-712-HELP connects people to both kinds of help nearest to where they live. Promote this number in any way you can!
Prayer: Father, make me ready to point people to where they can find help, and courageous to speak up when they need it. Amen.
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"'Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears' ...declares the Lord...'There is hope for your future'" (Jeremiah 31:16-17).
Reflection: A woman writes of her abortion, "It was gruesome. I looked over and could see body parts floating in a sea of blood. I was 10 weeks pregnant. The canister was right next to my head. I screamed and screamed. The nurse covered it. It changed my life forever. I could never look at children after that without crying. I did become a Christian...I know God has forgiven me."
Prayer: Lord, send repentance and forgiveness on all who have had abortions. Hear their cries; fill them with new hope. Amen.
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