Pray Without Ceasing

“Pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition)

In this last week, due to recent events, this Bible passage has really resonated with me.  With the release of the draft of a Supreme Court decision suggesting the possibility of Roe v. Wade ( 410, U.S. 113 (1973) ) and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey ( 505 U.S. 833 (1992) ) being over turned by the Supreme Court and thus, having abortion regulations return to the states, there is much hope for us in the pro-life movement.  This is what we have been praying for, for nearly 50 years!!  It seems we have almost won a victory.  This might be true, but regardless, we need to keep praying; pray without ceasing. 

We need to pray for the safety of the judges who voted to overturn this law.  We need to pray for the safety of all of us as we joyfully attend Mass. We need to pray for husbands and wives who struggle with infertility.  What an injustice to know that others who are able to have children are so quick to kill them when other couples are struggling to have children.  We need to pray for our brothers and sisters that are on the front lines: the ones who are praying outside of abortion clinics, those who are sidewalk counselors, those who are campaigning for pro-life, those who are pro-life and in the medical field, for they have experienced so many struggles in their profession, and those who are helping at pregnancy centers.  We need to pray for our political leaders to work to defend life.  We need to pray for our priests and religious brothers and sisters to witness to the full dignity of every human person.

We need to pray for the unborn that are in the womb.  This used to be the safest place for a baby, but now it proves to be the most dangerous.  We need to pray that these mothers will choose life!  We need to let these women know that we can help them, that they are not alone.  We will be there for them.  We will support them. We need to prayerfully express our sorrow for babies who have been aborted and for the mothers and/or fathers who aborted them.  They need to know that God still loves them and they will be forgiven if they repent.

But most importantly, we need to pray for those who are pro-abortion and especially those who have been personally involved with an abortion.  This is the only way that abortion will end, when our brothers and sisters come to know the TRUTH.  The secular world teachers that women have a choice: to choose to keep or to kill their child.  The positive law might say this, but this is not a right that they have.  Our rights do not come from the government, they come from God.  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” (Declaration of Independence (1776) )

The secular world also teaches that women embracing their femininity means giving women the freedom to act like many irresponsible men who abandon their children. But true femininity means recognizing the God-given capacity of women to nurture and care for their families, including their unborn children.  To attempt to change women into men is not femininity.  True femininity in the sense that St. John Paull II talked about it, means seeing women in light of their divine vocation (Letter of Pope John Paul II to Women, 6).

Our Catholic faith is not just about saving the unborn from abortion; it is about saving eternal souls.  Our Catholic faith teaches us about the whole person: body, mind, and soul.  While saving persons from physical death, saving their souls and having their souls be united to the Lord in heaven is of the utmost importance.

So keep praying!  Pray without ceasing!  Our pro-life work, which is really God’s work, is not done yet!