From the time I was a seminarian I can remember priests and other liturgical types in the Church talk about the return to “Boring Time” after Christmas. With the Christmas decorations all packed away for another year, our homes and church can seem a bit barren and the weather outside can lead even the most mirthful among us into the “winter blahs”. However, our brief stretch of Ordinary Time this winter is packed with numerous important celebrations and observances which command our attention. Among them...
On Monday the nation honors the memory and the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 95th anniversary of his birth. Much work remains until Dr. King’s dream enunciated so powerfully on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial more than a half century ago are realized: “I have a dream today that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” May we, the Church, never tire in our prayer and work for justice, for peace, and for understanding in our communities, across our nation, and around the world that one day we may live in a world where all people will not be judged by the color of their skin, nor by the faith they profess, nor the language they speak, nor any other human factor but truly by the content of their character.
The bishops of the United States have declared that January 22 should be observed as a day of prayer for life, a day for all Catholics to reflect upon our call to proclaim the gospel of life and to join in prayerful solidarity for the cause of life. As the Church teaches clearly and forcefully, while the cause of protecting the lives of the unborn is an essential element of the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of human life, the gospel of life is much more expansive. Every person is made in the image and likeness of God, therefore, all human life, from conception to natural death, is sacred and worthy of protection. I invite you to make a special effort to make either Friday or next Monday a day of prayer for life.
The following prayer from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is one you may want to clip and recite frequently, as one small way of keeping prayerful solidarity for the cause of life:
Father and maker of all, you adorn all creation with splendor and beauty, and fashion human lives in your image and likeness. Awaken in every heart reverence for the work of your hands, and renew among your people a readiness to nurture and sustain your precious gift of life. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.