Now that Roe v. Wade has been struck down it is easy to think that our job is done. However, the issue is not gone, but merely moved into more local arenas for decisions. And so our job is to pray and work that the innocent are spared and that we support and care for the women who suffer from the way our culture thinks about unseen life — as something inhuman to be easily discarded.
With that in mind, I share two readings for today. The first I got from Word Among Us in 2023.
And best of all, Jesus continues to pray for us in heaven, where he constantly makes intercession “before God on our behalf” (Hebrews 9:24).The second is from Bishop Burbidge's homily at the 2023 National Prayer Vigil in Washington, D.C. The whole thing is excellent. There is an excerpt to give you a flavor.
On this day when many of us pray for the protection of unborn children, we can draw hope from this passage. Jesus, our compassionate high priest, offered himself for every sin, including abortion. How he must suffer over every lost child! How he must grieve for every woman who feels alone or thinks she has no other option but to end her pregnancy! That’s why he endured the shame of the cross: to win forgiveness for every sin, no matter how grievous.
Even now, Jesus stands before his heavenly Father interceding for us. He is offering mercy and healing to every family wounded by abortion. He is pouring out grace for every man or woman who feels alone as they consider the future of their unborn child. And he is interceding for each of us, that we might meet the needs of every child and every parent. Let’s join him in praying that God’s kingdom would come—so that there will be no more abortion or poverty or hunger or violence. May God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven!
Dear friends, today we have so much to celebrate. For the first time in the 49-year-history of the March for Life, we can say that Roe vs. Wade, a blight on our nation, our system of justice, and our culture, is no more. This is a moment for joy, and for gratitude; a moment to recall the countless souls who have dedicated themselves to political and social action, to prayer, and to service in the name of this cause. It is a moment to gather before our God to offer praise and thanksgiving for this great, longed for blessing. Today we make the gratitude of today’s Psalm our own: “O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!”
But even as we celebrate, we must remember: this is the beginning, not the end. A new important phase of work in the pro-life movement begins now! ...
While we hold public officials accountable, we must remember that each of us is accountable also. “The secret of Christian living is love,” Pope Francis has said. “Only love fills the empty spaces caused by evil.” That is our task. That is where our words must be matched by our actions. Our work will not be complete until God’s love is felt in every empty space created by abortion.
As we look to the future of the pro-life movement, may we turn our attention to those empty spaces. Into the empty spaces of public discourse on abortion, may we bring clarity and charity in communicating with our opponents. Into the empty space of our wounded politics, may we communicate the need to let go of partisanship and to do what is right and just. Into the empty spaces of culture, may we celebrate truth, beauty, and God’s goodness. Into the empty space of fear and loneliness experienced by women facing an unplanned pregnancy, may we offer God’s peace and hope and our untiring commitment to walk with them at every moment. Into the empty spaces within the lives of mothers and fathers who mourn from children lost to abortion, may we gently voice God’s endless comfort and mercy.
We can accomplish none of this on our own. Indeed, it is only in letting God fill the empty spaces in our own hearts with the warmth of his love that we may begin to fill the spaces around us. ...
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