Prayer for the World October 2, 2024
- Oct 1, 2024
- 3 min read
Respect Life
Introduction
October 10 is the World Day Against the Death Penalty. Catholic Mobilizing Network is inviting everyone to join in a Novena of Prayer for those who are on death row and for abolition of the death penalty.
Opening Prayer: O God, you envision for us a justice that emulates your mercy and healing. But too often we choose retribution over repair and relationship. Guide us in our work to abolish the death penalty. Through your grace, may we discard this violent practice which falls short of your perfect vision, and create in its place a justice that honors the human dignity of all. Daily Intention For those who have been executed, their lives deemed unworthy by the state, Lord we pray, have mercy. Open our eyes to the inherent dignity of all people, regardless of the harm they have suffered or caused.
Song: O Lord Hear My Prayer, Taize’
Reading for Reflection
Today, the U.S. Catholic Church begins its annual recognition of Respect Life Month, which encompasses the month of October. It’s a beautiful reminder every year that each of us are called to uphold human dignity at every age and stage because we believe in the sanctity of human life.
As my own state of Texas prepares to execute Garcia White today, it only reaffirms why death penalty abolition needs to be included in our Respect Life Month prayers, actions, and advocacy.
Catholic Mobilizing Network’s mission helps focus our attention on this important work and I am proud to serve as CMN’s Episcopal Advisor. ….
I know the inhumanity of the death penalty is an issue that is near and dear to Pope Francis’ heart, as he has reminded the global Church time and again—most recently in his announcement of the Jubilee Year of 2025, where he named the abolition of the death penalty as a tangible expression of hope.
As I work in collaboration with a global network of Catholics during this final synodal session, my prayers will be with this network and the essential work you are doing to end the death penalty, advance justice, and begin healing here in the United States.
May each of us remember our commitment to the lives of those on death row as we enter into this Respect Life Month. And may the Lord bless the soul of Garcia White, today and for all of eternity, and may his loving grace bring comfort and healing to his victims and all who are impacted by this execution.
Most Rev. Daniel Flores, Bishop of Brownsville
Episcopal Advisor to CMN
Note: CMN received an Empowerment Grant from Victory Noll, 2023-2024
Silent Prayer
We continue to celebrate the Season of Creation and pray for healing of damage to our Planet and the climate crisis. We are seeing this now with the torrential rains and flooding, especially in North Carolina. And so we pray:
For those who have died from the effects of Hurricane Helen, we pray:
For the families, businesses, homes, etc that have been destroyed or damaged by the storm, we pray:
For the volunteers, city, state and federal officials involved in rescue and recovery efforts, we pray:
Song: O Lord Hear My Prayer
Silent Prayer
Closing Prayer
World Council of Churches (LCWR Transforming Practice)
Give me a heart of poverty, able to love and open up and give myself to others.Give me a heart of patience, able to love and live in hope.Give me a heart of peacefulness able to love and sow peace in the world.Give me a heart of justice, able to love and measure myself by the standard of justice.Give me a heart of mercifulness, able to love and understand and forgive others.Give me a heart of sensitivity, able to love and weep without being discouraged.Give me a heart of purity, able to love and see God in everyone.Give me a heart of strength, able to love and be faithful unto death.Give me a heart touched by the Gospel, able to love.
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