Prayer for the World October 29, 2025

Respect for All Life

Introduction

October is Respect Life Month.  The basis for all Catholic social teaching is the belief that all life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society.  The U.S. Catholic Bishops have highlighted 7 key themes that are at the heart of our Catholic social tradition.  In our prayer today we will focus on three of these themes.  We will also call to mind the Corporate Statement we made as a Congregation to ongoing prayer, study and action on behalf of human rights, justice and peace.

Song:  One Life by Jan Navotka

https://youtu.be/EH8TJJouWm8?si=BxM4ABtJqub44iV8 

Enter the Silence              Deep within the Meadow

Feel the Communion Feel the warmth of Sun.                                           

Know within your being     Receive Communion

One Life in all.                  One Life in all.

1.      Life and Dignity of the Human Person

In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion and euthanasia.  The value of human life is being threatened by the use of the death penalty, the targeting of civilians in war or terrorist attacks.  The intentional targeting of civilians in war or terrorist attacks is always wrong. 

"Someone who says 'I'm against abortion but says I am in favor of the death penalty' is not really pro-life." Pope Leo XIV

OLVM Corporate Statement:  Abolition of the Death Penalty  and Equity and justice for women and protection for children  (Pause)

2.      Solidarity

We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences.  We are our brother and sisters keepers, wherever they may be.  Loving our neighbor has global dimensions in a shrinking world.  At the core of the virtue of solidarity is the pursuit of justice and peace.    Our love for all our sisters and brothers demands that we promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.

Pope Paul VI taught that if you want peace, work for justice.  The Gospel calls us to be peacemakers.

OLVM Corporate Statement:  Resolution of conflict through diplomatic and peaceful negotiations and elimination of all weapons of mass destruction—nuclear biological and chemical.  (Pause)

3.      Care for God’s Creation

We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation.  This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change.  Laudato Si’, #13

OLVM Corporate Statement:  Ecological Sustainability  (Pause)

Silent Prayer

Prayers of Intercession       Response:  God of Justice, hear our prayer.

For care, respect and protection of our immigrant, refugee and migrant brothers and sisters, we pray:

For those who are suffering the terrible effects of war especially in Ukraine and Palestine, we pray.  

For women and children who are most greatly affected by poverty and violence, we pray:

For the efforts of the Catholic Climate Covenant to inspire and mobilize the U.S. Catholic community to care for creation and achieve climate justice, we pray:

For respect for life from conception to natural death, we pray.

Loving God, in the face of so many violations of human dignity that seriously threaten the future of the human family, we pray for the promotion of the dignity of ever human person.  We do this with hope, confident of the power that flows from the Risen Christ, who has fully revealed the integral dignity of every man, woman and child.  We pray through Christ, our Risen Savior.  Amen.

Song:  One Life