Intercessions for Life
June 2000
That as God has loved us, we might love one another,
cherishing the gift of life with which he has graced us all;
We pray to the Lord:
That the Holy Spirit might endow us with the gift of truth,
that we might see in every human life
an inestimable gift of God;
We pray to the Lord:
For every person whom we have ignored or forgotten,
that through the grace of God,
we might live in the boundless love of the Most Holy Trinity;
We pray to the Lord:
[That the Body and Blood of Christ
might strengthen us for the Gospel of life;
We pray to the Lord:
Among some peoples old age is esteemed and valued, while among others this is much less the case, due to a mentality which gives priority to immediate human usefulness and productivity. Such an attitude frequently leads to contempt for the later years of life, while older people themselves are led to wonder whether their lives are still worthwhile. It has come to the point where euthanasia is increasingly put forward as a solution for difficult situations. Unfortunately, in recent years the idea of euthanasia has lost for many people the sense of horror which it naturally awakens in those who have a sense of respect for life. Certainly it can happen that, when grave illness involves unbearable suffering, the sick are tempted to despair and their loved ones or those responsible for their care feel compelled by a misguided compassion to consider the solution of "an easy death" as something reasonable. Here it should be kept in mind that the moral law allows the rejection of "aggressive medical treatment" and makes obligatory only those forms of treatment which fall within the normal requirements of medical care, which in the case of terminal illness seeks primarily to alleviate pain. But euthanasia, understood as directly causing death, is another thing entirely. Regardless of intentions and circumstances, euthanasia is always an intrinsically evil act, a violation of God's law and an offence against the dignity of the human person. There is an urgent need to recover a correct perspective on life as a whole. The correct perspective is that of eternity, for which life at every phase is a meaningful preparation. Old age too has a proper role to play in this process of gradual maturing along the path to eternity. And this process of maturing cannot but benefit the larger society of which the elderly person is a part.
"I don't know if I will ever be free of the sorrow which has become a deep ache inside of me, and it frightens me to imagine having to carry this pain all through my life. ... Abortion is a dark place. An enormous emptiness."
— "Annelle"
If you're suffering because of an abortion, don't suffer alone. For confidential help call your local Project Rachel office or see www.hopeafterabortion.com for the office closest you.
"I did not want to go, but I was too tired to fight, too tired to think. I just stopped feeling. It wasn't the real me that went that day, it was someone else. I don't know where that me is anymore. She died that day I think."
— "Penny"
If you're suffering because of an abortion, don't suffer alone. For confidential help call your local Project Rachel office or see www.hopeafterabortion.com for the office closest you.
"There are no memories to share for I was the only one who knew her. Grieving for my unborn child is very lonely."
—"Noreen"
If you're suffering because of an abortion, don't suffer alone. For confidential help call your local Project Rachel office or see www.hopeafterabortion.com for the office closest you.
"He was real and he was our son and I miss him."
— "Lisa," a mother whose child was aborted
If you're suffering because of an abortion, don't suffer alone. For confidential help call your local Project Rachel office or see www.hopeafterabortion.com for the office closest you.