Day of Prayer and Penance for Life

At least three friends (that I'm aware of) are among the almost 250 from our diocese who have joined the hundreds of thousands who have converged upon our nation's capitol for this year's MARCH FOR LIFE.

January 22 is a dark mark in the history of our great nation. January 22, 1973 was the day that the famous Roe v. Wade decision came out of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Our household and family join with them in a vigil of prayer for an end to abortion in our country.

If you can, please join us tonight (Friday night) at Holy Family for an observation of what the U.S. bishops have requested of the faithful: A day of Prayer & Penance for Life. The Holy Rosary will be said and the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available at 5:30 P.M. Mass (using the Propers for the Mass for Peace and Justice) begins at 6:30 P.M. And a light soup and bread dinner (donations suggested) will be served in the community center after Mass.

This is the second year we've observed this at Holy Family. God-willing, maybe one of these years will be the last.

Thomas Xavier Halbrook, 4 months, 2005

One of the other dads over at Catholic Dads had some suggestions from his pastor for things you might consider doing if you can't make it to Reconciliation and/or a Mass today...

• Make a visit to any Catholic church to spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
• Spend some extra time in prayer at home, e.g. pray a family rosary
• Abstain from meat
• Fast for the day, from a meal, or from snacks between meals
• Give up television, music, video games, or some other entertainment
• Donate monies saved from above to any pro-life group or agency

Matthew James Halbrook, 5 months, 2007

"In all the dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life. The Mass 'For Peace and Justice' (no. 22 of the 'Masses for Various Needs') should be celebrated with violet vestments as an appropriate liturgical observance for this day." - General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 373

Joseph Michael Halbrook, 6 months, 2009

"Openness to life is at the center of true development. When a society moves toward the denial or suppression of life, it ends up no longer finding the necessary motivation and energy to strive for man's true good. If personal and social sensitivity towards the acceptance of a new life is lost, the other forms of acceptance that are valuable for society also wither away. The acceptance of life strengthens moral fiber and makes people capable of mutual help. By cultivating openness to life, wealthy peoples can better understand the needs of poor ones, they can avoid employing huge economic and intellectual resources to satisfy the selfish desires of their own citizens, and instead, they can promote virtuous action within the perspective of production that is morally sound and marked by solidarity, respecting the fundamental right to life of every people and every individual." - Pope Benedict XVI

Related posts:

1. Dad, Did You Know They’re Pagans?
2. March for Life 2010: Interesting & Informative
3. The family, economic life and work
4. Elisabeth: The Littlest Survivor
5. Prayer to Saint Michael