Day 8 - For all who support or participate in abortion

Idirghuí

May all who support or participate in abortion experience a conversion of heart to seek and receive the Lord’s boundless mercy.

Paidreacha

Ár nAthair, 3 Sé do bheatha, a Mhuire, Glóir Don Athair

Machnamh

When God fashioned the human person in His own image and likeness, He destined us for eternal life with Him. Yet because of the sin of our first parents, death entered the world. The book of Genesis recounts the first occasion in which a person takes the life of another, as Cain violently kills his brother Abel. This instance of brother rising up against brother “at the very dawn of history is thus a sad witness of how evil spreads with amazing speed” (Evangelium vitae 8).

From the time of creation, disregard for human life has continued to spread. When we, like Cain, allow sin to find a place in our hearts, we become blinded to the truth. Sometimes this blindness might be so deep that we fail to recognise the undeniable humanity of unborn children. We may even tragically believe the lie that abortion is an act of compassion. But we know that “life, especially human life, belongs only to God: for this reason whoever attacks human life, in some way attacks God himself” (EV 9). Let us pray that all who support abortion will encounter the transforming love of the Father and, with repentant hearts, seek His mercy.

Gníomhartha Leorghníomh (Roghnaigh ceann amháin)

• Smile. Ask God today for the grace to be extra joyful and to share the light of Christ with those most in need of His love and mercy.
• Make an act of faith, hope, or love
• Ofráil roinnt íobairt eile, paidir, nó gníomh aithrí a bhraitheann tú atá riachtanach le haghaidh an lae inniu.

Céim Amháin Eile

In Our Common Humanity, written shortly before the 2018 abortion referendum in the Republic of Ireland, the Irish Catholic Bishops outline the great value our Church puts on all human life, and especially on children before they are born and on their mothers. Download the document to study on your own, or with a parish or other group or to share with family or friends. We must continue to pray earnestly that Ireland will once again ‘choose life’ and that the lives of all women and their unborn children will again be loved, valued, welcomed and respected in this country.

Is é Evangelium Vitae translated in English to “The Gospel of Life”. This is a papal encyclical promulgated on 25 March 1995 by Pope John Paul II. It deals with issues pertaining to the sanctity of human life.