Novena has ended: thank you & a few notes :-)

 

Dear Friends,

first off, a big thank you to all who prayed the Novena - God always hears our prayers and we have no dout about it that our prayers were heard: thank you God!

second: there's good news on the pro-life front because more and more positive things have been and are and will continue to happen - lifesite news are often having positive and encouraging articles and people in their thousands are making their voice heard and/or taking to the streets for life - especially this year. (read more by clicking HERE if you like :-)

third: the U.S. Bishops have launched a nine-day prayer campaign - beginning 19th January and ending 27th where all Americans are invited to pray and do penance as a sign of repentance and for an end to abortion so if you're American, join in and if you have American friends (maybe on your facebook too) let them know about it! You can read more about this by clicking here)

Another note, and an invitation - this time for those of us living in Malta: Fr.Richard has kindly allowed us to use the adoration chapel for our Rosary for the Unborn meeting. For those who've never joined us, we meet once a month, usually the last friday, to pray for an end to abortion, to pray that Malta will not accept abortion - EVER - and to pray for women who have had an abortion, for them to find healing. The Rosary meeting will be this Friday (25th January) and we'll be meeting at 7:15pm. The Rosary will be prayed in the "Mulej Blata Tieghi Chapel". Everyone is invited to come pray with us and for those unsure where the chapel is, it is found right next to Sacro Cuor Church so once you've found the Parish Church you've basically found the chapel too, it's right next to the church. 

Last but not least, and this is extremely important for ALL of us: there's a facebook page called WE CAN END ABORTION and they're trying to unite as many prolife people as they can. So if you have a facebook account, just take a second to visit and like their page >>CLICK HERE<< The unborn haven't got a voice besides OUR voice so we NEED to speak up for them ...and this is one way to do that: just a simple click!

May God bless us, the unborn and every mother expecting. May we soon see an end to abortion too.

Novena for the Unborn and for an end to abortion (Day 9)

Novena Day 9:

 

"Dear children, let us love

not with words and speech
but with actions and in truth!"

(1 John 3:18)

 

Reflection: Did you cry dear friend, when you heard about the horrrible massacre at the Connecticut school? Did you cry for those 20 children and their teachers? I know I did. ...Which one of us didn't?! Twenty children killed in one brief instant: each child a beautiful girl or boy, innocent, young, full of life, with so much ahead. Obama appeared moved and spoke about it and rightly so because these children deserved to be mourned but likewise, so do the 4,000+ unborn murdered every day in the same country! How can we forget the innocent unborn and not mourn them? Over another 100,000 children are aborted everyday worldwide too. Oh Lord Jesus: how You must cry! How You must be deeply saddened! How You must be angered too that we could let this continue to happen! Over 55 million children, so precious to You, have been murdered by abortion these past 40 years, legally, in States alone!

Lord Jesus You taught us to love each other! You told us to look out for our brothers! You taught us to care and respect others and yet we kill instead! We talk and pretend to be "civilised" and yet this is what we've done and what we continue to do. Lord Jesus, give us the courage to stand up and to bring an end to this tragedy: give us the strength and wisdom to love with deeds and actions, not just words!

 

Today, (22nd January) is the 40th Anniversary since America legalised abortion. In the past 40 years over 55 million innocent children have been legally aborted. Pray, sincerely, and with faith, for an end to abortion ...how many more children must we kill or let die before this tragedy is ended? Watch the video above and do your part in speaking up in favour of life: at every opportunity!

 

Prayer:

God and Father of Life,
You have created every human person,
And have opened the way for each

to have eternal life.

We live in the shadow of death.
Tens of millions of your children

have been killed because of the

Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Father, have mercy on us, 

Heal our world
And accept our offering

of prayer and penance.
In Your love for us,

Turn back the scourge of abortion.

 

May each of us exult

in hearts full of hope

And hands full of mercy
And work together

to build a culture of life.

We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.
 

(This prayer is from the Priests for Life website,
May God continue to bless us through their work for life!)

 

(Note: this year's March for Life will be happening on the 25th of January. May politicians be moved to enact laws which defend not kill the unborn: offer a prayer for this intention! :-)

 

Novena for the Unborn and for an end to abortion (Day 8)

Novena Day 8

"Blessed are the Peacemakers

for they shall be called Children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted

for righteousness' sake for theirs 

is the Kingdom of God!"

(Mt 5:9,10)

 

 

Reflection: Lord Jesus, in her Nobel Prize Speech, Mother Teresa said to all those gathered that abortion was the greatest destroyer of peace and today Lord, millions upon millions of children have been killed in this way. Oh Lord Jesus, we know that as long as abortion continues we can have no peace. How can we have peace if we're making war on and killing the most vulnerable and most innocent of Your children?!

But Lord Jesus not all hope is lost either, for You have given us people who work to stop this killing and who defend life. You have given these men and women the courage to stand up and speak up for the unborn, therefore promoting peace. Yes Lord, these are today's peacemakers and we thank You for them and ask You to strengthen, bless and protect each one especially those most persecuted. Truly these are Your children!

 

Today, think of those people: men and women who are doing their utmost to end abortion. Pray for them to continue to have the courage to stand up and speak up againt this modern-day holocaust and tragedy. Think of those who promote peace by adopting children too and thank God for such people. As you pray remember also those who are persecuted because of defending life. Think of those people who have been arrested or are currently in prison because of defending the unborn.

 

Prayer:

 God and Father of Life,
You have created every human person,
And have opened the way for each

to have eternal life.

We live in the shadow of death.
Tens of millions of your children

have been killed because of the

Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Father, have mercy on us, 

Heal our world
And accept our offering

of prayer and penance.
In Your love for us,

Turn back the scourge of abortion.

May each of us exult

in hearts full of hope

And hands full of mercy
And work together

to build a culture of life.

We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.

(This prayer is from the Priests for Life website,

May God continue to bless us through their work for life!)

 

 

Additional notes:

should anyone like to read all of Mother Teresa's speech, this is the link: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1979/teresa-lecture.html

and should anyone think it's not possible that people are imprisoned for defending life, (in this day and age - for who could believe this?!), you might be interested in reading the following:

 

Australian father of seven sentenced to eight months in prison for defending life (click blue heading)

 

Pro-lifer in prison receive's Queen's Jubilee medal for her Pro-life work (click blue heading)

 

...just two examples of the various you'll be able to find online.

God bless you - may we be peacemakers too!

 

 

 

Novena for the Unborn and for an end to abortion (Day 7)

Novena Day 7

"Can a mother forget her child and have

no compassion for the baby in her womb?..."

(Is 49:15)

 

click the picture if you'd like to read more testimonies

 

Reflection: Lord Jesus, no. No, a woman can never forget the baby her womb. A woman, whether right after an abortion or years later, upon realising what's really happened, regrets having had an abortion/s. Lord Jesus, women everywhere are hurt by this reality and tragedy. They live their lives unable to forget and requiring healing and lots of love and support. They live their lives thinking of what their sons and daughters would have become and yes Lord, they're hurting. Therefore Lord Jesus, heal these women we pray. Keep Your hand over them and help them forgive themselves. Help them to speak up too so that lives may be saved and no more women hurt.

 

Today, think of those women who have had an abortion.

Think also of the fathers, the siblings, the grandparents.

Think of how they all suffer when a child is killed

and pray for them to find healing and the

courage to speak up in favour of life.

 

Prayer:

God and Father of Life,
You have created every human person,
And have opened the way for each

to have eternal life.

We live in the shadow of death.
Tens of millions of your children

have been killed because of the

Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Father, have mercy on us, 

Heal our world
And accept our offering

of prayer and penance.
In Your love for us,

Turn back the scourge of abortion.

 

May each of us exult

in hearts full of hope

And hands full of mercy
And work together

to build a culture of life.

We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.

 

(This prayer is from the Priests for Life website,

May God continue to bless us through their work for life!)

Novena for the Unborn and for an end to abortion (Day 6)

Novena Day 6:

"be sure of this, that he

who brings back a sinner from the

wrong path will save a soul from death..."

(James 5:20)

(click the picture if you'd like to read the story of this infant :-)

 

Reflection: Lord Jesus, little Kimberly Mueller, and others like her , were 6 months old when they were born: tiny but alive, loved and cared for. Many children though, even at this stage or later are being aborted and so, what can we say Lord? How much it must pain You! How saddened You must be. Lord Jesus, we know that abortion is wrong, at any stage, but to kill a child at this stage when it could actually survive outside of the womb: why have we become so cruel? Lord Jesus, I pray today, for abortionists and all those promoting abortion. I pray Lord, that they may stop killing and start defending life and I thank You God for all those who have already changed their ways and are defending life. Thank You Jesus for their courage, their witness and their change of heart.

 

Today, spare 14 minutes to watch this non-graphical and not disturbing video of former abortionists and abortion promoters/counsellors giving their stories and defending life. (The actual speeches start on the 5th minute so if 14 minutes is too long, fast forward little...) Pray for abortionists and those who promote abortion to change and defend life.

 

Prayer:

 God and Father of Life,
You have created every human person,
And have opened the way for each

to have eternal life.

We live in the shadow of death.
Tens of millions of your children

have been killed because of the

Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Father, have mercy on us, 

Heal our world
And accept our offering

of prayer and penance.
In Your love for us,

Turn back the scourge of abortion.

May each of us exult

in hearts full of hope

And hands full of mercy
And work together

to build a culture of life.

We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.

(This prayer is from the Priests for Life website,
May God continue to bless us through their work for life!)

Novena for the Unborn and for an end to abortion (Day 5)

Novena Day 5:

"Then, He took a young child, placed it

in their midst, and putting His arms

around it, He said to them: "Whoever

welcomes a child such as this in My Name,

welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me,

welcomes not Me but The One who sent Me."

(Mark 9:36,37)

 

 (if you click the picture it will take you to Noah and his dad's website :-)

Reflection: Lord Jesus, You told us to welcome each child and no wonder You did! Look at that child. Isn't he beautiful? His smile reflects Your Love and surely it fills his parents with joy! 

 

Lord Jesus, statistics show us though that depending on the country, 92-98% of children resulting positive for down syndrome while in the womb aren't welcomed. Everyday, parents who would otherwise have loved their child, upon learning that he/she has down syndrome are choosing to abort. Lord Jesus, instead of choosing to welcome and love and care for these children, we're killing them because of this condition. We're killing other children too because of "disability" when really it's us who are disabled for we are the ones refusing to welcome, see and love them, these, Your precious little ones.

Today, offer a prayer or sacrifice for the protection the unborn infants who have tested positive for a condition or disability. Take a moment to read this article (click here) about two truly loving parents who chose life for their son despite knowing that he had a disability and resolute to stand up for all children, no less the little ones who have special needs.

 

Prayer:

God and Father of Life,
You have created every human person,
And have opened the way for each

to have eternal life.

We live in the shadow of death.
Tens of millions of your children

have been killed because of the

Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Father, have mercy on us, 

Heal our world
And accept our offering

 of prayer and penance.
In Your love for us,

Turn back the scourge of abortion.

 

May each of us exult

in hearts full of hope

And hands full of mercy
And work together

to build a culture of life.

We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.

(This prayer is from the Priests for Life website,
May God continue to bless us through their work for life!)

Novena for the Unborn and for an end to abortion (Day 4)

Novena Day 4:

"Thou shalt not kill"

(Exodus 20:13)

 

  

Reflection: God Our Father, Giver of Life, all life comes from You. When You commanded us not to kill, You gave us no exceptions. Yet we, Lord God, even some of us who are against abortion, seem to make exceptions in the case of rape. We seem to think, Dear Father, that the mothers of children conceived in rape should be allowed to abort their children. But why Lord? How can we forget that these children are Your children? How can we think that these children haven't got the right to live? Lord God, it's true that these women are victims who suffer tremendously but remind us Heavenly Father that the child is not the perpetrator. Remind us that the child conceived in rape is an innocent human being who deserves to live.

Today, think of those women who are victims of

rape. Offer a sacrifice or prayer for their needs and

the needs of the innocent children they bear. Pray that

they will choose life for the child and that they may

find the support they need to heal the hurts of rape.*

 

Prayer:

God and Father of Life,
You have created every human person,
And have opened the way for each

to have eternal life.

We live in the shadow of death.
Tens of millions of your children

have been killed because of the

Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Father, have mercy on us,
Heal our world
And accept our offering

of prayer and penance.
In Your love for us,

Turn back the scourge of abortion.

 

May each of us exult

in hearts full of hope

And hands full of mercy
And work together

to build a culture of life.

We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.

(This prayer is from the Priests for Life website,
May God continue to bless us through their work for life!)

 

*There is a 25 minute (excellent and free) documentary available online where two women, Nicole Cooley and Rebecca Kiessling, give their stories about abortion and rape. Cooley was a victim of rape who sadly, thinking she was making the right choice, aborted her child and Keissling is a child conceived in rape. Their stories are different but today, for different reasons, they both oppose abortion in the case of rape. This short episode http://www.facinglife.tv/episode/season_3/episode_8/episode_308.html explains why and is definately worth your time. If you can, try to find time to watch it.

Novena for the Unborn and for an end to abortion (Day 3)

Novena Day 3:

"Create in me, oh God, a pure heart;

give me a new and steadfast spirit.

Do not cast me away from Your Presence

nor take Your Holy Spirit from me."

(Psalm 51:12,13)

 

  

 

Reflection: Lord, the Psalmist was indeed right when he said: "Lord, how great are your deeds!" for though tiny in size, at just 22 days, the heart of an unborn child is already beating! At 6 weeks, an unborn child's heartbeat can be heard by ultrasound and this despite the fact that he/she is barely half a centimetre long!

Lord Jesus, the verse at the beginning wasn't about the unborn child. These unborn children already have pure and innocent hearts! No Lord, that verse is about me, about my neighbour, about my society and about us in general. Lord, we need pure hearts, hearts that go out for these little children, hearts that are courageous in the face of this tragedy and that will defend life so that no more heartbeats are stopped by abortion.

Today, stop to think about God's heart.

Think of how God's heart goes out for these children.

Think of how He must be deeply saddened by abortion

and think of how God wants you and me to do our utmost

to defend life, particularly that of the helpless and unborn.

 

Prayer:

God and Father of Life,
You have created every human person,
And have opened the way for each

to have eternal life.

We live in the shadow of death.
Tens of millions of your children

have been killed because of the

Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Father, have mercy on us,
Heal our world
And accept our offering

of prayer and penance.

In Your love for us,

Turn back the scourge of abortion. 

May each of us exult

in hearts full of hope

And hands full of mercy
And work together

to build a culture of life.

We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.

(This prayer is from the Priests for Life website,
May God continue to bless us through their work for life!)

Novena for the Unborn and for an end to abortion (Day 2)

Novena Day 2:

"But the Angel said: "Do not fear Mary,

for God has looked kindly on you.

Behold, you shall conceive and bear a Son

and you shall call Him Jesus."

(Luke 1:30,31)

 

 

Reflection: Mary, dear Mother of Jesus, you were young when, by the Power of the Holy Spirit you conceived the Child Jesus. You were afraid, unsure of how to handle things, what to say, how to explain, how to care for a child. But you trusted in God and accepted this Gift growing within you. Mary, Mother of Jesus, pray for mothers, especially those most afraid, help them so that like you they may trust in God and allow their unborn children to grow and live.

Today, think of expecting mothers.

Think of how young and afraid many might be/are.

Pray that they can find the support they need to choose

life for their children and if you know someone who is

expecting a child, be supportive and kind!

 

Prayer:

God and Father of Life,
You have created every human person,
And have opened the way for each

to have eternal life.

We live in the shadow of death.
Tens of millions of your children

have been killed because of the

Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Father, have mercy on us.
Heal our world
And accept our offering

of prayer and penance.

In Your love for us,

Turn back the scourge of abortion.

May each of us exult

in hearts full of hope
And hands full of mercy
And work together

to build a culture of life.

We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.

(This Prayer is from the Priests for Life website,
May God continue to bless us through their work for life!)

Novena for the Unborn and for an end to abortion (Day 1)

Dear Friends,

today, the 14th of January, is the 1st of 9 days towards the 22nd January. The 22nd January is the day America legalised abortion, 40 years ago. Since then, as we all know, millions of children have been aborted - brutally killed before they were even given the chance to be born.

In the Church, we often pray Novenas and today, being the 1st of 9 days towards the 22nd, is the right day to start a Novena for the Unborn and an end to abortion.

These 9 days are a reminder of the 9 months a child usually lives in the womb before he or she is born and during these nine days, let us pray - sincerely and with faith - for an end to abortion.

 

Novena Day 1:

 

For you created my inmost being;

You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise You because

I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Your works are wonderful,

I know that full well!

(Psalm 139:13,14)

 

 

Reflection: Lord Jesus, we know that we were formed in our mother's womb. We know that there is not a "mass of tissues" or a "blob" when a woman is pregnant. We know Lord, that It is a child - a girl or a boy - held and growing within an expecting mother: a beautiful child whom You have created in Your Image and Likeness. Lord Jesus, help us defend these young unborn!

Today, let us think of the and remember unborn children.

Let us ask God to protect each one,

that each one may have the opportunity to be born,

held and kissed by his or her mother.

Prayer:

God and Father of Life,
You have created every human person,
And have opened the way for each

to have eternal life. 

        We live in the shadow of death.
Tens of millions of your children

have been killed because of the

Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

Father, have mercy on us.
Heal our world
And accept our offering

of prayer and penance.

In Your love for us,

Turn back the scourge of abortion.

May each of us exult

in hearts full of hope
And hands full of mercy
And work together

to build a culture of life.

We pray through Christ our Lord, Amen.

(This Prayer is from the Priests for Life website,

May God continue to bless us through their work for life!)

1st January - Solemnity of Our Lady, Mother of God and Queen of Peace

View more presentations from ruth (Malta).

Today, God is giving us a new year: let us strive to know, love and serve Him better – He loves us. …and when we doubt His love for us, let us pray: “Lord increase our faith!” Let us turn to Mary for help too for She will always bring us closer to Jesus!

 

This is a beautiful song:

http://www.spiritandsong.com/articles/14320

 

A blessed new year 

to you and your loved ones! :-)