January 22, 2025
Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
Eyes of Love
[Jesus said,] "Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" But [the Pharisees] remained silent.
Mark 3:4

That day in the synagogue Jesus offered a new life to the man healed of his withered hand and another chance for the Pharisees to recover from their hardening hearts. Jesus knew, as he performed his saving ministry, that his actions would incite the Pharisees to plot to destroy his life. Yet, through his eyes of love, Jesus saw the man’s need, giving us a model for doing good, even when its unpopular.

Today, the Church calls us to see human dilemmas with eyes of love. We are invited to a stronger commitment to the dignity of human persons, especially the unborn and their mothers and fathers. It is a day to be observed with prayers, fasting or almsgiving for the good being done for pregnant women, with or without partners—in every circumstance—to bring their babies to birth. 

- Pat Gohn

Hebrews 7:1-3, 15-17 ✚ Psalm 110:1-4 ✚ Mark 3:1-6
Little baby boy looking through a magnifying glass. Image by Mia Studio | stock.adobe.com
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Comments

January 23, 2025 at 08:36 AM

Lord please hear our prayers and bring your light to all those who have been hurt, killed and impacted by terrorist attacks. Come to the side of those experiencing violence in Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur, and the Sudan. Please hear the pleas of all those suffering around the world - and give them strength, courage and resilience to continue walking in faith. Send them your light. Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world! You sent Your Son, the Prince of Peace, for the salvation of the world. We pray that the Peace of Christ will reign in Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur and Sudan. Please protect and send aid to those in need and all who are at-risk. We pray for peace and rebuilding– we who are working towards it and for all those who are suffering or in danger from conflicts. We pray for an end to violence and war – we pray for wisdom for all leaders who have a hand in this. Lord God please help those in most need of thy mercy. Amen

January 22, 2025 at 02:33 PM

Amen!

January 22, 2025 at 09:22 AM

My prayer "Lord Jesus, in your victory over sin and death on the cross and in your resurrection you give us the assurance of sharing in the eternal rest of heaven. Transform my heart with your love that I may freely serve my neighbor for his good and find joy and refreshment in the celebration of Sunday as the Lord's Day." Amen

January 22, 2025 at 08:40 AM

Speaking from personal experience, thank you. Pat, for your inclusion of the mothers in your prayer. It often feels like the church values the baby's life over the mother's...and so a mother is made to feel even more alone in an already painful and confusing life dilemma. Your sensitive prayer includes the mother and her baby...both lives of equal importance to God. Thank you.

January 22, 2025 at 08:20 AM

Holy Innocents God bless the Holy Innocents Who lost their lives too soon Whether at a king's command Or Silenced within the womb Their lives were stolen from them By others in control A threat to a royal throne Or simply an inconvenient soul Lives snuffed out in their infancy Knit together in their mother’s womb God’s precious gift of life Silenced to an an early tomb Lord, soften the hardened hearts Of those in control Protect the rights & dignity Of each tiny precious soul © 2016 M A Russell

January 22, 2025 at 07:39 AM

What is your choice in Mark 3:4, "Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent!" *** To do good or to do evil? *** To save life or to kill? *** To remain silent as the Pharisees did? ******* To remain silent is also a choice as most people do in this country on the topic of abortion!!! *** Who was Melchizedek? He first appeared in Genesis 14:18-20 instituting tithing (10 percent offering), " Melchizedek was the king of Jerusalem. He brought out bread and wine. He was the priest of the Most High God. He gave a blessing to Abram. He said, “May the Most High God bless Abram. May the Creator of heaven and earth bless him. Give praise to the Most High God. He gave your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything." *** He foreshadowed Jesus in Hebrews 5:6, 6:20, 7:3, 6, 15-16, 18-19, "In another place God said, “You (Jesus) are a priest forever, just like Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:4)...That is where Jesus has gone. He went there to open the way ahead of us. He has become a high priest forever, just like Melchizedek...Melchizedek has no father or mother. He has no family line. His days have no beginning. His life has no end. He remains a priest forever. In this way, he is like the Son of God...Melchizedek did not trace his family line from Levi. But he collected a tenth from Abraham. Melchizedek blessed the one who had received the promises... But suppose another priest like Melchizedek appears. Then what we have said is even more clear. He has not become a priest because of a rule about His family line. He has become a priest because of His powerful life. His life can never be destroyed...The old rule is set aside. It was weak and useless. The law didn’t make anything (or anyone) perfect. Now a better hope has been given to us. That hope brings us near to God." *** The Good News in Hebrews 7:27-28, "He (Jesus) isn’t like the other high priests. They need to offer sacrifices day after day. First they bring offerings for their own sins. Then they do it for the sins of the people. But Jesus gave one sacrifice for the sins of the people. He gave it once and for all time. He did it by offering himself. The law appoints as high priests men who are weak. But God’s promise came after the law. By His promise the Son was appointed. The Son has been made perfect forever!" ******* Life is found in Jesus, not what we have done, do or will do! Pray for the silenced majority (pro or against) to know more about Jesus! Pray for the vocal minority (pro or against) to know more about Jesus! Pray for all people to know more about Jesus, period!!!

January 22, 2025 at 07:05 AM

None of the scriptures pertain to the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. The Church needs to update the verses to fit into what this day represents.

jane
January 23, 2025 at 08:41 AM

Beautiful commentary Vicky! Lifting Garrett today!

January 22, 2025 at 08:38 AM

Think a little deeper. The gospel today tells of a man with a withered hand. A man probably of very little value to society even if educated as there was no automation so even a scholar would need his hands to transcribe. At the very least, he would need some assistance in his own personal care or care of his home—no Home Depot or Walmart back then. This would also be the case for his mom and dad. As in John 18 when the Pharisees summoned the blind man’s parents, we know that the parents of a disabled person bore some burden for their disabled child if not responsibly. So too the man with the withered hand probably had some family he relied on. All this to say a life young, old or unborn has value—not just to one but to those around them. One life invariably changes other lives—there is no way around that. So thinking about this passage—how the man with the withered hand not only had a “changed” life because of Jesus valuing him and “saving” him, so too were the lives of his mother, father, brother, cousin, wife, children (we don’t know if he was born that way or if it was due to an injury) was changed. For every abortion performed life is changed for multiple people; for every baby saved from abortion life is changed for many people. This is true right down to the doctors and nurses participating in either choice—I know I had to be in the OR for an abortion to get through nursing school but I also was in attendance of a number of births. Jesus shows how valuable one life is to Him when He ignores the watchful eyes of the Pharisees and heals the man. We too should recognize the value of one life in the face of the Parasees (in the form of society, or relatives, or even a significant other) and value all life. As an add, this passage means soooo much more to me now as Garrett begins a new life with a withered hand. The official diagnosis at the time of the accident was “mangled hand”. Sadly even as his hand heals way better than anyone ever thought, as a mom I wince still when I change the bandage daily as his hand looks like a claw to me—the 3 fingers left curled around with the wrist bent and many scar lines criss crossing the hand to the wrist. But he is still of value. He desperately wants to be healed. And this incident doesn’t mean it would have better had he not been born even though it has been so unbelievably hard on us for months and months now. Just a few thoughts for you to let you know sometimes a particular passage may not have the same punch to me or you as it does to some others but somewhere for someone God is speaking intimately. God’s blessing Troy and all our friends here!

Linda
January 22, 2025 at 08:04 AM

Quite the contrary. Today's scripture is spot on! "It is lawful to do good, rather than do evil, to SAVE life rather than to DESTROY it." Mark 3:4 Peace, Troy!

January 22, 2025 at 06:32 AM

Pat, with the same prayer breath, let us add the humane treatment of all, unborn and born, citizens or not. I think the Lord can handle the extra load.

Troy
January 23, 2025 at 11:40 AM

Agree to disagree.

jane
January 23, 2025 at 08:38 AM

Thank you Bruce!

Nora
January 22, 2025 at 09:34 AM

Amen.

Frank
January 22, 2025 at 08:55 AM

Yes, given the actions in last two days Catholics should be praying for life for all!

Little baby boy looking through a magnifying glass. Image by Mia Studio | stock.adobe.com
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