Praying for Life: What Is Authentic Love?

Connect With Us! www.usccb.org/prolife             Praying for Life: May 2016 Intercession May Our Lady’s example inspire us to authentic love graced with generosity & respect. Prayers Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be Download and share! Reflection Authentic love includes respecting each other and seeking each other’s good. Though at times challenging in its self-sacrificial nature, it helps us become more fully who we are created to be and leads to our ultimate happiness. God’s call to love encompasses all relationships and helps us understand the importance of chastity. Although often an “unpopular word,” Pope Francis reminds us of its true essence: “[I]t is in fact the way of genuine love… which does not seek to use the other for one’s own pleasure. It is a love that considers the life of the other person sacred: ‘I respect you, I don’t want to use you.’”* Pray for us, Blessed Mother, that we may follow your example of authentic love.  *Address during Meeting with Children and Young People, Pastoral Visit to Turin (June 21, 2015)     Acts of Reparation (choose one) Pray the Angelus once today, and again on the Feast of the Visitation (May 31). Contemplate Our Lady’s example of a life animated by authentic love. Read the bishops’ statement, “Create in Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography.” Discover the beauty of a true vision of human sexuality, learn how pornography affects virtually everyone in some way, and receive the message of mercy, healing, and hope through Christ. Throughout this month of May, traditionally dedicated to Our Lady, share the hope-filled message of real love with our social media kit: “10 Surprising Tips for Love the Culture Won’t Tell You” / “Love 101: Back to Basics” One Step Further  Discover reasons for and benefits of chastity from the perspective of a young woman committed to the Church’s vision of human sexuality in “Love 101: Back to Basics,” a light-hearted, but informative, article. If you or someone you know is suffering after abortion, confidential non-judgmental help is available: Call Project Rachel's national toll-free number: 888-456-HOPE(-4673) or visit  www.hopeafterabortion.com Sign up for our other pro-life email subscriptions! Click the image above.