9 Days for Life: Day One: For a Culture of Life

Connect With Us: www.9daysforlife.com               DAY ONE: January 18, 2018 Intercession May a culture of life grow ever stronger in our communities. Prayers Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be Reflection From each tiny child waiting to be born, to people nearing death, all are precious and deserve our care and protection. Women and men suffering after abortion, individuals tempted to end their lives, expectant mothers facing challenging pregnancies, people pushed to the margins of society by a “throwaway culture,” and every other person—each “has a place in God’s heart from all eternity” (Amoris laetitia, 168). As Pope Saint John Paul II reminds us in The Gospel of Life, we are asked not only to love and honor human life, but also “to work with perseverance and courage” to establish “a new culture of life, the fruit of the culture of truth and of love” (no 77).  Acts of Reparation (choose one)  “Unplug” for some time praying in silence with a short reflection on this year’s Respect Life theme, “Be Not Afraid.” Use one of our Respect Life social media toolkits to build up a culture of life on social media.  We can sometimes forget how blessed we are to have many of our daily comforts. Give up sleeping on your pillow tonight. One Step Further Watching the news and reading the headlines, we may sometimes feel helpless seeing the heartbreaking lack of respect for human life. How do we respond to Pope Saint John Paul II’s invitation when our efforts to make a difference feel small? “How to Build a Culture of Life” briefly explains where to start. Click the image to download,  then share using the hashtags #9DaysforLife and #OurPrayersMatter! (To also share today's prayer & action guide, include the following link in your post: www.usccb.org/9-days-1) NEW! Facebook Frame You can send your phone a notification for later, or try it now! Hope after Abortion www.hopeafterabortion.com Click the image above to sign up for our other pro-life email subscriptions! Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life), no.77 © 1995, Amoris laetitia (The Joy of Love), no. 68 © 2016, Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2018, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved.