In a peaceful, prayerful, interdenominational and non-partisan way, these [pro-life freedom] rides and related activities, will give greater visibility and unity to the pro-life effort. The Freedom Rides are meant to encourage effective pro-life activity that is already going on and to show that those who are pro-life are promoters of authentic freedom and of human rights....I especially urge you to take part in the prayer effort if you are unable to participate in the Freedom Ride pro-life effort. -- Most Reverend Robert J. Baker, S.T.D., Bishop of Birmingham in Alabama

Why we Pray to End Abortion

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

On Priests for Life’s Facebook cause “Pray to End Abortion” (see www.ProLifePrayers.com), I recently began an online series of two-minute videos exploring in detail why and how we pray to end abortion. (These videos can also be seen on my You Tube channel, www.youtube.com/frfrankpavone.)

I begin by asking the question, “Why do we pray at all, when God already knows his own will and intends to carry it out?” As we know, in the model for all prayer, the Our Father, our Lord taught us to pray, “Thy will be done.” All our prayer is based on that attitude. But certainly we don’t need to remind God to do things he’s going to forget.

So why do we pray? Because God wants us to be involved in what he is doing! Of course he’s going to do his will. But our prayers really change things, because God wills that his decisions will rely in part on whether we pray and act.

One of his firm decisions, which in fact represents the purpose of salvation history, is that he will destroy death. And we can actually hasten the process and spread the victory of life.

“The Lord will destroy death forever!” This marvelous declaration from Isaiah 25:8 should sustain us daily in our pro-life efforts. When we pray to end abortion, we are not just asking God to do us some favor or to grant a request. It’s much more momentous than that. When we ask him to end abortion, we are pleading for the fulfillment of his great plan of conquering death.

It was about this that God first spoke when he promised in Genesis 3:15 (the “first gospel”) that the head of the serpent would be crushed. It was for this that Jesus himself died and rose again; it is for this that every Church ministry exists. Proclaiming the Gospel means proclaiming life! As Paul explains in 1 Cor. 15, as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive, but each in his own order. Christ is the first to rise from the dead; then all things are to be made subject to him, and in him, all will rise at the end of time. “Then shall come to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory!” (1 Cor. 15:54).

When Scripture talks about the new and eternal Jerusalem, urging us to look forward to that day when we will all be gathered around the throne, it declares, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying out nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4). That is why we pray to end abortion, because we are caught up in a mighty dynamic of history, over which God presides. Our prayers are a great Amen to a process in which we are all involved and which culminates in the eternal victory of life!

This column can be found online at http://www.priestsforlife.org/columns/document.aspx?id=3213

Comments on this column? Go to www.AskFrFrank.com

Fr. Frank's columns are podcast. See www.PriestsForLife.org/Podcast

Por qué rezamos para acabar con el aborto

Recientemente comencé una serie de videos en línea en la sección de Priests for Life en Facebook “Pray to End Abortion” (véase www.ProLifePrayers.com), explorando en detalle por qué y como rezamos para acabar con el aborto. (Estos videos se pueden ver también en mi canal de YouTube, www.youtube.com/frfrankpavone ).

Comienzo planteando la pregunta: “¿Por qué rezamos, si Dios ya conoce su voluntad y tiene la intención de llevarla a cabo?” Como sabemos, en el modelo de toda oración, el Padrenuestro, nuestro Señor nos enseñó a rezar: “hágase tu voluntad”. Toda nuestra oración se funda en esa actitud. Pero ciertamente no necesitamos recordarle a Dios que haga cosas que olvidaría.

Entonces, ¿por qué rezamos? ¡Porque Dios quiere que nos involucremos en lo que El está haciendo! Por supuesto que hará su voluntad. Pero nuestras oraciones pueden realmente cambiar las cosas, porque Dios desea que sus decisiones dependan en parte de nuestra oración y nuestros actos.

Una de sus decisiones más firmes, que en realidad representa el propósito de la historia de salvación, es destruir a la muerte. Podemos verdaderamente acelerar el proceso y propagar la victoria de la Vida.

“¡El Señor destruirá la muerte para siempre!” Esta declaración maravillosa de Isaías 25:8 debería sostenernos diariamente en nuestros esfuerzos por la vida. Cuando rezamos para acabar con el aborto, no solamente le pedimos a Dios que nos haga un favor o nos conceda una petición. Es algo mucho más maravilloso que eso. Cuando le pedimos que acabe con el aborto, le pedimos que cumpla su grandioso plan de conquistar a la muerte.

De eso habló Dios cuando prometió en Génesis 3:15 (el “primer evangelio”) que la cabeza de la serpiente iba a ser aplastada. Para eso Jesús murió y resucitó, para eso existe cada uno de los ministerios de la Iglesia. ¡Proclamar el Evangelio significa proclamar la vida! Como lo explica san Pablo en 1 Cor. 15, así como todos mueren en Adán, así en Cristo todos tendrán vida, pero cada uno en orden. Cristo es el primero en resucitar de los muertos; después todas las cosas son sometidas a El y en El todos resucitarán al final de los tiempos. “Entonces se cumplirá lo que está escrito: La muerte ha sido absorbida por la victoria” (1 Cor 15:54)

Cuando la Escritura habla de la nueva y eterna Jerusalén, alentándonos a mirar hacia aquel día en que todos estaremos alrededor del trono, declara: “Y enjugará toda lágrima de sus ojos; y no habrá ya muerte, ni llanto, ni lamento, ni dolor, porque todo lo anterior ya pasó.” (Ap. 21:4). Por eso rezamos para acabar con el aborto, porque estamos en medio de una poderosa dinámica de la historia presidida por Dios. ¡Nuestras oraciones son un gran Amén a un proceso en el que estamos todos involucrados que culmina con la victoria eterna de la Vida!

Esta columna se puede encontrar en la página de
http://www.priestsforlife.org/columns/document-sp.aspx?ID=3213

This week's TV shows and Radio programming:

Defending Life: Watch on EWTN every Friday at 10pm ET and Saturday at 2:30am ET. Listen on EWTN radio every Friday at 1am ET, Saturday at 6:30pm ET and Sunday at 5am ET. For more information or to listen online go to www.ewtn.com.

Week of July 9: Reflections on Pro-Life Pioneers 

Week of July 16: Activating Priests for the Pro-Life Cause

Gospel of Life: Watch on Catholic Familyland (www.familyland.tv) - Sunday at 1am, Monday at 9am, Wednesday at 3:30am and Thursday at 11:30 pm and on the National Religious Broadcasters network (NRB), Wednesday at 6pm ET. 

Week of July 4 on Catholic Familyland: Stem Cell Facts

Week of July 12 on Catholic Familyland: Signs of Success

Week of July 4 on NRB: What the Nurses Saw

Week of July 12 on NRB: What you never see on TV

Fr. Peter West, Associate Director, will be on Catholic Answers Live, Monday July 12 at 6PM ET with host Patrick Coffin. Call in with your questions at 1-888-318-7884. Click here for station information and to listen live on the internet. 

Fr. Frank Pavone will be the main celebrant and homilist on the EWTN Live Televised Mass on Friday, July 23 and Saturday, July 24, 2010.  The Mass airs live at 8am ET and repeats and 12 noon ET, 7pm ET (except Saturday and Sunday) and 12 midnight ET. 

Hear us on EWTN radio on Catholic Connection with Teresa Tomeo. Fr. Frank Pavone is her guest every Wednesday from 9:35-10am ET and Janet Morana is her guest every Friday from 9:10-9:30am ET. For radio station information and to listen to the live show on the internet, go to www.avemariaradio.net.  

Please tune in and spread the word! In fact, you can help us – and your whole parish -- by asking your pastor to place in the parish bulletin an announcement about our TV shows. Thanks in advance!

Priests For Life
PO Box 141172
Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone: 888-PFL-3448
718-980-4400
Fax: 718-980-6515
Email: mail@priestsforlife.org
www.PriestsForLife.org