Novena for Life: Day Nine

God, + come to my assistance.
--Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
--As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

GOSPEL
John 6:58
Jesus said to the Jews who were present: "This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever."

SILENT PRAYER

REFLECTION
We honor those who have gone before us, and we pray for them. We tell their stories and we commend them to God. But no matter the stories or the memories, they have died, and they rest in the hands of God. But the little child in the womb is very much alive. Not just the subject of conjecture or stories, this child's heart beats and her hands grasp, just like us. Let us pray in these days of preparation for Corpus Christi, that the Lord will protect that little life so that some day this child might stand with us at the altar of God and eat the Bread that will let her live forever, with Jesus, through whom she was made and to whom we pray for her this day.

LITANY
On all victims of abortion,
--Lord, have mercy.
On the woman whose memories cause her to cry,
--Lord, have mercy.
On those whose pain nags and holds on,
--Lord, have mercy.
On the unborn who rest with God,
--Lord, have mercy.
On all who seek mercy,
--Lord, have mercy.
On all who seek peace,
--Lord, have mercy.
On all who seek healing, and mercy and perfect peace,
--Lord, have mercy.

PRAYER
God our loving Father,
grant wisdom to those who govern us,
compassion and courage
to those who work to defend human life,
and safety and care to every human being.
For you alone who formed us in our mother's wombs,
and who call us home to heaven,
are God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th Street NE, Washington DC 20017-1194
Phone 202.541.3070
Copyright 2001 by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
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