On Jan. 22 at the Rose Dinner for the National March for Life and Rally in Washington, D.C., Bishop Robert J. Baker gave the closing prayer. The rose is a symbol for the pro-life movement.
Prayer for the Cause of Life
God, our loving Father, Father of the unborn, Father of all defenseless human beings, Father of those who have to live with the painful truth that it was they who took the life of their child in the womb and now seek your healing, forgiveness, and peace, bless all of us who labor now for the cause of life.
We place in your divine care the innocent millions whose lives were lost because of society’s neglect and the Supreme Court of the land’s willingness to rationalize out of existence the moral code you have written in our hearts and on our consciences.
Forgive us all, Lord, for not doing more, for not speaking up when we should have, for not being courageous enough to take a stand or to make a difference, for not helping the mother caught in the cauldron of moral confusion inflicted on her by an uncaring society.
Forgive us for not voting for public servants who will fight for the cause of the innocent unborn, and for our not challenging those public servants who promote legislation that leads to the destruction of innocent human life.
Forgive us for succumbing to those weak and illogical arguments in favor of tolerance, privacy, personal choice, individual rights over one’s own body, freedom of conscience.
Give us the courage to recommit our collective efforts to stand up for life and to turn the tide of society’s conscience to a new awakening of moral responsibility.
We pray that one day all innocent, defenseless human beings will be able to pray with us this side of eternity that beautiful prayer to you, our Father, that we pray daily and are proud to pray together today: Our Father …