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The collection is available in both PDF and Word Document versions. In PDF users may download the entire booklet or each individual prayer services. Those wishing to adapt these services for particular occasions should download the text booklet and modify them with word processing software. Use the navigation buttons in the column to the left to access Pro-Life Prayer Services for Times of Transition.
September 1, 2006
To the Catholic People of Kentucky:
Reverence for Life: The Pursuit of Justice, www.ccky.org/PDF%20Files/Revernce-.PDF, our 1999 pastoral letter on abortion and the consistent ethic of life, highlighted the essential place for prayer and worship in living the Gospel of life. In the Catholic tradition, participation in the Eucharist is the privileged sacramental celebration that empowers and supports us in our attempts to answer the call to service and the pursuit of justice on behalf of human life from conception to natural death. The spirituality, however, that enlivens our participation in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church must be rooted in the spirit of prayer and contemplation which should mark our personal practice of the faith. Living the Gospel of life, in particular, must be sustained by prayer, reflection, and solitude, for these are the indispensable spiritual means by which we as a people of and for life singly and together commune with God and in Christ become ministers of God's grace --- ministers of the Gospel of life. As our pastoral letter challenges, "How can we expect to have a heart for the long struggle for life unless new hearts are created within us?" In a pre-eminent way, prayer sustains us with the assurance that "God is always ready to answer our prayers for help with the virtues we need to do his will." (USCCB. Living the Gospel of Life, 1998: n. 27) According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the prayer of petition centers "on the desire and search for the Kingdom to come, in keeping with the teaching of Christ." In effect, through prayer all the baptized work towards the coming of the kingdom. (CCC n. 2632) Sacred scripture exhorts the followers of Jesus to pray constantly and with perseverance. In the Gospel of Life Pope John Paul II declared: "A great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer.... Let is therefore discover anew the humility and courage to pray and fast so that power from on high will break down the walls of lies and deceit: the walls which conceal from the sight of so many ... the evil practices and laws which are hostile to life." [EV. n. 100] In accord with the Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities we continue to recommend that our dioceses, parishes, apostolic groups, and formation programs take initiatives "to sponsor programs of prayer and fasting as well as paraliturgical programs" to promote the Gospel of life. In addition to renewed participation in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church, we encourage Catholics to adopt programs of private prayer. To that end, we are publishing "Pro-Life Prayer Services for Times of Transitions," a collection of prayer services adaptable to a variety of settings. As a response to important pastoral concerns and needs, it is our hope that these prayer services will truly enhance and enrich the practice of intercessory prayer among our people, an indispensable component for building a new culture of life.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Most Reverend Most Reverend Most Reverend Edward C. Monahan Thomas C. Kelly, O.P. John J. McRaith Roger J. Foys Ronald W. Gainer Executive Director Archbishop of Louisville Bishop of Owensboro Bishop of Covington Bishop of Lexington |
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Catholic Conference of Kentucky 1042 Burlington Lane Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
502-875-4345
Last modified: April, 2008 |
Below is the cover letter our four Kentucky Bishops wrote for the publication of
a the special booklet of prayers for life: Pro-Life Prayer Services for Times
of Transition. We deeply appreciate the work of members of the Catholic
Conference of Kentucky Pro-Life Committee and others in the Catholic community
who helped to develop the prayers, provided editorial content and created the
beautiful artwork. We hope all who use these prayers at important stages in
life's moments are brought closer to our Creator, our Savior, and the Holy
Spirit that moves us to pray.
502-875-2841 Fax