Day of Penance

On this 38th anniversary of Roe v Wade, all dioceses in the United States are observing a day of penance in reparation for "violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion" and a day of prayer for "the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life." (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no 373). The Entrance antiphon for today's Mass for Peace and Justice reads: "Give peace, Lord, to those who wait for you; listen to the prayers of your servants, and guide us in the way of justice." (see Sir 36: 18-19). Many churches will hold Holy Hours over the weekend; fasting is suggested on Monday, when the March for Life will take place in Washington. In 1968, Pope Paul VI's Encyclical, HUMANAE VITAE met with fierce resistance, but time has shown where the path he traced if artificial birth control were pursued, would lead. He was right: respect for life from conception to natural death has been ignored and an "culture of abortion" is, unfortumately a world-wide phenomenon. As Jesus told his disciples, some evil spirits can be cast out only by prayer and fasting. Such is the call for all of us, who, as citizens of the United States, share in the collective sin of abortion. Let our prayers and penance join those who will March and those who are working behind the scenes for an end to this national sin.
Bro. Rene