EW YORK (LifeSiteNews.com) – Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, together with the Knights of Columbus and the Sisters of Life, have launched a campaign of prayer aimed at combating the Culture of Death and inspiring a greater respect for the dignity of human life in all its stages. The National Prayer Campaign for Life was announced at a Mass May 3, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the death of New York Archbishop John Cardinal O’Connor.
The campaign's Web site states that the campaign was inspired by Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae, in which the pontiff wrote: “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.”
The text of the prayer, which participants are asked to recite daily, is as follows:
Eternal Father, Source of Life, strengthen us with your Holy Spirit to receive the abundance of life you have promised. Open our hearts to see and desire the beauty of your plan for life and love. Make our love generous and self-giving so that we may be blessed with joy. Grant us great trust in your mercy. Forgive us for not receiving your gift of life and heal us from the effects of the culture of death. Instill in us and all people reverence for every human life. Inspire and protect our efforts on behalf of those most vulnerable especially the unborn, the sick and the elderly. We ask this in the Name of Jesus, who by His Cross makes all things new amen. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.
For printable prayer cards, visit nationalprayerforlife. org.