Respect Life on the radio…Catch monthly Respect Life updates on Catholic Community Radio’s Wake Up show every first Wednesday at 7:35am. Learn more about Catholic Community Radio here… http://www.catholiccommunityradio.org
THE 8TH MONTH AFTER CONCEPTION
You’re in the homestretch with your spiritually adopted baby. All of the organs that were developed by the 8th week are now basically completely formed. The baby is just gaining weight and making the mother uncomfortable with his or her size. An interesting detail about this time of development is that the eyes are usually blue, regardless of the permanent color. The final formation of eye pigment or color usually happens a few weeks after birth. In a short time the baby will be born. The mother has planned to bring him or her home or place the baby up for adoption. Either way, she knows she can receive the assistance she needs from the Catholic Church and from the crisis pregnancy centers. The prayers you have said for this baby and his or her mother have certainly been appreciated and helpful. It hasn’t been easy, but your prayers have given the baby’s mother the grace to seek the help she has needed throughout the pregnancy.
Heavenly Father, in Your love for us, protect against the wickedness of the devil, those helpless little ones to whom You have given the gift of life. Touch with pity the hearts of those women pregnant in our world today who are not thinking of motherhood. Help them to see that the child they carry is made in Your image—as well as theirs—made for eternal life. Dispel their fear and selfishness and give them true womanly hearts to love their babies and give them birth and all the needed care that a mother alone can give. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
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Beautiful weather, great music and inspirational speakers made for an uplifting day at the Louisiana Life March in Baton Rouge on Saturday, January 25, 2020. Several parishioners from St. Mary Magdalen joined with parishioners from churches across the Archdiocese of New Orleans on the bus from St. Edward to participate in this year’s march by standing for life in our State’s Capitol on the 47th anniversary of Roe V. Wade.
Prayer for Life
Almighty God, Our Father, you have given us life and intend for us to live forever. Grant us your blessings as we stand together and pray for LIFE. Ground us in the belief that human life is sacred, because all people were made in your image and likeness. And give us the courage to stand up and defend all life from creation until natural death. Help us to teach by word and example that all men, women and children, in every land, on every continent are precious because we are a gift from God, who is all Love. Grace us with the strength and the wisdom we need to eliminate poverty, discrimination and ignorance that diminish the value of life in our country. May the tender mercy of God shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow and guide our feet into the path of peace. Amen.
Humanae Vitae
Pope Paul IV wrote and dated the encyclical Humane Vitae July 25, 1968 and it was issued at a Vatican press conference on July 29, 1968 making it 50 years old. Section 17 of the encyclical contained 4 predictions made by Pope Paul IV, there would be:
1) An increase in marital infidelity.
2) A general lowering of moral standards.
3) A loss of respect for women (man would “reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires”).
4) Governments would coerce people into using contraception and intervene in citizens’ sexual relationships.
The Pope's predictions were controversial in 1968. Many of the predictions have come true, but the debate has shifted to whether contraception had any influence on those societal changes.