To Protect Life

A child shares an illustrated book with a pregnant woman and an older wheelchair user at a library table.
Around a shared story, every generation has a place and every life is welcomed.

Loving God, I thank you for the gift of life you gave and continue to give to me and to all of us.

Merciful God, I ask your pardon and forgiveness for my own failure and the failure of all people to respect and foster all forms of life in our universe.

Gracious God, I pray that with your grace, I and all people will reverence, protect, and promote all life and that we will be especially sensitive to the life of the unborn, the abused, neglected, disabled, and the elderly. I pray, too, that all who make decisions about life in any form will do so with wisdom, love, and courage.

Living God, I praise and glorify you as Father, Source of all life, as Son, Savior of our lives, and as Spirit, Sanctifier of our lives.

Amen.

Sister Mary Margaret Johanning, S.S.N.D.
Nihil Obstat: Joseph F. Martino
Imprimatur: Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua
Archbishop of Philadelphia, June 1994

Further reading

This prayer asks for particular care for the unborn, people who are abused or neglected, people with disabilities, and the elderly. In The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II reflects on the dignity of every human person and the responsibility to protect and serve human life.

The Gospel of Life: Evangelium Vitae by Pope John Paul II (paperback) on Amazon (paid link)