Bishop Brom's Prayer & Remarks

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, creator of all things, we thank you for the gift of life and above all for the gift of your Son, Jesus, who came that we might have life in its fullness.

Lord, God, look upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women, girls and boys, who are victims of abuse and violence, of the sick and elderly who die as a result of indifference or out of misguided mercy.

Grant that we who believe in You as the origin and destiny of our lives may proclaim the Gospel of life to the people of our time with honesty and love, and with energy always renewed by the outpouring of Your Spirit.

May we have the courage to bear witness to it resolutely in order to build, together with all people of good will, a civilization of truth and love, of justice and peace.

We conclude our prayer in the words Jesus gave us.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

My Friends:

I am here this morning not only to pray together as we just have, but also to express appreciation to all from this area, including many young people, who have been participating in the 40 Days for Life Campaign. Special appreciation, of course, is due to (the Coordinating Committee).

You are among the many who are attempting to evangelize the cultures of which you are a part in defense of human life by proclaiming the gospel of life. Ordering temporal affairs according to the plan of God is the vocation of the laity which flows from baptism and confirmation, but, unfortunately, is too often forgotten. You, however, have taken this responsibility seriously, as have, for example, Helpers of God's Precious Infants, and people from parish-based groups who bring prayer and outreach to sites like this.

Calvary is extended to every time and place where there is human suffering and death. This is especially true where innocent human life is unjustly taken.

On Calvary there were: spectators - bystanders, who stood at a distance from the horror of what was taking place; the perpetrators of the crime and those who cooperated or sided with them. Not to be forgotten are those who fled, many of whom later had a conversion of mind and heart. But of particular note are those who remained - mournful and prayerful with Jesus.

When Calvary is extended to a place like this there will be, as on Golgotha, the bystanders, as well as the perpetrators and those who cooperate with them, some of whom may not even grasp the seriousness of their wrongdoing or its destructive effects on society. However, there must always be those who do not flee, but remain with Jesus, in his suffering, showing compassion for him present in the flesh of unborn human beings, publicly mourning the unjust taking of human life and prayerfully committed to replacing a culture of death with a culture of life.

Thank you for your prayers and abiding commitment.