October 31, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) — It's no secret that the pro-life movement has a powerful tool in the Rosary. Those who are working to end abortion through prayer are often seen, rosary beads in hand, gathered in their homes and churches, or outside abortion mills.
Now, I invite you also to gather with me at EndAbortion.TV and 20 other social media platforms, where I have begun broadcasting a daily rosary seven days a week. The broadcast streams live every day at 3 p.m. ET, and is followed by the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
Both the Rosary and the Chaplet have deep connections to our duty to defend children in the womb.
The “Hail Mary” prayer, itself, is pro-life. In it, we honor a Mother, and call “blessed” the fruit of her womb. This counteracts the abortion mentality, which sees motherhood as more of a burden than a blessing and sees the fruit of the womb as disposable.
In the Rosary, we proclaim that we are sinners. “Pray for us sinners.” “Forgive us our trespasses.” It proves false the accusation of abortion supporters who tell us we are “self-righteous.” Rather, we are the ones who need to repent of our negligence and inactivity regarding abortion.
Most Catholics are aware of the Rosary but those who pray this devotion on a regular basis are also very familiar with the “Mysteries” of the Rosary, or meditations on various events in the life of Jesus.
The four sets of mysteries — Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Luminous — bring us closer to Jesus as we are invited to journey with Him to the cross. The Mysteries also are powerful pro-life meditations.
At ProLifePrayers.com, I have linked each one of the meditations to a pro-life theme.
For instance, the Joyful Mysteries include the Annunciation, when Mary is troubled by the angel's greeting, yet rejoices to do God's will. We can pray that those who are troubled by their pregnancy will have the grace to trust in God's will.
Mary's assumption into heaven is recalled in the Glorious Mysteries. She was taken, body and soul, into heaven because she is the Mother of God. Mother and child are united. The Assumption reminds us that they belong together. We pray that society will see that it cannot love women while killing their children, and cannot save children without helping their mothers. We pray that people will be moved by the pro-life question, “Why can't we love them both?”
In the Sorrowful Mysteries, when Jesus is crowned with thorns, He suffers silently. We pray for the mothers and fathers of aborted children. So many of them suffer deep grief and regret over a choice they can never reverse. So many suffer in silence, because others tell them it's no big deal.
The Luminous Mysteries, given to the world by St. John Paul in 2002, call to mind the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. When Jesus is baptized, the Father's voice is heard: “This is my beloved Son.” All are called to become adopted sons and daughters of God through baptism. We pray that children in the womb may be protected, so that they may be born and welcomed into the Christian community by baptism.
Regarding the Divine Mercy Chaplet, as is well known, it grew out of a series of visions experienced by St. Faustina, who was a nun in Poland in 1935.
In the revelations of Divine Mercy to St. Faustina, abortion was the primary sin for which God asked us to cry out for his mercy. Moreover, she was given an experience of severe abdominal pains which the Lord told her represented the mothers aborting their children.
Today, the devotion to Divine Mercy deserves particular emphasis for those who have had abortions and for abortionists and clinic workers.
I invite everyone to join me, daily or whenever you can, to pray these two powerful prayers as we ask God to end the scourge of abortion, in our nation and around the world.