Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Why the "Our Father" is Pro-Life (PFL)

Dear Friend of Life,

Before you enjoy my column (part 3 of why the Our Father is a pro-life prayer), may I alert you to a few important upcoming items:

1. Please join me for a conference call on Thursday, February 25, 2010 from 9-10pm ET. This will be part of our “Vote Pro-life” Coalition, and we will continue to gear up for the elections of 2010. You will be able to listen to the call either by phone or by internet. Register at www.priestsforlife.org/conferencecall and spread the word! If you missed the previous one we had on Jan. 25, you can listen to it on that same page.
2. Please tell any clergy you know about a 45 minute conference call on Thursday, February 25 at 3pm ET. My team and I will give updates and encouragement to the clergy as they work together for a Culture of Life. They can register for this call at www.priestsforlife.org/clergy.
3. Please pray and promote our Lenten Prayer for Life from February 17 – April 1. The prayer can be found in English and Spanish at www.PrayerCampaign.org. Let us know you are praying with us by filling out the form on our website.
4. Our Priests are ready to come to your city and preach the Gospel of Life! Priests for Life has six priests who travel around the country and they can come to your parish to preach at weekend Masses, conduct parish missions, give pro-life talks, etc. I encourage you to invite one of our priests to your parish, especially during this upcoming Lenten season. Fill out your request online at www.priestsforlife.org/speakers.
Let me also provide you with the upcoming schedules for our own TV shows and Radio programming:
Hear us on EWTN radio on Catholic Connection with Teresa Tomeo. Fr. Frank Pavone is her guest every Wednesday from 9:35-10am ET and Janet Morana is her guest every Friday from 9:10-9:30am ET. For radio station information and to listen to the live show on the internet, go to www.avemariaradio.net.
Fr. Frank Pavone does a monthly pro-life spot from 11:20am-11:30am ET on The Catholic Channel with Adam Hamway on Satellite Radio every second Thursday of the month (this is subject to change - the exact day will be posted on our website each month). The Catholic Channel is on SIRIUS 159 and XM 117.
Defending Life: Watch on EWTN every Friday at 10pm ET and Saturday at 2:30am ET. Listen on EWTN radio every Friday at 1am ET, Saturday at 6:30pm ET and Sunday at 5am ET. For more information or to listen online go towww.ewtn.com.
February 5-7: Forgiven and Set Free
Gospel of Life: Watch on Catholic Familyland (www.familyland.tv) - Sunday at 1am, Monday at 9am, Wednesday at 3:30am and Thursday at 11:30 pm. (All Times Eastern). You can also watch on the National Religious Broadcasters network (NRB), Wednesday at 6pm ET.
This week on Catholic FamilyLand: A Little Miracle
This week on NRB: Child Predators
Please tune in and spread the word! In fact, you can help us – and your whole parish -- by asking your pastor to place in the parish bulletin an announcement about our TV shows. Thanks in advance!
Blessings and prayers,
Fr. Frank Pavone
Praise for our work
I am 42 years old and just returned from my first March for Life...I want to say a huge, huge thanks to the courageous women [of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign] who stood, marched, and spoke of the pain and damage inflicted upon them by the deception of abortion. I truly believe that the strength of these women will inspire others to come forward. It is their bravery and commitment to honor their unborn children that will save our daughters and our future unborn children from the destruction that abortion leaves in its wake. Today, I was moved by many things....What moved me to tears, however, was the openness and courage of these women who regret their abortion. The impact these women can have on the future is immeasurable, and I offer my prayers and support.
Why the Our Father is a Pro-life Prayer (Part 3)
Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life
Each line of the Lord’s Prayer gives us insight as to why we are pro-life.
“Lead us not into temptation." Every temptation is a lie, which makes something evil look good. Among the most masterful temptations of the evil one is to make the killing of a child seem better than the birth of that child. This is the lie that leads each day to thousands of abortions.
As we pray, "Lead us not into temptation," we keep in mind the need to protect all pregnant mothers from the deception of abortion. We also pray against the temptation to be silent and passive in the midst of this holocaust. Sins of omission are the most frequent sins, especially in regard to the culture of death. As we pray “lead us not into temptation,” we resolve to say more, do more, and sacrifice more for life!
"Deliver us from evil." In asking this, we are not asking to be delivered from some vague force or bad luck. Rather, we are asking to be delivered from the influence and power of a real person, the devil, also known as the evil one. His kingdom of death has been defeated, and so his power is limited, but he still seeks to lead us astray.
When we pray to be delivered from the evil one, we are praying to be delivered from the culture of death, and to stay faithful to Christ's Kingdom of Life. We are praying that we will not be deceived by the false promises of the evil one, who presents abortion as a solution to a problem, though it is no such thing.
“For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever.”
The Lord’s Prayer culminates with these beautiful words which, in the Catholic tradition, we pray at Mass shortly after the rest of the prayer. In “The Gospel of Life,” Pope John Paul II wrote that human life is always a good because it reflects the glory of God. God is glorified when human beings live, because they are made in his image and likeness. In attributing all glory to God, therefore, we acknowledge the infinite value of life.
All power, furthermore, belongs to the Lord. Jesus said he had the “power” to lay down his life. That is the power of love, by which we sacrifice ourselves for the good of the other person. Abortion, instead, sacrifices the other person for the “good” of oneself. Abortion is the opposite of love. The Lord’s Prayer reminds us what real power is.
“Amen.” St. Paul proclaims that Christ is the Amen, the yes, to all the promises of God. Abortion is just the opposite. It is a big “no” to God’s plans for the child who has been conceived, and for all of us who are called to love that child rather than kill him.
The Lord’s Prayer is, indeed, the model for all prayer, and it is the model for all our striving for a Culture of Life!
Comments on this column? Go to AskFrFrank.com

Fr. Frank's columns are podcast. See PriestsForLife.org/Podcast
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