Daily Prayers

Prayer is Love, I want to Love

Abortion

Poster: Protect Unborn Life

Ginny’s second pregnancy was difficult. The doctors early on advised a termination, but she refused. She wanted to give her baby the chance to live. The difficulties and pain increased. The doctors felt certain they could not save the baby and thought she was taking too big a risk on herself. Ginny pleaded for more time, until the doctors were adamant: the baby could not be saved and in a little while, it would be too late for her.

She and her husband talked and prayed. He and their little girl would lose her, it now seemed certain, if the pregnancy continued. She had an abortion.

Were they right to decide as they did? What would you have advised? Try to frame the wording of a law that would give the right to a mother in such a situation but not approve of abortion.

Poster: Pro Abortion

Now pray with the people of Ireland as they vote, on Friday 25th May, on a change of the law proposed by the Government. The present law gives equal rights to the mother and child: see what the proposed new law would allow. How would you choose? How would you advise and guide women like Ginny in her difficult circumstances?

Our consciences are not formed by the law of the land but by the law of God. Governments debate and decide the law and the courts judge accordingly. Different countries, different laws. The law of God is not considered in a country’s lawmaking but may coincide with the society’s judgement. Killing is not always murder and is morally justifiable in times of war, self-defence, capital punishment. No government would pass a law based on God’s law but only on the common good of its society or the power of the ruling party.

A baby in the womb is a child of God to a believer, but not to a non-believer. Abortion may be legal but it is not moral. How would you vote in Ireland? Would you be out on the streets for either side? How would you advise Ginny?

God bless and guide Ireland,

Fr John
(20th May 2018)

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