January 22 Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of the Unborn Child

January 22, Day of Prayer for the legal protection of the unborn child

“In all the Dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion. The liturgical celebrations for this day may be the Mass “For Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life””From USCCB

This is the designated day because it is the anniversary of “Roe vs. Wade,” the case which made abortion legal in the United States.

To Pray:
Say the Rosary today.If you have an abortion clinic in your city stop by and say the rosary there.This could be a short “field trip” after dinner. This is a type of penance—giving up some of your evening.Are there other penances your family could do?

Dinner Talk:
Depending on the ages of the children, discuss this important case. Share the reasons you are pro-life. Talk about the reasons why someone would consider himself pro-choice and what we could say to him in response to this.

To Do:
March.If you are anywhere near Washington, D.C. you should take your family to this peaceful and prayerful protest.It is a very moving experience.We usually go every year even though it is about an 8 hour drive for us.Strollers are difficult, but possible.I recommend backpacks or frontpacks for the babies and toddlers.Sure, there are many inconveniences, but you can offer these as part of the penances for the day.

Mass.O.K., so you can’t make it to the March for Life this year. Attend Mass and pray for the unborn children, their mothers and for our nation to respect the rights of the unborn child.

Write a check.Collect a little money from everyone in the family (a true penance) then write a check to a pro-life organization.I like: National Right to Life, American Life League, Life Issues Institute,Forty Days for Life, our state's pro-life organization, and our local crisis pregnancy center.There are many others.This could be done after a dinner discussion appropriate for the ages of your children.Have a teenager research some of these organizations online to make the decision of where to send the check.