Day of prayer and fasting

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Day of Prayer Fasting in Reparation for a Culture of Violence Initiative’s goal is to become people of peace, healing By Joe Towalski

When a series of undercover videos was released this past summer showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing the harvesting and sale of tissue and organs from aborted children, many people were taken aback by the callousness with which the people in the videos spoke about human life. “It really shocked the conscience,” said Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC). The videos prompted discussion among Minnesota’s bishops about ways in which Catholics and others of good will could join together to stand against violence — the kind documented in the videos, but other types as well. Gun violence, domestic violence, abortion, ongoing efforts to legalize assisted-suicide, using violence as a means of conflict resolution — all of these are serious societal problems that diminish the “culture of life” the Church is called to build, Adkins said. In response, the bishops are organizing a “Day of Fasting and Prayer in Reparation for a Culture of Violence and Disrespect for Human Life.” It will be observed in each Minnesota diocese on a day in December or January chosen by each bishop. Resources for the day are available from MCC, the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Minnesota. They include suggestions for prayer intentions, acts of reparation (see sidebar) and legislative advocacy. “Everything from a Church perspective and from a Christian perspective starts in prayer,” Adkins said. “There is no better thing we can do in the Church then to come together as a community and reflect individually — and collectively — about this culture of violence and the way we have contributed to creating it.” “That’s why it’s important to make acts of reparation, which are prayers in repentance for our own sins but also for the sins of others,” he said.

The hope is that these prayers will inspire people to take positive, concrete actions in their own lives and in their communities in support of life from conception until natural death, Adkins said. MCC is promoting advocacy on two specific public policy issues as part of the day’s observance: 1) state legislation that would require licensing and inspection of abortion facilities; and 2) ratification of the Comprehensive NuclearTest-Ban Treaty, an effort supported by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. But the actions people can take aren’t limited to these two efforts, Adkins said. In conjunction with the Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis, the corporal and spiritual works of mercy are good ways to share the love of Christ and promote nonviolence. “Building a culture of life is rooted in a consistent ethic of life,” Adkins said. “This happens when we go out and serve others — from taking the time to care for an elderly person so that they don’t feel like they’re a burden, to working for the well-being of people with disabilities, to helping women in need, especially in difficult domestic situations.” It also happens, for example, when individuals and families reassess their entertainment choices and say no to violent movies, shows and video games. “There are so many ways we can build a culture of life,” he said. The goal of acts of reparation and, ultimately, the day of fasting and prayer is to help repair what is broken in our lives and in society. “These actions help us to become people of peace and a people of healing,” Adkins said. “That’s what this is really about: How do we become people of peace instead of contributing to the culture of violence?” Joe Towalski is editor of The Visitor, newspaper of the Diocese of St. Cloud.

ideas for acts of reparation

As a child of God, we each have an opportunity to help satisfy the justice of God by making reparation for our own sins and the sins of others. 1. Go to an abortion clinic and pray, or set aside an hour today to pray for those who are struggling with a decision of life or death for their unborn child. 2. Make an act of faith, hope or love. (www.bit.ly/9DaysFaithHopeLove) 3. Pray the Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 4. Spend an hour with the Blessed Sacrament in adoration. 5. Increase your knowledge about important life issues. Here are some resource examples: • Women’s health and marriage prospects have suffered from more than 40 years of nationally legal abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. Learn more in “Life Matters: Roe Plus 40” (www.bit.ly/RoePlus40). • Learn how some methods of conceiving a child pose serious concerns in “Life Matters: Reproductive Technologies” (www.bit.ly/ReproductiveTechnologies2011). • Read about some of the challenges, concerns and joys on a couple’s journey of adopting a child in “An Adoption Love Story” (www.bit.ly/AdoptionLoveStory). 6. Pray the rosary, or even just a decade, today for someone who has hurt or disappointed you, and ask for the grace to forgive that person. 7. Smile. Ask God today for the grace to be extra joyful and to share your love for Christ with those who most need that encouragement today. 8. Use Facebook or another form of social media to post something that builds up the culture of life. 9. Take time to write a handwritten note to someone who is lonely or needing encouragement. 10. We can sometimes forget how blessed we are to have many of our daily com-

forts. Give up sleeping with your pillow tonight. 11. Today, ignore your sweet tooth. Make healthy eating choices. 12. Make a “quiet hour” today, turning off all electronic devices (cell phone, iPod, computer, television, radio, video game system) and retreat to your room. Spend some time in prayer or prayerful reading. 13. Clean a room in your house without being asked or without telling anyone. Pray for your family members while you clean, “and your Father who sees in secret will repay you” (Matthew 6:6). 14. Read about a Church teaching you do not understand in the catechism. 15. Make an honest assessment of your “giving finances” — Are you giving too little? Make a resolution to give a set weekly or monthly donation to your parish or favorite local charity. 16. Say three Hail Marys for your parish priest. Without our priests, we could not have the Mass or the sacrament of reconciliation. 17. Pray for your deceased relatives and for those who have no one to pray for them. 18. Spend quality time with a family member or friend. Offer to help them with something with which they need assistance. 19. Go to confession — today, if possible! — or during this week. Before you go, look up St. Faustina and learn a little about the message of Divine Mercy she shared during her life. 20. Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for those who are suffering the loss of a child through abortion, or through any act of violence, asking that they find healing and peace.

— Minnesota Catholic Conference