PRAYERS

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” ~ Psalm 139:13, 14

   “O Christ our God,  most compassionate and merciful Lover of Man, the Author and Creator of Life,  we praise and thank You for Your Gift of Sacred Life.  You have fearfully and wonderfully created man in Your image and likeness, and You know each human life conceived in the womb.  

       We implore You to enlighten those who are darkened by error and the evil one to protect and treat all life as sacred inside and outside the womb, with respect, dignity and compassion.  Grant forgiveness and healing to all who have participated in the taking of innocent life.  Rest the souls of those who have innocently perished through violent acts.  Grant divine wisdom, guidance and protection to all who strive to protect innocent life.

       Through the intercessions of the All Pure Theotokos, who contained You, the Uncontainable, and through the prayers of Your holy Apostles, radiant Martyrs, our holy and God-bearing Fathers and all the Saints, have mercy on us.  To You be all praise, thanksgiving and glory together with Your eternal Father and Your all-Holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.” (lpj)

Prayers for Sanctity of Life Sunday

(FR. ELIAS KYPRIANOS BOUBOUTSIS, GREEK ORTHODOX METROPOLIS OF CHICAGO)

         O Christ our God, You are the One Who both gives and wills the protection of all life.By word and by deed, You have taught us to treat all life as sacred, with the utmost care and compassion for every human being, of every race, nation and faith, of every walk and way of life, those born and unborn alike.

         Seeking to fulfill this teaching as Your followers, we turn to You in fervent prayer on this “Sanctity of Life Sunday.” O God, Who know each of us from our mother’s womb,protect the fragile lives of our unborn little brothers and sisters, granting blessed repose to those whose tiny lives were terminated by the State, and repentance and forgiveness to all who have participated in capital punishment.

         You Who suffered as a prisoner on death-row before Your awesome Passion, protect those presently on death row, granting blessed repose to those whose lives were terminated by the State, and repentance and forgiveness to all who have participated in capital punishment.

         You Who proclaimed that “whoever lives by the sword shall also die by the sword,” grant that we may soon know an end to all violence, bloodshed and desecration of human life. Instill a sense of life’s sanctity in all who foment war abroad and who bring violence to our streets at home. Grant protection to our Armed Forces, and to all peoples, both here and abroad. Grant blessed repose to those who have perished in acts of war and terror and street violence, as well as repentance and forgiveness to those who have participated in such bloodshed.

         O Life-Giving Christ, the Prince of Peace, through the intercessions of our Panayia and all Saints, grant us and all people the will to treat all life as sacred. By protecting the sanctity of Life, may we ever more glorify You, its
Source – together with Your eternal Father and Your all-Holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages.  AMEN.

ORTHODOX PRAYER FOR THE VICTIMS OF ABORTION

          O most merciful, all gracious and compassionate Lord Jesus Christ our Savior, Son of God: we entreat Thee, most gracious Master: look with compassion upon Thy children who have been condemned to death by the unjust judgment of men. And as Thou hast promised to bestow the heavenly kingdom on them born of water and the Spirit, and who in blamelessness of life have been translated unto Thee; and Who said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven”—we humbly pray, according to Thy unfailing promise: Grant the inheritance of Thy kingdom to the multitude of spotless infants who have been cruelly murdered in the abortuaries of this land; for Thou art the resurrection and the life and the repose of all Thy servants and of these innocents, O Christ our God.

         Turn the hearts of those who seek to destroy Thy little ones. We beseech Thee to pour forth Thy healing grace upon them, that they may be convicted in their hearts and turn from their evil ways. Remember all of them that kill our children as on the altars of Molech, and render not unto them according to their deeds, but according to Thy great mercy convert them—the unbelieving to true faith and piety, and the believing that they may turn from evil and do good.

         O Holy Master, Almighty Father and pre-eternal God, Who alone made and directs all things; Who rises up quickly against the evil of the impious ones; Who, by providence, teaches Thy people preservation of justice and the obliteration of evil on earth; Who condescends to raise up warriors for the protection of the people of God: we entreat Thee with compunction, that as Thou didst give David power to defeat Goliath, and as Thou didst condescend through Judas Maccabeus, to seize victory from the arrogant pagans who would not call on Thy Name; so too, grant protection to us, Thy servants against the enemies rising against us as we go forth to do spiritual battle against the evil one and those who do his will rather than Thine.

         For Thou art a merciful God, and lovest mankind, and unto Thee do we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

A PRAYER FOR CHILDREN

         “O Lord Jesus Christ, whose anger was once terribly kindled against those who hurt the children, we beseech You to bring to repentance all those who through cruelty, lust or carelessness bring the innocent to harm.  We are among them, O Lord, and confess with sorrow and shame that every failure of our love in thought, word or deed immeasurably increases the sin of the world and the unhappiness of the children.
Lord, have mercy on us, increase our love and consecrate it, making it active in deed and prayer for all children in danger of body, mind or spirit, all who are hungry or homeless through war or disaster, children of broken homes, frightened or lonely children, children who look for love and do not find it.  What can we say, O Lord, what can we ask?  They are the innocent sufferers for our sins, as You were in Your life on earth, united to You more closely than we can understand.

         Lord, have mercy upon them in their suffering and have mercy upon us in our sins.”

PRAYER TO END ABORTION
(by Fr. Josiah Trenham)

O Lord Jesus Christ, who at the sixth hour did shed Thy precious blood upon the cross for the salvation of all mankind, receive the souls of all the innocent unborn children who have been, are being or will be slaughtered today in the hospitals and abortion chambers throughout our nation and across the world.

And as their untimely deaths have prevented them from receiving the grace of Holy Baptism, we entreat Thee to accept their innocent blood as baptism as Thou didst with the early martyrs.

To the doctors and nurses, parents and hosts of accomplices responsible for this infanticide, grant tears of repentance and amendment of life.  Enable them to run to Thee for forgiveness and healing as have we and to avoid the eternal death of their own souls.

All things are possible with Thee, Lord God Almighty and therefore we entreat Thee on this day through Thy divine grace to bring an end to legalized abortion in our nation, to raise up judges and attorneys who will defend Thy holy laws.

We ask that by Thy mercy Thou wouldst convince mothers to cancel their abortions, to accept from Thy hands the gift of children in faith.  

We ask that Thou wouldst persuade the doctors and nurses who are participating in these acts to repent of their actions and to resolve not to kill children in the womb.  

Receive our prayer, O Lord God, even though it is offered to Thee from sinful and unworthy servants and unite my entreaty with those of all our other brothers and sisters crying out today on behalf of the little ones, those who are being formed in the wombs of their mothers.

We offer to Thee most sincere thanks and true gratefulness that our mothers bore us as troubled as we have been.  We are grateful to be alive, merciful God, and to know Thee and to be given the kingdom and the promise of everlasting life.

Deliver us and our land which we love from the shedding of innocent blood.  Forgive us and heal us, save us, and receive our worship which we offer to Thee, to Thine Everlasting Father and Thy all Holy Good and Life Giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.