June is the month in which we celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a devotion that invites us into the deepest source of Christ’s mercy and love. The image of the Sacred Heart, burning with divine love and still pierced for our sins, reminds us that prayer lies at the core of our pro-life ministry. Prayer is not an accessory to our work; it is the source of our strength, the conduit through which God pours out His graces on our efforts and in the hearts of those we seek to save.
It is tempting in our pro-life efforts to focus primarily on action. We have meetings to attend, trainings to host, money to fundraise, and arguments to learn. These are all important, but if our efforts are not first anchored in prayer, everything else we do will be disconnected from the source of mercy, love, and strength. Prayer allows us to conform our hearts to Jesus’ most Sacred Heart. When we conform ourselves to Christ, we become aware of what He desires in the hearts of those we minister to.
One of the key pillars of Catholic Social Doctrine is solidarity. Solidarity is the virtue by which we are present to and for one another. One way to grow in solidarity with those we minister to is through prayer. By meditating on the experiences of others, we become better advocates for them.
One example of this radical intercessory solidarity can be found in the Rachel Rosary. This powerful rosary meditation includes a sentence for each Hail Mary bead that reflects the very real and heartbreaking situations many women and men face when confronted with the fear of an unplanned pregnancy and the wounds of abortion. By meditating on the ‘teenage girl too afraid to tell her parents she is pregnant’ or the ‘young woman who cannot enter a church because she feels so unclean,’ we better understand the hearts of those who need us most. Praying through the lives of these individuals in such a specific way unlocks even more graces that can be poured onto the most intimate wounds.
This month, I invite you to renew your commitment to prayer for the pro-life movement. Let us pray for those who are suffering silently, for those discerning what to do amid unexpected pregnancies, for our volunteers, counselors, priests, and most especially for those who oppose us. We pray that their hearts may be touched by the most sacred, loving, and divine Heart of Jesus.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
fountain of eternal life,
Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love.
You are my refuge and my sanctuary.
O my adorable and loving Savior,
consume my heart with the burning fire
with which Yours is aflame.
Pour down on my soul those graces
which flow from Your love.
Let my heart be united with Yours.
Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things.
May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions.
Amen.
By Emily Branscum
Looking to make a weekly commit to praying for the Pro Life movement? Join our Project Rachel Prayer Support Team by clicking here!
