Litany for Peace

From the Pax Christi USA website:

Litany for Peace by Linda Friern and Tony Bartlett, in The Fire of Peace

Let us pray to Jesus Christ that we may be set free from the chains of violence and war.
Jesus the Christ, by your cross and resurrection
… deliver us.
by your nonviolence and love
by your witness to truth
by your passion and death
by your victory over the grave
from the desire for power
from the conspiracy of silence
from the negation of life
from the worship of weapons
from the celebration of killing
from the slaughter of the innocent
from the extermination of the weak
from the nightmare of hunger
from the politics of terror
from a false peace
from relying on weapons
from the spiral of armaments
from plundering the earth’s resources
from the despair of this age
from global suicide.
By the light of the Gospel
… give us your peace.
by the good news for the poor
by your healing and wounds
by faith in your word
by a hunger and thirst for justice
by the coming of your reign
by the outpouring of the Spirit
by reconciliation of enemies
by gentleness and nonviolence
by the truth that sets us free
by prophecy and witness
by persecution because of your name
by the power of your love.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,
… have mercy on us.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,
… have mercy on us.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,
… grant us peace.

Lenten Carbon Fast 2011

Washington (State) Interfaith Power and Light has issued an invitation to join the Carbon Fast for Lent 2011. The Carbon Fast Calendar is available here. For this week, it invites us to the following: Wednesday - Remove one light bulb from a light in your home (without creating an unsafe situation). Do not replace the light bulb . . . for now! Thursday - Refresh your memory regarding which items your city/county allows for curbside recycling. Start adding items to your bin that you normally haven't recycled. Friday - Ensure that your cell phone charger is unplugged when not in use. (Many electronics and appliances continue to draw power even when they are off. Saturday - Set a timer for 5 minutes before your shower, and see how your normal shower length compares. Try to finish your next shower before the timer goes off.

Live Coverage of March for Life

Tune in to EWTN or EWTN.com for live coverage of the March for Life and its various liturgies. Pray for the safety of those traveling to Washington for the March and for life -- the cause for which they march!

2011 March for Life

From the USCCB:
Over 10,000 worshippers, many of them youth from schools around the nation, are expected to gather in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to pray for an end to abortion at the Opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life, Sunday, January 23, at 6:30 p.m., the eve of the 2011 March for Life. January 22 marks the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, will be the principal celebrant and homilist at the Vigil Mass, concelebrated by fellow cardinals and many of the nation's bishops and priests. Following the Opening Mass, the Vigil will continue in the Crypt Church of the Basilica with confessions, a National Rosary for Life, Night Prayer according to the Byzantine Rite, and holy hours led by seminarians from across the country from midnight until 6:00 a.m.

That same evening, The Catholic University of America will host close to 1,300 pilgrims overnight. On January 24, the Basilica will host Morning Prayer at 6:30 a.m. in the Crypt Church and the Closing Mass at 7:30 a.m. in the Great Upper Church. Bishop William E. Lori of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut, will be the principal celebrant and homilist. At the conclusion of the National Prayer Vigil for Life, participants will join in the national March for Life.

The National Prayer Vigil for Life is co-sponsored by the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and The Catholic University of America.

More information is also available at the March For Life website.

12 Things . . .

From Father James Martin, SJ, on his 50th birthday (via the Huffington Post blog): "12 Things I Wish I Knew at 25: Spiritual Learnings on My 50th Birthday." Click here to read the list.

Nancy Smith, SOA Prisoner of Conscience

The following video features Nancy Smith, SOA Prisoner of Conscience, who (on January 5, 2011) was sentenced to six months in prison for her involvement in the non-violent protest to close the School of the Americas. E-mail subscribers: If you cannot see the video below, click here to watch.

unPLANNED

On Tuesday, January 11, Abby Johson's book, Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader's Eye-Opening Journey across the Life Line, will be released. Obviously, I haven't read it yet, but from what I see and hear, it is a "must-read." Here's the description from the amazon.com site:

Abby Johnson quit her job in October 2009. That simple act became a national news story because Abby was the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas who, after participating in her first actual abortion procedure, walked across the road to join the Coalition for Life. Unplanned is a heartstopping personal drama of life-and-death encounters, a courtroom battle, and spiritual transformation that speaks hope and compassion into the political controversy that surrounds this issue.