WATCH Re-Play of the March for Life Vigil Mass - Thousands in the Massive Crowd with Bishop Burbidge who said "The lives of the unborn are still in danger..." VIDEO
The National Prayer Vigil for Life is a prayer vigil held on the eve of the March for Life each January. Thousands of pilgrims from across the nation pray for an end to abortion and a greater respect for all human life. It was held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. which seats 6,000 for a standing-room only crowd.
" It is sponsored by the USCCB Pro-Life Secretariat, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and The Catholic University of America Office of Campus Ministry.
Bishop Burbidge, chairman of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, celebrated the opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life Jan. 18, 2024, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington:
Homily Highlights:
Dear friends in Christ: I begin with words of thanks. Looking out at all of you here today, I see the zeal, perseverance, and love that drives your commitment to the pro-life cause, and I am inspired. Thank you for remaining dedicated to this vitally important work, for the sacrifices you made to offer prayer, witness, and advocacy today and tomorrow in our nation’s capital on behalf of the unborn, and for your tireless efforts to bring pro-life ministries to communities around the country. On behalf of my brother bishops throughout the United States, I offer my sincere thanks.
If there is one lesson we learn time and again from Scripture, it is this: The end of the story has not yet come. Every time there is a victory to celebrate, we discover there is still more work to be done.
Dear friends in Christ: I begin with words of thanks. Looking out at all of you here today, I see the zeal, perseverance, and love that drives your commitment to the pro-life cause, and I am inspired. Thank you for remaining dedicated to this vitally important work, for the sacrifices you made to offer prayer, witness, and advocacy today and tomorrow in our nation’s capital on behalf of the unborn, and for your tireless efforts to bring pro-life ministries to communities around the country. On behalf of my brother bishops throughout the United States, I offer my sincere thanks.
If there is one lesson we learn time and again from Scripture, it is this: The end of the story has not yet come. Every time there is a victory to celebrate, we discover there is still more work to be done.
(The Mass starts at the 17:00 Minute Mark on the Video)
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us: “Behold I am with you always until the end of the age.” He speaks these words after his preaching ministry, after his suffering and death, resurrected and appearing to his friends before he ascends to Heaven. The work of redemption is complete. It seems, for a moment, that the story is over. But it’s not. The work of spreading the Gospel, of sharing the gift of redemption, has only just begun. We call this Gospel “the great commission.” To be sure, the disciples are being sent, but they are not being sent alone. Instead, Jesus’ words constitute a profound promise: “Behold I am with you always until the end of the age.”
They are words of warning. The perfection we so long for, Jesus subtly reminds his followers, will not be ours until the end of the age. Even as we work to bring God’s goodness and justice here and now, we will be frustrated. Our best laid plans will sometimes fail. The good works we accomplish will not always last. Sin will creep in. Human weakness will surface. We will lose sight of what is most important and be distracted by worldly aims. Pride will take us away from Christ. Our victories here on Earth are fragile.
The answer — the only answer — is Christ himself. Christ speaks these words, not as an assurance that all our efforts will succeed by worldly metrics, but as a promise that he will be there in our successes and our failures, in our victories and our losses, in our moments of elation and our moments of bitter discouragement. And he will sanctify it all.
For many of us, the overturning of Roe vs. Wade was a moment of relief, a moment of new life, an exodus from the oppression under which we lived for 50 years. If the past year and a half has taught us anything, it is this: Dobbs is not the end. It is a victory — a tremendous victory — but not a decisive one. The lives of the unborn are still in danger – in some places, more so than ever. The lives of innocent children are being taken. Mothers are still being harmed. Couples, children, and families are still in need of resources, support, and love.
We live in a world where some, including those elected to the highest offices, sadly neglect these basic truths and/or want to compromise or negotiate with them. And it is our sacred duty to vigorously and tirelessly defend them. At the same time, our deepest victory as a movement lies in responding in the only way worthy of the human person: in love.
For “every child who, rather than being born, is condemned unjustly to being aborted, bears the face of Jesus Christ,” Pope Francis says. Every life that is saved is loved by God and endowed with inviolable dignity. Every life is worth the effort.
More than anything, we must continue to serve, as the theme for the 2024 March for Life reminds us: With every mother, for every child. The needs of mothers and babies are dynamic, and we must be dynamic too. The work we do in pregnancy centers around the country is at the center of our mission. We must fortify those efforts and ensure that those who choose life have a home, an income, food, clothing, and provisions for their children. We must help mothers and fathers through the challenges of pregnancy and welcoming a new life. Becoming parents or growing a family often comes with a need for greater emotional and spiritual support. We must be attuned to this need, and creative in how we respond to it.
As we await that longed for day, we have the opportunity to taste what is to come here and now in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. “Behold I am with you always,” is Jesus’ promise to us too. It is a promise he fulfills every minute of every day in every tabernacle in the world. It is a promise he fulfills in your own heart every time you receive him at the altar and adore him in the Blessed Sacrament as you will do at this Mass and throughout the Vigil tonight. In his presence, be quiet. Be calm. Be still and listen to him.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us: “Behold I am with you always until the end of the age.” He speaks these words after his preaching ministry, after his suffering and death, resurrected and appearing to his friends before he ascends to Heaven. The work of redemption is complete. It seems, for a moment, that the story is over. But it’s not. The work of spreading the Gospel, of sharing the gift of redemption, has only just begun. We call this Gospel “the great commission.” To be sure, the disciples are being sent, but they are not being sent alone. Instead, Jesus’ words constitute a profound promise: “Behold I am with you always until the end of the age.”
They are words of warning. The perfection we so long for, Jesus subtly reminds his followers, will not be ours until the end of the age. Even as we work to bring God’s goodness and justice here and now, we will be frustrated. Our best laid plans will sometimes fail. The good works we accomplish will not always last. Sin will creep in. Human weakness will surface. We will lose sight of what is most important and be distracted by worldly aims. Pride will take us away from Christ. Our victories here on Earth are fragile.
The answer — the only answer — is Christ himself. Christ speaks these words, not as an assurance that all our efforts will succeed by worldly metrics, but as a promise that he will be there in our successes and our failures, in our victories and our losses, in our moments of elation and our moments of bitter discouragement. And he will sanctify it all.
For many of us, the overturning of Roe vs. Wade was a moment of relief, a moment of new life, an exodus from the oppression under which we lived for 50 years. If the past year and a half has taught us anything, it is this: Dobbs is not the end. It is a victory — a tremendous victory — but not a decisive one. The lives of the unborn are still in danger – in some places, more so than ever. The lives of innocent children are being taken. Mothers are still being harmed. Couples, children, and families are still in need of resources, support, and love.
We live in a world where some, including those elected to the highest offices, sadly neglect these basic truths and/or want to compromise or negotiate with them. And it is our sacred duty to vigorously and tirelessly defend them. At the same time, our deepest victory as a movement lies in responding in the only way worthy of the human person: in love.
For “every child who, rather than being born, is condemned unjustly to being aborted, bears the face of Jesus Christ,” Pope Francis says. Every life that is saved is loved by God and endowed with inviolable dignity. Every life is worth the effort.
More than anything, we must continue to serve, as the theme for the 2024 March for Life reminds us: With every mother, for every child. The needs of mothers and babies are dynamic, and we must be dynamic too. The work we do in pregnancy centers around the country is at the center of our mission. We must fortify those efforts and ensure that those who choose life have a home, an income, food, clothing, and provisions for their children. We must help mothers and fathers through the challenges of pregnancy and welcoming a new life. Becoming parents or growing a family often comes with a need for greater emotional and spiritual support. We must be attuned to this need, and creative in how we respond to it.
As we await that longed for day, we have the opportunity to taste what is to come here and now in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. “Behold I am with you always,” is Jesus’ promise to us too. It is a promise he fulfills every minute of every day in every tabernacle in the world. It is a promise he fulfills in your own heart every time you receive him at the altar and adore him in the Blessed Sacrament as you will do at this Mass and throughout the Vigil tonight. In his presence, be quiet. Be calm. Be still and listen to him.
Sources: Highlights of Bishop Burbidge's Homily from OSV News and USCCB Excerpts
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