Fr. Pavone Prayer 2

O God, who adorn creation with splendor and beauty
and fashion human lives in your image and likeness,
awaken in every heart
reverence for the work of your hands,
and renew among your people
a readiness to nurture and sustain
your precious gift of human life.

Echoing the imagery of Psalm 104 and drawing from Genesis 1:26, this prayer focuses on how human life itself reflects the image of the Creator, and therefore should evoke in our hearts a reverence and awe which should outweigh any fear in welcoming or defending human life.

This prayer is especially appropriate to use in gatherings of those who assist moms and dads in pregnancy centers, and who do spiritual and educational work in the pro-life movement. The reverence for the work of God's hands feeds the love which is expressed in that "readiness to nurture and sustain" human life. As Blessed Teresa of Calcutta said, "The mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love, that is, to give until it hurts" (Prayer Breakfast, 1994).