Novena to Stop the HHS Mandate Starts TODAY
Posted by Matt Yonke (March 14, 2012 at 12:57 pm)
We fight for justice in government with many weapons. We use Rallies like we’ll hold on March 23, we use our power to vote, we use our voices and pens so our representatives in government know our concerns. But we must never forget that the strongest weapon we have is prayer.
Temporal rulers will come and go, but God is the great king over all, so recourse to Him is where our confidence must ultimately last. It is well within His power to stop the Obama Administration’s pernicious HHS Mandate, and with that in mind, we are asking all people of faith to join in a united prayer effort to Stop the HHS Mandate.
And so we offer here an ecumenical Novena for the defeat of the HHS Mandate, which begins today.
A novena is a nine day prayer sequence for a particular intention, in this case the Rally for Religious Freedom and the defeat of the HHS Mandate. Though the devotion has its roots in Catholic spirituality, the prayers here are ones that people of any Christian tradition can pray.
We will be posting the prayers for each day here on the Stand Up blog for the next nine days leading up to the March 23 Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom. Please join with us in this important prayer effort. Here is the prayer for today, March 14:
Novena for a Reversal of the HHS Mandate: Day 1
Lord God,
You are the Author of Life and Freedom.
In Your Spirit, we have the freedom of the children of God,
and in Your Name, we promote the freedom of all
to seek, embrace, and live the truth of Your Word.
In that freedom, Lord, we your people stand with Life
and reject whatever destroys life
or distorts the meaning of human sexuality.
In that freedom, Lord, we Your people live our lives
in a way that advances Your Kingdom of Life,
and we refuse to cooperate in what is evil.
At this moment, therefore, when our government has decided
to force us to cooperate in evil,
we pray for the grace to be faithful to You
and to oppose the unjust laws and mandates
that have been imposed upon us and our institutions.
We pray for the conversion of those in civil authority
who fail to appreciate the demands of conscience.
We pray for the complete reversal of all policies
that permit the destruction of life
or coerce the cooperation of Your people
in practices that are wrong.
Bring us to a Culture of Life.
We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
I would like to join in from Mexico City at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe at a Mass for this intention and for all the participants and their needs and intentions. Also I have a Mass every year at the same Basilica for the protection of all LIFE & PEACE on the 25 of March, the ANNOUNCIATION and will also offer it for the reversal of ROE V WADE and those defending life in the U.S.A. Our Beloved Pope Benedict XVI will be in Mexico on this day and it is the day proclaimed by Blessed John Paul II as THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR LIFE. The Mass is at 12.00 so please join in to pray for life on this day. My organization is GUADALUPE MISSION FOR LIFE & PEACE. Mariana Bringas, Mexico City,Mexico.
March 14th, 2012 at 4:58 pm
[…] here’s a novena (which is a nine-day series of prayers dedicated to a specific request or, as Catholics say, […]
March 14th, 2012 at 7:08 pm
Thank God! The Bishops and All the church are standing strong for religious freedom!!
March 14th, 2012 at 7:52 pm
I am Irish girl that came from Ireland 16 years ago, and I can’t believe this is happening in the United States. I hope everyone will realize that it’s not just the bishops that have to do all work, but the people of the USA have to pray and stand up for their religious beliefs. I will be saying the Novena for the next nine days.
God Bless!!
March 14th, 2012 at 8:25 pm
[…] important is prayer. A novena is now underway to end the HHS mandate. You can read about it here. http://standupforreligiousfreedom.com/2012/novena/ Like this:LikeBe the first to like this […]
March 14th, 2012 at 10:16 pm
Thank you and may God shower you with all the freedom to do your work that requires your full time and energies. You are in my daily prayers for your return to your full position as leader of the Priests For Life family, Father Frank.
March 15th, 2012 at 2:18 am
As a non-Catholic Christian woman I thank all who stand for the rights of their faith. I will pray and be counted on 3/23.
March 15th, 2012 at 7:53 am
Let us pray that the entire “Affordable Care Act” be overturned. The injustice in it is greatest in the lack of conscience protection, but the rationing of care, particularly because of age and disability, will have an anti-life effect on all Americans. All believers should oppose the entire health reform act, persons who are deemed not worthy of saving: the retarded, the critically or terminally ill, and the aged (over 70!!) will be denied life-saving treatments that are now considered routine. The principle of subsidiarity is also violated, as care of the ill is the most local of issues and should be handled locally and by charity, not by federal power over our lives.
March 15th, 2012 at 8:44 am
Thanks for the novena!!
March 15th, 2012 at 8:56 am
Thank you so much for this Novena. Keep up the good fight.
March 15th, 2012 at 9:28 am
My family adds our prayers for this important cause. In fact we pray the entire obama care law is overturned. May God in His infinite love and mercy hear and answer our prayers. Hang Tuff!
March 15th, 2012 at 10:34 am
I will pray the novena. How wonderful to see so many religions coming together and standing up for this.
March 15th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
It is a religious freedom issue (a freedom that is quickly being eroded). It also is an opportunity for the religious authorities to properly catechize the faithful. Pray!
March 15th, 2012 at 8:22 pm
I am glad to see this effort and I think this confrontation may be the best thing to happen in a long time. I wrote a blog post about this back in February http://differentbugle.blogspot.com/2012/02/harvesting-whirlwind.html in which I observed that the bishops have lately discovered the Constitution.
March 15th, 2012 at 10:23 pm
Thank you Lord, for the voices that rise up from this earth against the injustice of killing the unborn! My voice unites with those of my brothers and sisters so that we are one voice!
March 16th, 2012 at 7:43 am
boy this is certainly a battle against hell — regretably, most the current and excatholics i know use birth control. They think its a mute point. Sadly that this would happen to the church Christ founded on earth, the implicit evil of the new church.
March 16th, 2012 at 7:45 am
This is the BEST IDEA getting those of us believers involved and reminded daily! God bless you for your focus and action. I will pray daily for this intention and encourage those of my group to do the same.
We should continue to BATHE this great nation and its leaders in prayer in the coming days, months and years! There is so much that needs to be done, beyond the strength of mere humans that the Christion Faith and Prayer can address far better. Who is better than the Creator to know how and what His children need to work! Prayer is the KEY!!
March 16th, 2012 at 11:30 am
This is a comforting way to stand together in positive thought and prayer, supporting the repeal of the HHS mandate. I will surely be an integral part.
Blessings to you all!!
March 16th, 2012 at 11:59 am
What a comforting and effective way to pray together to repeal the HHS mandate. I am definitely an integral part!
Blessings to you all!
March 16th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Prayer and action is living the Word of God. We will storm heaven for God’s help and rally and speak out against this horrible HHS mandate that threatens our religious liberties. God be with all of us as we fight for justice.
March 16th, 2012 at 2:50 pm
I was able to get the first two days but that is all. How do I get the balance.
March 19th, 2012 at 2:41 pm
El — You can get links to all the Novena posts here:
http://standupforreligiousfreedom.com/category/novena/
March 19th, 2012 at 3:31 pm
Thank You
March 20th, 2012 at 1:31 am
This country is in big trouble with this administration. As a catholic I believe prayer is the only hope. God Bless the USA.
March 20th, 2012 at 6:26 pm
I give thanks and praise to Almighty God for the good shepherds (our Holy Father and our Roman Catholic bishops) who are fighting this good fight of faith for all of us (Catholics or not). I pray for unity between Catholics and all Christians so we can have an even greater impact on the world and it’s rulers now and in the future. I also pray for 100% of our priests, nuns and laity to march together with our bishops into this spiritual battle carrying and praying the rosary as well as the prayer to St. Michael, the Archangel. Onward Soldiers of Christ!
March 20th, 2012 at 8:52 pm
I will be praying! Thanks to all who stand for our Freedoms. God’s blessing and peace to all
March 21st, 2012 at 6:24 am
Please call for a day of fasting along with prayer.
March 22nd, 2012 at 8:23 pm