Pro-Life/Rosary; 

due Sept 22, for Oct 13, 2021

Heartbeat and the Rosary

“thump thump…thump thump…thump thump”  This is the sound of something important, some essential
often only detected through a stethoscope. “thump thump.” In a heartbeat – or, a heartbeat away – are
idioms that refer to some imminent reality in time or space. But perhaps the most immediate heartbeat
is the one that represents our own life and that of others. 

This past May 19, 2021, both chambers of the Texas legislative branch signed SB 8 a.k.a The Texas
Heartbeat Act  into law.  Since September, State Bill 8 has been in effect in the State of Texas and
prohibits elective abortions when a fetal heartbeat can be detected.  This is a legislative historic victory,
but it’s only a single step in the long journey for the culture of life to prevail.  

We all must contribute to the pro-life cause; but you might be wondering, what can I do?  You could
consider writing to your senators and state representatives, participating in peaceful rallies for life both
locally and nationally, or taking a stand for life by committing your time to visiting a nursing home,
serving at a soup kitchen, or peacefully praying outside of an abortion clinic.  You could study the
Church’s teachings and educate your peers on the dignity and sacredness of all human life from the
moment of conception until natural death. Above all, you can align your heart with the heartbeat of the
Author of Life. 

A powerful way to embrace and empower the culture of life is to pray a pro-life rosary. Pray it with your
family for all families, for expectant parents, for their unborn children, and for all those who are and
have been affected by abortion. 

The rosary is a powerful prayer. It is God’s promised means for the conversion of sinners and the healing
of our deepest wounds. Through it, God provides us with the strength to overcome the clutches of sin
and vice in our lives. The simple repetition of “Hail Mary, full of grace” from a sincere heart can affect an
outpouring of divine grace and mercy upon the one who prays it. This power is derived from the
mysteries of the life of Christ, and when we pray the rosary, we contemplate these mysteries with the
eyes and heart of Mary. 

In the  Joyful mysteries, the Annunciation reminds us of the mysterious work of God in our own lives and
of the preciousness of all life, particularly in unexpected pregnancies. The Sorrowful  mysteries invite us
to unite our sufferings to the passion of Christ in reparation for every life that has been destroyed by the
evils of abortion. The Luminous  and Glorious  mysteries remind us to anchor our hope for the
transformation of the world in the power of Christ’s Resurrection. 

As our lips speak the words of the Rosary and our fingers touch each bead, our minds rise in
contemplation and our faith take on the contours of by Mary’s own faith and love. In this way, when we
pray the rosary, we are attentive to the heartbeat of Mary and the divine heartbeat hidden within her
virginal womb.

If we are to counter the forces of today’s culture of death, we must rely wholly on the power of God. We
must be a voice for the voiceless and work for the enactment of pro-life laws in our country. We can
celebrate life and begin sanctifying our own lives by praying the entire rosary or a decade or two every
day. Whether prayed in the privacy of your home or in your parish chapel before the Eucharist, with a
group of friends or en route to the Supreme Court as part of the National March for Life at our nation’s
capital, let us contemplate the heartbeat of the Word made flesh who dwelt among us, so that with the
Blessed Mother, we might cherish and nurture the life of Christ within us. Why not take a stand for life
by praying the rosary outside of an abortion clinic today? Take on the challenge to support life during
this month dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. 

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.