# Pray to Stop Abortion: Litany to Our Lady of the Rosary
*2015-09-30*

> Bill Young reflects on the feast of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, condemns the abortion industry, and leads a litany to Our Lady of the Rosary asking for the protection of unborn children.

## Feast of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez

Good afternoon, I’m Bill Young. Today is Friday, October 30th, the feast day of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, a humble Spanish Jesuit whose life was marked by simple service and constant prayer. He reminds us that a life lived in prayer can bring goodness to every circumstance.

## Abortion and the Pro‑Life Crisis

Recent discussions about Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment also touch on the dignity of human life, especially the unborn. The abortion industry, including companies that profit from selling fetal tissue, represents a grave moral evil. It is a crime far more serious than any political disagreement over environmental policy. Both the political right and left in the United States have been silent or complicit, and we must call out any Catholic who supports such practices.

## A Litany to Our Lady of the Rosary

We now pray a litany to Our Lady of the Rosary, composed of fifteen invocations that reflect the mysteries of the Rosary. Each invocation calls upon Mary as model of charity, mother of all, and refuge for those far from God. The litany proceeds with the traditional responses:

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Virgin of God, have mercy.

[The following invocations are recited, each followed by “Lord, have mercy.”]

Virgin who listens, Virgin who meets us, Model of charity, Bearer of Christ, Virgin who sings the Lamb’s praise, Woman ever known, Virgin of dawn, Vessel chosen by God, Mother who gave her Son to all, Virgin, example of motherhood, Mother of all people, Virgin who accepts the difficulty of faith, Image of Christ, Virgin who gives us simple joy, Blessed among women, Mother of Christ’s priesthood, Virgin humbled in life, Model of those who seek the Son, Virgin who always prays, Mother who knows sorrow, Woman who fulfills the Father’s will, Refuge of the far from God, Mother of the suffering servant, Virgin preserved from sin, Woman of living hope, Virgin of patience, Mother of compassion, Woman who always believed, Humble servant of the Almighty, Woman of pierced heart, Mother who knows suffering, Sisters of all people, Queen of the faithful, Virgin gracious offering to the Father, Model of every disciple, Women accompanying holiness, Compassion of the presence, Mother who does not abandon her children, Queen of the witnesses, Hope of salvation for every heart, Mother, comfort of Christ and the Church, Women who keep watch at the Cross, Model of faith for pilgrims, Women prophesying victory over evil, Mother of hope and joy, Temple of the spirit of life, Motherhood shaping the world, One who proclaims God’s name, Woman whom Almighty has blessed, Virgin modeled by the new spirit, Mother of those enlightened by God, Virgin of unity among Christians, Mary, unique fulfillment of all creation, Woman robed with the sun, Humble woman crowned with incorruptible glory.

## Closing Prayer

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. Holy Mother of God, may we be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray: O God, Father of Christ our Savior, who wedded a holy virgin and gave us a mother, grant us help in our weakness so that, preserving the faith, we may grow in love and walk together toward the blessed hope of eternal life through Christ.

*We must pray fervently for the unborn and defend the dignity of every human life.*