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(A Prayer Service for those "who never had the chance to live.")

Begin with 30 lit candles

LECTOR:            Genesis I 

Presider:  Since 1973, when abortion was legalized in this country, millions of babies have been aborted.  consequently, our country and our world havesuffered a great loss.  Let us remember those who, because of abortion, were never given the chance to live.

Reader 1:   We remember those who had the potential for givingLife, love, and joy to others. (Extinguish one candle) 

Reader 2:  We remember those who had the potential to lead Others to goodness as parents. (Extinguish one candle) 

Reader 3:   We remember those who had the potential to be Loving sons and daughters.  (Extinguish one candle) 

Reader 4:    We remember those who might have discovered new cures and miracle drugs in the field of medicine. (Extinguish one candle) 

Reader 5:    We remember those who might have been leaders in the areas of religion and government.  (Extinguish one candle.) 

Reader 6:    We remember those who might have graced our world with new forms of dance and music. (Extinguish one candle.) 

Reader 7:    We remember those who had the potential to give the word great masterpieces of art. (Extinguish one candle.) 

Reader 8:    We remember those who had the potential to unlock even further the secrets of science. (Extinguish one candle.)

Reader 9:    We remember those who had the potential for profound thought and actions in the struggle for peace and justice. (Extinguish one candle.) 

Reader 10:  We remember those who might have cultivated the soil to solve the problem of world hunger. (Extinguish one candle.) 

Reader 11:  We remember those who might have stretched our imaginations and enriched our lives with the written word. (Extinguish one candle.) 

Reader 12:  We remember those who had the potential to reach the heights of outer space and to make new discoveries there. (Extinguish one candle.) 

Reader 13:  We remember those who had the potential to instill in other wisdom and knowledge. (Extinguish one candle.) 

Readers 14-30:  We remember those who………………ask students to formulate these petitions.

Presider:           Loving Father, Creator of all life, you have known us from all eternity.  Before you ever formed us in our mother's wombs, you knew us. 

                        We pray for the courage to take a stand for the unborn.  Help us to keep the light of hope burning for those who are unable to speak for themselves.  May our efforts alert others to the beauty, wonder, and joy of life. 

                        Teach us to foster proper attitudes about all of your creation, the unborn, the elderly, the abused, the handicapped, and the terminally ill.  Help us to see anew the miracle and sacredness of all life and give us a greater awareness of our responsibility toward this gift from you.  We ask this through Christ Our Lord.   

ALL:                +Amen