The Easter season, between Easter and Pentecost Sunday, is a foretaste of the life of the world to come. In Christ's triumph over death, we see the promise of everlasting life, in a world without sin and pain and death.
There is no better time of the year to devote ourselves in prayer for the most helpless among us. The murder of the unborn, children innocent of actual sin, in their mothers' wombs is the greatest tragedy we know today. Yet it takes places every day, all around us—1.3 million children per year in the United States alone.
Thus, as we celebrate the joy of Christ's Resurrection and glimpse the life of the world to come, I have chosen the Easter Prayer for Life as our novena of the week. Written by Priests for Life, one of the chief Catholic pro-life organizations, this prayer is short, simple, and powerful.
And don't forget that the Divine Mercy Novena, which began on Good Friday, continues through the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday (this coming Sunday). Even if you haven't been praying the novena every day, you can join in at any time with the millions of Catholics worldwide who pray this novena every year.
If you have a favorite novena that you'd like me to choose as Novena of the Week, or if you'd like me to suggest a novena for a particular intention, send me an e-mail, and I'll work it into the rotation.