Lord, please don't hear this prayer--yet again.

This past Dec. 28, I was jolted out of my morning fog at 8 a.m. Mass when the deacon offered this petition:
“For those who are considering abortion: may our prayers and the intercession of the Holy Innocents whom we honor today help them choose life as the best option, let us pray to the Lord.”
I can’t remember whether I blurted “What?” loud enough to be noticed by my faithful companions at daily Mass—many of whom wear hearing aids—but I know I certainly didn’t answer with the prescribed “Lord, hear our prayer.” Read more