Pray on March 25, 2014 for Religious Liberty!

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

News story from CatholicVote.org

On Tuesday, March 25, the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases (Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood) that could dramatically alter the future of religious liberty in America.

The court is set to hear arguments in these critical cases on March 25th – the Feast of the Annunciation. The day when the Blessed Virgin was told by the Angel Gabriel that she would give birth in 9 months to the Savior of the World.

A coincidence? No way.

Religious liberty is at the heart of these court cases. And while the Supreme Court has incredible power, the power of prayer is unmatched.

That’s why we are asking everyone to commit to praying to Our Lady of the Annunciation. We printed out tens of thousands of prayer cards and sent them to parishes and schools and to CV members nationwide.

This prayer reflection is based on a Marian consecration by Patrick Cardinal O’Boyle, former Archbishop of Washington — and it was prayed in parishes throughout the United States in November of 1959.

Prayer for Our Nation

God our Father in Heaven, you chose Mary as the fairest of your daughters; Holy Spirit, you overshadowed Mary at the Annunciation; God the Son, you became incarnate in the womb of Mary, your Mother. In union with Mary, we adore you, the Most Holy Trinity and acknowledge that you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, hold eternal dominion and authority over all nations.

Most Holy Trinity, we place the United States of America into the hands of Mary Immaculate in order that she may present our country to you. Through her we wish to praise and thank you for the great resources of our land and for the freedom, which has been our heritage. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the Catholic Church in the United States. Grant us peace. Have mercy on our president and on all the officers of our government. Grant us a fruitful economy born of justice and charity. Raise up and protect all of our families. Through the intercession of our Mother, have mercy on the sick, the poor, the tempted, sinners—on all who are in need. Above all, we ask Mary to intercede on our behalf that you would protect our conscience rights and religious freedom, upon which our country was founded.

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Our Mother, Patroness of our land, we honor you and give ourselves to you. Wrap your mantel of protection around each of us and all our fellow citizens. Protect us from all evil and harm. Pray for us, that acting always according to your will and the Will of your Divine Son, we may live and die pleasing to God.

"Brain Dead" Teenager Awakens From Coma After Her Family Sings Hymns

News story from LifeNews.com

LifeNews has repeatedly chronicled cases of people who were prematurely declared dead or said to be in supposedly persistent vegetative states who ultimately recovered.

Now comes the story of Levi Hansen, a BYU student who suffered critical head injuries last week after being hit by a car. Hansen, 18, was alert and breathing on her own Tuesday, though she was still listed in critical but stable condition. She even tried to get out of her hospital bed. While she has a long road to recovery ahead, her family believes they have witnessed a miracle.

“When they brought her in, the doctors gave her less than a 5 percent chance of survival,” said Doug Hansen, Lexi’s father. “They told us to call our family and get them here quickly because she wasn’t going to last too long.”

In a Thursday evening interview with ABC News, Marcia Hansen, the teen’s mother, said tests indicated her daughter had essentially been brain-dead when she was brought to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo.

The Deseret News has more:

Just before 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 26, Lexi was riding her longboard while crossing the street in a crosswalk at the intersection of University Avenue and Canyon Road when the accident occurred. No alcohol, drugs or texting were believed to have played a role in the crash, police said.

Lexi suffered head injuries and was in a coma for several days. But Sunday, she came out of the coma as her family sang hymns around her.

“We had the most amazing experience today at the end of everyone’s fast,” the family wrote on the Pray for Lexi Facebook Page. “Lexi opened her eyes and kept them open for nearly an hour while we sang hymns to her as a family. While we were singing, she hand signed, ‘I love you,’ moving her arm around so that everyone could see. She then reached for each person’s hands individually so she could squeeze them. We could hardly sing due to the tears streaming down our face. We knew we were witnessing a miracle.”

Read more: Lexi Hansen