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  • Writer's pictureProfiles in Catholicism
    • Nov 5, 2018
    • 16 min read

DECEMBER 2018 Issue

Updated: Dec 1, 2018



a message from the editor

November was a month of unfathomable sadness. Millions are starving in Yemen including millions of children because of Saudi Arabia relentless bombing creating what some have described as the greatest humanitarian crisis in history. Antisemitism and racism have become global pandemics. Gun violence in the United States is unprecedented and people are being murdered daily as politicians are afraid to take reasonable steps to protect human life.  The continued threats to life increase daily because of global warming. Fascism is starting to underscore many governments. We are evolving into a world marked by hatred of the other.


Let us pray that the new season of Advent will give us hope for a better world that reflects Christ’s infinite love for all of us.


prayers OF THE MONTH

Yemen Prayer


All merciful God,take and hold the people of Yemen,especially the children and other vulnerable people.Sustain the people of this war-torn land with your hope.Turn the hearts of aggressors to thoughts of peace.Stir the conscience of the international community, and enable international leaders to work for peace.  Let none of us forget our brothers and sisters who struggle and suffer in a distant land,but help all of us to be for each other your true and generous children who know that your grace always outpaces our failures,and who acknowledge you the source of all our good who are our one God forever and ever. Amen

by Father Louis Cameli Profiles in Catholicism


Prayer of  a Child in Yemen


If there is a god out there, please help us. I don’t know much about gods, and whether everyone has the same god. But we’ll take help from any god, Especially since none of the humans who run the countries of the earth seem to care about us. We are starving to death, the children of Yemen. We are starving to death, 50,000 of us so far, my mother tells me, and another 2 million of us are barely hanging on. They say it’s because of the civil war that started four years ago, that things are so bad, But some of the old people say they can never remember a time when there was no war. We can’t go to school because half of our schools have been destroyed by bombs. We can’t go to the hospital when we need to, because most of our hospitals are gone too, and there’s too many sick people ahead of us. Our only hope, they tell us, is to survive until we get older and we can be sold as a sex slave or become one of the soldiers who kill other people.I don’t know what a sex slave is, but it’s bound to be better than being a soldier. I’ve seen too many of my friends die. I couldn’t bear to make other people die. Please help us.  It’s been so long since I’ve been able to play with my friends. I feel too weak. My mother has to hold me when I stand up. We just want to live like other human beings. Is that asking too much?

Amen


A prayer for California fire victims


Almighty God, who alone created the beauty and the bounty of our land, who cares and loves everyone—from the workers in the field to the owners of the field—be with your people in California now in the midst of the fires.

Bring an end to the loss of lives and the loss of homes. Bring aid to the firefighters who, by serving others, serve you. Give them courage and strength to persevere, to find the ability in their bodies and souls to keep working for another day or hour or minute. Ease the winds that spread the flames and disperse the smoke that covers the sky.

Bring hope to the displaced and the homeless. Keep alive inside their minds and hearts memories, the physical traces of which may be lost. Remind us that you are the promise of a new tomorrow.

cluded and cared for as we rebuild, guided by your Spirit. May our hearts never turn away from you or from each other in our time of need. May we see you in the faces of those in need. May we see your work in the hands of all those who reach out to help and in the green—the life!—that will soon return, by your hand, to our land.

Amen.

by Antonio De Loera-Brust.  America

A Prayer for Those Who Were Murdered and Harmed in the Paradise Bar Massacre

O Lord in your great and wonderful providence your are at times mysterious as well. You have created this universe and this world and pronounced them GOOD. Earth and air, fire and water are for our good. At times we may not see or know your purposes, but they are all of them good.This we believe: they are good.The blessing of salvation effected by your Jesus turns all things into good.For this we thank you.If we sometimes do not understand, still we thank you, in Jesus Christ the Lord. by Father David O Brown, O,S.M. Profiles in Catholicism


Prayer for Samuel Jimenez


God of mercy and compassion, we beg your arms  of welcome embrace your servant, Chicago Police Officer Samuel Jimenez.  While his watch has come to an end on this earth, may he watch over his family and all of us from his rightful place in heaven.

We pray you envelop in strength and grace Sam's loving mother, Esther, his devoted wife, Crystal, and his beautiful children, Ebony, Julian and Angelina. 

May Sam and the other 582 true Chicago heroes who have lost their lives in the line of duty REST IN PEACE.

By Fr. Dan Brandt , CPD Chaplain Profiles in Catholicism


QUOTE OF THE MONTH


“Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony, go out and interact with your brothers, go out and share, go out and ask. Become the Word in body as well as spirit”

by Pope Francis


INTERVIEWS

General Articles/Commentaries

ADVOCACY

  • Pittsburgh Parishes Asked to Collect Funds for Jewish Congregations by Catholic News Service/Orange County Catholic

  • Please send a donation for help save the life of Alwin Rex. Please read the article How do we love our neighbor as ourselves? If just a few of our readers could send a donation of $10.00 toward his healthcare costs to Father Thomas Ayyaneth with a notation that the donation is for Alwin Rex. Father Thomas will process donations and send them to his pastor. His mailing address is Fr. Thomas Ayyaneth, Syro Malankara Catholic Eparchial Chancery,1500 DePaul Street, Elmont-, New York 11003 , USA

  • When Children are Set Free by Shay Cullen, Mssc Preda Foundation

  • Help save the lives of people in Kenya who are dying from lack of access to clean water. please read our interview with Father Joseph Mungai, FMH.

  • Whether They Are Young or Old, Hungry or Addicted, Homeless or Friendless... Catholic Charities sees the face of God in those in need. By providing food, clothing, shelter and counseling, we bring hope to the hopeless in the city of Chicago and its suburbs. With 150 programs at 153 locations throughout Cook and Lake counties, we serve virtually every neighborhood and parish in the Chicagoland area. Through our broad spectrum of services, we annually assist more than 1 million persons in Cook and Lake counties without regard to religious, ethnic or economic background. For more than 98 years, Catholic Charities has empowered families and individuals of all races and religious backgrounds to realize their full potential. Our services help people from the point of conception through the last stages of their lives. We keep mothers and their babies well-fed, prepare children in low-income families for school, keep youth in school and out of gangs, counsel and give job training to adults with economic troubles, provide affordable housing for seniors, and organize in-homecare services for seniors who need help caring for themselves. donations@catholiccharities.net Only 8 cents of every dollar donated goes toward our administrative expenses; the rest goes directly to help clients. While Catholic Charities raises funds separately from the Archdiocese of Chicago, we serve as the social service arm of the church

  • Support Capuchin Community Services At the Capuchin Community Services, we support those who cannot support themselves. We are grateful to you for your support whether it be through prayer, through donated goods, or through financial donation. Please be assured that we are careful stewards of your trust. We welcome contributions of any size. All are acknowledged and are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Capuchin Community Services is a ministry of the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph. Unless otherwise directed, donations support the local ministry and the Province. To donate through the mail: Capuchin Community Services PO Box 05830 Milwaukee, WI 53205-0830

BOOK REVIEWS/COMMENTARIES

FILM REVIEWS/COMMENTARIES

TV REVIEWS/COMMENTARIES

theatre REVIEWS

Feasting with the Saints

PRAYERS


A Prayer for Those Who Have Suffered Abuse by the Clergy


God, in your providential love you comfort those who are wounded and afflicted.

Hear our prayers for those who have suffered abuse by those in their families or by those entrusted with their care.

In a special way, we pray for those who suffered abuse by clergy who betrayed a sacred trust and who were meant to stand for your loving presence in their lives.

May those who have been hurt find support and encouragement in communities of faith, hope, and love.

May they discover healing in genuinely loving and caring relationships.

May they reclaim hope for themselves.

May they be strengthened and confirmed in their resolve to set things aright.

May they rest in you who make all things work for the good. Amen

by Father Louis J Cameli Profiles in Catholicism


A Prayer to Prevent Nuclear War

Lord God, you created life and beauty in this world. You then entrusted the human community with caring for, and enhancing, your creation. Strengthen us, we pray, in this challenging time when the power to destroy this creation has grown so dangerously. Lead us on a road of peace, a road that includes a program of removing all nuclear weapons from our earth. We cannot hope to meet this challenge without your continuing presence and support. For this we make our prayerful plea in your name.

by John T. Pawlikowski, OSM, Profiles in Catholicism


A Prayer for Migrant Children

Good Lord, who said “Whoever receives one of these little ones, receives me,” bless the little ones who are caught in the struggle of migration, separation, and abuse. Give all those adults who are responsible for them and for their welfare the wisdom and courage to do the children justice and to protect them. Make our hearts more ,loving and willing to do the right thing by them. May we see in all people young and old your image and so reverence their great dignity.

We make our prayer through you who came among us as a child and who was forced to flee the threat of violence Amen

by Father Louis J. Cameli Profiles in Catholicism


A Prayer to End Racism

As we gather together for prayer and communion, we are reaffirming our commitment to love unconditionally, welcome all people and work to root out the cancer of racism that betrays our faith and country’s highest principles.”

by The Rev. Dr. Darryl Roberts, Senior Pastor, Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, Washington. DC


A Prayer for East Africa

O Lord, with so much tragedy going on in our own country, children separated from their parents at our borders,

needy asylum seekers turned away,

against the spirit of all that we stand for,

as stated on the Statue of Liberty,

help us to think of, pray for, and find the means to help others

around the world,

especially the millions of people facing starvation

in East Africa.

We are called by the Jewish prophets and by Jesus

to help all in need, and our country has the resources to do so.

Help us to work together with other nations around the world

to raise awareness of the desperation of the East Africans,

and to pool our resources to send them food and medical aid,

so that they may survive

and help others to survive

and thrive.

We ask this in the name of our Loving Father, the Son who sacrificed his life for all,

and the Holy Spirit who permeates all reality and the hearts and souls of all humans.

Amen by Dr. Eugene Fisher Profiles in Catholicism


A Prayer for Healing Victims of Abuse


God of endless love,

ever caring, ever strong,

always present, always just:

You gave your only Son

To save us by the blood of his cross.

Gentle Jesus, shepherd of peace,

join to your own suffering

the pain of all who have been hurt

in body, mind, and spirit by those who betrayed the trust placed in them.

Hear our cries as we agonize

over the harm done to our brothers and sisters.

Breathe wisdom into our prayers,

soothe restless hearts with hope,

steady shaken spirits with faith:

Show us the way to justice and wholeness,

enlightened by truth and enfolded in your mercy.

Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts,

heal your people’s wounds

and transform our brokenness.

Grant us courage and wisdom, humility and grace,

so that we may act with justice

and find peace in you.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

by Christian Peschken Profiles in Catholicism

A Prayer to End Gun Violence


Lord Jesus, as you approached the city of Jerusalem,

Before your passion,

As your people waved palms in your honor,

You saw the city and wept over it because you

Loved it.

You knew of the violence and chaos you would suffer

In that beloved city

still you loved it and wept over it.

Lord Jesus, look upon our cities, weep over them,

Love them and protect them.

Weep over us and strengthen us as we suffer

Violence and chaos.

Weep over us and love us.

Lord Jesus, weep over us and love us. (See Lk 19)

by Father David O. Brown, O.S.M. Profiles in Catholicism


Prayer for Immigrants and Refugees

Lord Jesus, when you multiplied the loaves and fishes, you provided more than food for the body, you offered us the gift of yourself, the gift which satisfies every hunger and quenches every thirst! Your disciples were filled with fear and doubt, but you poured out your love and compassion on the migrant crowd, welcoming them as brothers and sisters.

Lord Jesus, today you call us to welcome the members of God's family who come to our land to escape oppression, poverty, persecution, violence, and war. Like your disciples, we too are filled with fear and doubt and even suspicion. We build barriers in our hearts and in our minds.

Lord Jesus, help us by your grace,

To banish fear from our hearts, that we may embrace each of your children as our own brother and sister;

To welcome migrants and refugees with joy and generosity, while responding to their many needs;

To realize that you call all people to your holy mountain to learn the ways of peace and justice;

To share of our abundance as you spread a banquet before us;

To give witness to your love for all people, as we celebrate the many gifts they bring.

We praise you and give you thanks for the family you have called together from so many people. We see in this human family a reflection of the divine unity of the one Most Holy Trinity in whom we make our prayer: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops


A Prayer for the End of Human Trafficking


God of freedom, beauty and truth

we believe that your deepest desire,

your most powerful energy,

is that all creation might know abundant life.

We raise our voices in anguished prayer

for our sisters and brothers,

women and girls, men and boys,

who are modern day slaves;

They are your beloved daughters and sons,

exploited sexually or forced to work

because of human violence and greed.

Fill us with your holy anger and your sacred passion

that those who are trafficked might know healing and justice;

that traffickers will come to repentance and conversion;

that all of us might live in such a way

that others are not made to pay the price

for our comfort and convenience.

Hasten the coming of the day when all people

and our precious Earth itself

will be treated, not as a commodity,

but as radiant images of your freedom, beauty and truth. Amen. May it be so.

,Convent Station, N.J.


VIDEOS


Ave Maria - Marco Lo Russo Coro Voces del Mar OEPV Made in Italy concert Teatro Vallarta Mexico 2018 by Marco Lo Russo Rouge


Bas Rutten Shares His Journey to Faith by Anthem Philly


Disabled homeless man's hardship by Catholic News Service


The Catholic Church's Response to Human Trafficking by Catholic Church England and Wales


Pope Francis visits WCC Geneva 70th Anniversary by Christian Peschken PESCHKEN reports


Is Stephen Hawking Right About God? by Brandon Vogt and Bishop Robert Barron


The Beauty of the Catholic Church by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee


Joy of the Gospel: Reflections from Catholic Theological Union Faculty. by Rev. Richard Fragomeni


Children dying of starvation in Yemen's conflict

by BBC News






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