The First "International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking" will be celebrated in all dioceses and parishes in the world, in the groups and schools on 8 February 2015, the Feast Day of Josephine Bakhita, a Sudanese slave, freed, who became a Canossian nun, and was declared a Saint in 2000. The initiative is promoted by the Pontifical Council of Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the International Union of Superiors General (UISG and USG).
The statement sent to Agenzia Fides highlights that "the primary objective of the International Day is to create greater awareness on this phenomenon and to reflect on the overall situation of violence and injustice that affect so many people, who have no voice, do not count, and are no one: they are simply slaves. Another goal is to attempt to provide solutions to counter this modern form of slavery by taking concrete actions".
The phenomenon concerns the whole world. According to official data roughly 21 million people, often very poor and vulnerable, are victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced labour and begging, illegal organ removal, domestic servitude and forced marriages, illegal adoption and other forms of exploitation.
Each year, around 2.5 million people are victims of trafficking and slavery. On the other hand, for traffickers and pimps, this is one of the most lucrative illegal activities in the world, generating a total of 32 billion dollars a year. It is the third most profitable “business” after drugs and arms trafficking. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 26/11/2014)
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Prayer for Coworkers
The well-known Parent's Prayer works quite well when you modify the words to say "coworkers":
Heavenly Father, make me a better coworker.
Teach me to understand my coworkers, listen patiently to what they have to say, and to answer all their questions kindly.
Keep me from interrupting them or contradicting them.
Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me.
Forbid that I should ever laugh at their mistakes or resort to shame or ridicule when they displease me.
May I never punish them for my own selfish satisfaction or to show my power.
Let me not tempt my coworkers to lie or steal and guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness.
Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me.
And when I am out of sorts, help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue.
Let me not rob them of the opportunity to make their own decisions.
Bless me with the bigness to grant them all their reasonable requests and the courage to deny them privileges I know will do them harm.
Make me fair and just and kind, worthy to be loved and respected and imitated by my coworkers. Amen.
Find Catholic apps here.
Heavenly Father, make me a better coworker.
Teach me to understand my coworkers, listen patiently to what they have to say, and to answer all their questions kindly.
Keep me from interrupting them or contradicting them.
Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me.
Forbid that I should ever laugh at their mistakes or resort to shame or ridicule when they displease me.
May I never punish them for my own selfish satisfaction or to show my power.
Let me not tempt my coworkers to lie or steal and guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness.
Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me.
And when I am out of sorts, help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue.
Let me not rob them of the opportunity to make their own decisions.
Bless me with the bigness to grant them all their reasonable requests and the courage to deny them privileges I know will do them harm.
Make me fair and just and kind, worthy to be loved and respected and imitated by my coworkers. Amen.
Find Catholic apps here.
Pure Faith App by Totus Tuus Press
Pure Faith
Pure Faith is a beautifully designed Catholic prayer app that includes all of the prayers from the best-selling book Pure Faith, plus daily Mass readings, Saint of the Day, Liturgy of the Hours, the entire Bible, and the monthly prayer intentions from the pope. Use it to prepare for Mass or confession, or do an evening examen before bedtime. Need a reminder to pray the Angelus, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy . . .
Online Studies: Get Paid Up to $75
More Catholic apps
The Catholic Directory – free
This is probably the app I use the most because I’m terrible at remembering mass times. My favorite feature is that you can find churches by using your current location. This is super helpful when traveling, or when your schedule requires you to find another parish to go to mass/confession. The only down side of this app is that it requires parishes or users to help keep the information up-to-date. As an added bonus, they have added the daily readings.
Laudate – free
Similar to iPieta, this is a Catholic mashup app. Laudate has the daily readings plus the saint of the day. It includes the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, multiple podcasts for daily meditation and the New American Bible. My two favorite features are the gospel reflections and the interactive rosary. For those of you who don’t have a Magnificat subscription, these reflections are a wonderful free alternative. True, you will get odd looks when you whip your iPhone out after communion (it happens to me all the time). Just be confident in the fact that you’re not texting or tweeting but rockin’ some deep meditation. For those onlookers, this is a good time to introduce them to the 21st century when mass is over.Source: http://patrickpadley.com/blog/2012/09/07/top-5-best-catholic-iphone-apps/
Daily Bread; Catholic Reflections Podcast
In this podcast, hear inspired teaching on the daily Scripture readings of the Catholic Church by Fr. Al Lauer.
Father encourages us to be child like in our dependence on God. Latest podcast.
Father encourages us to be child like in our dependence on God. Latest podcast.
Advent/Christmas CD and Prayer Book: God With Us
New prayer book and CD: God With Us, by OCP composer Dan Schutte, reminds Catholics everywhere that amid the busyness of the Christmas and Advent seasons, God is all around.
“Because of the distractions and hectic pace of Christmas preparations, many of us find it difficult to keep our minds and hearts on the real Christmas story,” says Schutte. “I created God With Us to help people pause and remember that this is the season of hope…to open their hearts to receive God’s love.”
The 84-page prayer book consists of 12 different exercises that contain inspirational images, a reflection, prayers, a scripture passage and lyrics for a corresponding song. Additionally, God With Us includes self-reflection questions and keystone phrases to keep the reader introspective throughout the day.
God With Us is bundled with a companion CD featuring 12 songs (corresponding to the prayer exercises) written and recorded by acclaimed Catholic composer Dan Schutte.
“We’re surrounded every moment by God’s love. And, if people are inspired to do a bit more to nourish their spiritual selves, perhaps this little prayer book—with its music, scripture, images and reflections—can provide some structure and guidance” says Schutte.
The printed book and companion CD are available at ocp.org/GodWithUs. An iBook edition will be available through iTunes in winter of 2012.
“Because of the distractions and hectic pace of Christmas preparations, many of us find it difficult to keep our minds and hearts on the real Christmas story,” says Schutte. “I created God With Us to help people pause and remember that this is the season of hope…to open their hearts to receive God’s love.”
The 84-page prayer book consists of 12 different exercises that contain inspirational images, a reflection, prayers, a scripture passage and lyrics for a corresponding song. Additionally, God With Us includes self-reflection questions and keystone phrases to keep the reader introspective throughout the day.
God With Us is bundled with a companion CD featuring 12 songs (corresponding to the prayer exercises) written and recorded by acclaimed Catholic composer Dan Schutte.
“We’re surrounded every moment by God’s love. And, if people are inspired to do a bit more to nourish their spiritual selves, perhaps this little prayer book—with its music, scripture, images and reflections—can provide some structure and guidance” says Schutte.
The printed book and companion CD are available at ocp.org/GodWithUs. An iBook edition will be available through iTunes in winter of 2012.
Divine Mercy Prayer Book
source: www.discerninghearts.com
In response to the increasing devotion to Divine Mercy, the Apostolate for Family Consecration presents their new book, "Drawing Down Divine Mercy."
Designed as both a consecration prayer book and an in-depth meditation book, families can be guided in the richness of God's Mercy during these difficult times through 40 days of meditations on Pope John Paul II's encyclical, "Rich in Mercy." Pope John Paul II spoke often of the strength of Divine Mercy. He established the Feast of Mercy on the Sunday after Easter, now known as Divine Mercy Sunday in the liturgical calendar, to show the trust he placed in this devotion.
In 2001, John Paul II said in his Divine Mercy Sunday homily, "a simple act of abandonment is enough to overcome the barriers of darkness and sorrow, of doubt and desperation. The rays of Your Divine Mercy restore hope, in a special way, to those who feel overwhelmed by the burden of sin." Following the 40-day meditations, readers will benefit from excerpts from St. Faustina's writings, and spiritual classics by Cardinal Francis Arinze such as "Alone with God" and "Divine Providence", Bishop Alvaro del Portillo's work, "Light, Salt, and Leaven," along with St. Louis de Montfort's "Friends of the Cross".
All five dimensions of the Divine Mercy devotion are explained: the image, the Chaplet, the Novena, the Feast Day, and the spreading of the message. The prayer book also includes more than 250 pictures. For even deeper spiritual growth, accompanying video and audio commentaries by Fr. George Kosicki, CSB are also available through the Family Apostolate.
"Drawing Down Divine Mercy" is an excellent way to prepare for Divine Mercy Sunday. Meditations start March 11 (two week after Ash Wednesday) and will end on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 19. Books will be available for shipment starting March 2, but advance orders are now being accepted. To help celebrate on the actual feast day, check out the additional resources at familyland.org.
Founded in 1975 by Jerry Coniker and late wife Gwen, the Apostolate for Family Consecration is a pontifically approved association striving to consecrate families to the Holy Family and in the truths of our faith in the spirit of Pope John Paul II. The Family Apostolate reaches families in Asia, Europe, Africa, and North and South America through its Consecration in Truth Catechetical Series (familycatechism.com), its Internet Media Library, its 24-hour Familyland Television Network and its programs at Catholic Familyland.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)