Advent Week I - Light a Candle of Hope

 Advent Week I - Light a Candle of Hope

All The Earth In Silence Waits!

O come, Desire of nations,

Bind in one the hearts of humankind;

Bid ev’ry sad division cease

And be Yourself our Prince of Peace.

Rejoice! Rejoice! 

Emmanuel shall come to you,

O Israel.

Ignite  The  Light  of  Hope
Prepare  The  Way

Advent is a time to prepare the way for the Birth of Christ and the Light of Christ to permeate the nations of the world, our neighborhoods, places of work, families and personal lives.  Darkness has increased in the world and in our lives at this time of the year.  During each week of Advent we light candles until the fullness of light appears at Christmas and is Manifested to all nations during the celebration of Epiphany.

How will we Prepare and Celebrate?   Opportunities abound all around us.  

Here are a few ideas

• Read the Word of God especially the Gospel Passages about the Birth of Christ.
• Foster relationships with time for each other.
• Add more light, joy and love to your homes, families, and friends.
• Practice patience and waiting.
• Find ways to be a joyful giver.
• Welcome the strangers you meet each day.
• Set up your Advent Wreathe, Lights in your windows and a Christmas Tree with an intentional prayer to add the light of Christ to our world. 
• Recite many times a day the mantra, Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Come,  Lord  Jesus,  Come,
Fill Us and Our World with Hope

Advent Music:  Come O Lord 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZN3bgT3LGc

Give Thanks

Give Thanks

Thanksgiving  Greetings

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny wish you and your loved ones a Blessed and Joyous Thanksgiving!  We are particularly grateful for the many ways you have creatively stayed in touch with your ‘Cluny Family’ throughout these challenging and difficult months of the continued Global Pandemic.

We join you in giving our Creator God thanks and praise 

for the many ways we have been kept safe and free from all harm and disease.

We are grateful to our Families, Affiliates, Associates, Staff and Donors for the generous support of our Province Communities and our Ministries throughout this very difficult year and pray for your families for an end to this Covid - 19 Global pandemic.

The Lord bless you and keep you; 

the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; 

the Lord lift up His countenance upon you 

and give you peace. 

- Numbers 6:24-26

Baptized in Christ Jesus

During the 18th and early 19th century, Martin was a very popular saint in France, especially in Burgundy where Anne-Marie was born, probably because he was the patron of vintners as well as soldiers.  Born in Hungary in 316 to pagan parents, he was conscripted in the army because his father was an army officer. He later became a Christian and a conscientious objector. 

The charges brought against him were  eventually dropped and Martin was free to become a monk. In 360 he settled in Gaul (France) and was soon joined by disciples. Together, they founded the first monastery in  Gaul.  In 371 the people proclaimed Martin Bishop of Tours. He served as a bishop –monk and converted many pagans to the faith. He died in 397. 

The biography of Martin written by his friend, Sulpicius Severus, relates the many good works and wondrous deeds that made him such a popular saint. In art, he is usually shown on horseback, handing his cloak to a poor man.  

Anne-Marie Javouhey saw in this saint, both a model for evangelization and a protector as she began working to save the faith from the destructive influences of the French Revolution.  The fact that she was baptized on November 11, the day the Church celebrates his life, made him all the more significant to her.

Called to Holiness

“Let all try to become saints”

AMJ  Letter 126

Those whom God calls to live in communion with Him as followers of Anne Marie Javouhey, are also called to holiness and this is not optional.  It is not enough for them to admire this woman, sing her praises and rejoice that she is known, admired and celebrated by others.  They have to take the pathway to holiness.  It is willed by God: “The Will of God is our sanctification,” writes St. Paul (I Thess 4:3)

Union with the Will of his Father was the goal of Jesus’ life from the first moment to the last. This is what he said on coming into the world… “God, here I am. I am coming to obey your will.” (Heb. 10:3,7) “Father…let your will be done, not mine…” (Lk. 22:42)

Anne Marie Javouhey had the mind of Christ in this matter. She dedicated herself wholly to God and to the doing of his Will. Because of this total availability, God led her to become a founder and a missionary. Today, God is just as ready to “do great things” for anyone who is united to him. Devotion to God’s Will is the beginning and the end of holiness. All that affects us and that does not originate in our will may and should be looked on as coming from God – as God’s will for us.

Canada Thanksgiving Day!

An annual Canadian holiday, Thanksgiving Day occurs on the second Monday in October,  celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year.  Thanksgiving in Canada began as a religious holiday but it’s now a time to relax and eat some food with family.

Cluny  Sisters Wish…

 

Sisters Maria and Joan and all our Canadian Affiliates, Associates, 

Donors and Friends,

a Blessed and Joyous Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Mysteries of the Life of Jesus and Mary

 October

Month of the Rosary

 

October is the month of the Rosary, so it’s a perfect opportunity to share this beautiful prayer with our family, friends and Catholic Faith communities… our parish. This Marian Prayer slows us down and whether we pray a complete 5 decade rosary or one decade each day, we reimagine the Gospel Stories of our faith, of Jesus and Mary.

Legend tells us that the Rosary as a form of prayer was given to St. Dominic (1170-1221) by Mary, the Mother of God who entrusted it to him as an aid in the conflicts with the Albigensians. The Dominican pope, St. Pius V, did much to further the spread of the Rosary and it thereafter became one of the most popular devotions in the Catholic  World.

Mysteries of the Rosary

Praying the Rosary

            Prayers of the Rosary

 

                     Sign of the Cross

               In the Name of the Father,

                (right hand on forehead)

                       and of the Son,

                   (right hand on chest)

                   and of the Holy Spirit.

(right hand from left shoulder to right shoulder)

                              Amen.

Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. 

Our Father

Our Father, 

who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. 

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, 

full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

Fatima Prayer

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.

Hail Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile show us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

October 4 Feast of St. Francis

 

Friends of Earth,

Thank you for celebrating with us the Season of Creation. Each year from September 1 to October 4, the Christian family unites for this worldwide celebration of prayer and action to protect our common home.

As followers of Christ from around the globe, we share a common role as caretakers of God’s creation. We see that our wellbeing is interwoven with its wellbeing. We rejoice in this opportunity to care for our common home and the sisters and brothers who share it.

A Prayer for Ecological Conversion

God of the sun and the moon, of the mountains, deserts and plains, 

God of the mighty oceans,  of rivers, lakes and streams

God of all creatures  that live in seas and fly in the air of every

living thing that grows and moves on this sacred Earth. 

We are formed by Christ into Your People, called to bring the world

into Your marvelous light.

As the Body of Christ, we are messengers of ecological vocation.

We are entrusted with caring for this Earth which You have created. 

Help us to love and respect it; to repair what we have damaged; 

to care for what You have made good and holy.

Give us the wisdom and the passion to change our minds, our hearts

and our ways.

Let us be mustard  seeds in our world bringing about ecological

conversion which grows and spreads to every corner of the Earth.

For our sake now and for every generation which is to come. 

We ask this through Christ, Our Lord.   Amen.

~Catholic Earthcare Australia, 2002 (used with permission)

Reading         Elizabeth Johnson, Professor Emerita of Theology at

Fordham University and a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph, writes:

“. . . We all share the status of creaturehood; we are all kin in the evolving community of life now under siege; our vision must be one of flourishing for all. The immediate aim is to establish and protect  healthy ecosystems where all creatures,  including poor human  beings and plants and animals being driven to extinction, can thrive. The longer-term goal is a socially just and environmentally sustainable society in which the needs of all people are met and diverse species can prosper,  onward  to an evolutionary future that will still surprise…. guide us at this critical time of Earth’s distress, to practical and critical effect”:  A flourishing humanity on a thriving planet rich in species in an evolving universe, all together filled with the glory of God.”

Ignatian Ecological Examen

Gratitude                  I give thanks to God for creation and for being 

wonderfully made.

  Where did I feel  God’s presence in creation

today?

Awareness                 I ask for the grace to see creation as God does -

in all its splendor and suffering.

   Do I see  the beauty of creation and hear the

cries of the earth and the poor?

Understanding         I ask for the grace to look  closely to see how my

life choices impact creation and the poor and vulnerable.

What challenges or joys do I experience as I

recall my care for creation? 

How can I turn away from a throwaway culture

and instead stand  in solidarity with  creation and the poor?

Conversion I ask for the grace of conversion toward

ecological justice and reconciliation.

Where have  I fallen  short in caring for

creation and my brothers and sisters?

How do I ask for a conversion of heart?

Reconciliation I ask for the grace to reconcile my relationship

with God, creation and humanity, and to stand in solidarity through my actions.

How can I repair my relationship with creation

and make choices consistent with  my desire  for reconciliation with  creation?

Prayer I offer a closing prayer for the earth and the

vulnerable in our  society.

  Pick one  word  that summarizes your prayer

and write it on the poster paper. Place the poster paper around  your room.

Laudato Si’ Action Platform 

Identifies 7 Goals

Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Action Platform

 https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/

Closing Prayer

Creator God, source of all life,

We  praise  and  thank you  for the many gifts of this day. 

For the blessing of your  presence.

In each star in the sky and every flower in the field;

In each creature who roams our common home and every grain of

wheat that nourishes:

In each drop of water which sustains us and every person who loves

And care for us:

God of mercy and compassion, forgive us

For the times that we fail to recognize your presence among us.

Forgive us our blindness to the daily miracle of creation

Forgive us our deafness to the cries of Earth

and those made poor by our greed

Forgive us our hardness of heart that separates us one from another

God of abundance, we pray,,

Give us the grace to know that we are ONE in you.

To welcome your creatures abandoned and forgotten

To care for our common home; and

To live in right relationship

            with you, our God

            with neighbors near and far, and

            with all of your wondrous creation.

Give us the grace to become your beloved community.

Gracious God,

we ask this through the power of your Great and Holy Spirit

whose breath give life to the world.  AMEN.

Litany for Earth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=jlWIthGJdok

Laudato si' O mi' Signore Song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=DSpyKsPiUhs

Season of Creation

October 3rd  Sunday V

 Reading from the Book of Job 1:1; 2:1-10

In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.

On another day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them to present himself before him. And the LORD said to Satan, ‘Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the LORD, ‘From roaming throughout the earth, going to and fro on it.’ Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.’ ‘Skin for skin!’ Satan replied. ‘A man will give all he has for his own life. But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.’ The LORD said to Satan, ‘Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.’ So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, ‘Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!’ He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Psalm  26

Vindicate me, LORD, for I have led a blameless life; 

I  have trusted in the LORD and have not faltered.

Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.

I do not sit with the deceitful, nor do I associate with hypocrites.

I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked.

I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, LORD,

proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.

LORD, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.

Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with those who are bloodthirsty, in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes. 

I lead a blameless life; deliver me and be merciful to me.

My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the LORD.

Reading from the Letter of Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.  The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified:

‘What is mankind that you are mindful of them,

a son of man that you care for him?

You made them a little lower than the angels;

you crowned them with glory and honor

and put everything under their feet.’

In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.  In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.  Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.  He says,

‘I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;

in the assembly I will sing your praises.’

Gospel of Mark 10:2-16

Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ ‘What did Moses command you?’ he replied. They said, ‘Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.’ ‘It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,’ Jesus replied. ‘But at the beginning of creation God “made them male and female”. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’  When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this.  He answered, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.  And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.’

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the beloved community of God belongs to such as these.  Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the beloved community of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Reflection Points

1.  Hope is the key to living through despair. Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom of God speaks of a future hope that is guaranteed and certain. Even if today we see only glimpses and signs of hope amidst so much suffering, we can still live in the light of our prayer ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done  on earth as in heaven’. One day, God’s kingdom will come in all its glorious fulness. That does not mean we passively wait. Rather it gives us the motivation to live today in the light of that future truth.

2.  In some mysterious way, Hebrews 2 also suggests that we as believers, are caught up with Christ in his glory, made holy, and ‘crowned with glory and honor’, with all things placed under our feet (2:7-8, quoting Psalm 8). Back in Genesis 1, humans were made in God’s image and commissioned to reflect God’s loving purposes in leadership within creation. We have repeatedly failed, but here, as in Romans 8:19 which states ‘the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed’, it seems the Church (God’s ‘sons and daughters’) is once again given leadership within the community of creation. This is both a deep and humbling mystery, and a great privilege and responsibility.

Encourage sustainable living

Make sustainable lifestyle changes on an individual level

The Season of Creation is a wonderful time to reflect on how our lifestyles affect the environment and to make a commitment to more sustainable ways of living. The good news is that making more sustainable lifestyle choices in just a few areas adds up to a big difference overall. As the saying goes, “Let us live simply so that others may simply live.” Living simply is a way to ensure our planet is truly a home for all.

• Join the Season of Creation sustainability challenge which includes weekly themes related to diet, energy, consumerism, and transportation. (check the Season of Creation website for details)
• Engage a small group of people in your community to join you in the group to pray, reflect, and support one another
• Calculate your carbon footprint using an online calculator  like this one
• Conduct an energy audit of your home and/or place of business

Thanksgiving for the Earth

Creator, the strength of all creatures, we honor you. Listen to the thoughts of your people.

We honor your Spirit who renews the world and calls us to care for your creation to the East, to the South, to the West and to the North.

We live by the ways you have entrusted to us within the circle of life. Come Great Spirit as we gather in your name.

We face East

The place of dawning, there is beauty in the morning, there the seeker finds new visions as each sacred day is born. All who honor life around them, all who honor life within, shall shine with light and glory when the morning comes again. And we pray,

Come Holy Spirit, Come

We turn to the South

In the South, the place of growing, there is wisdom in the earth, Both the painful song of dying and joyful song of birth. As the Earth gives up her lifeblood so that her children’s hearts may beat, so we give back to her our reverence for the holy ground beneath our feet. And we pray,

Come Holy Spirit, Come

We turn to the West:

The place of seeing, there is born a vision of the servant of the servants, who proclaimed the Gospel to us. Guide us at the end of each day and fill us with your peace. And we pray,

Come Holy Spirit, Come

We turn to the North

We look to God our Creator who cleanses our earth with snow, wind, and rain. To Jesus who fills us with the wideness of mercy and grace and lovingly embraces all the people. And the Holy Spirit who comes to inspire us. And we pray,

Come Holy Spirit, Come

Laudato si' O mi' Signore Song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=DSpyKsPiUhs

Season of Creation

September 26th Sunday IV

Reading from the Book of Ester 7: 1-6, 9-10; 9: 20-22

So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, ‘Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.’

Then Queen Esther answered, ‘If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life – this is my petition. And spare my people – this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.’

King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, ‘Who is he? Where is he – the man who has dared to do such a thing?’  Esther said, ‘An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!’ Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, ‘A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.’ The king said, ‘Impale him on it!’ So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

Psalm  124

If the LORD had not been on our side – let Israel say –

if the LORD had not been on our side when people attacked us,

they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away.

Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth.

We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.

Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Reading from the Letter of James  5: 13-end

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you ill? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Gospel of Mark 9: 38-end

‘Teacher,’ said John, ‘we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.’

‘Do not stop him,’ Jesus said. ‘For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

‘If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung round their neck and they were thrown into the sea.  If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 

And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.  And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where ‘“the worms that eat them do not

die, and the fire is not quenched.” Everyone will be salted with fire. ‘Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.’

Reflection Points

1.  There is a danger that responses to climate injustice and environmental chaos are only about activism: campaigns and advocacy. Today’s readings encourage us to turn to God in prayer in times of crisis, recognizing that activism needs deep foundations in a spirituality that sustains and renews us.

2.  The book of Esther is a story of a woman whom God used to bring justice and deliverance at the heart of the political process, at great personal risk. Can we intercede for those today who are strategically placed to speak truth to power, to challenge self-interest, and to advocate for climate victims and nature herself?

3.  Mark 9:42ff uses strong language to warn of the danger of causing children and young people to stumble. A recent UK survey claimed 90% of young Christians see the climate as today’s most pressing and urgent issue, and yet 90% also say their churches are not doing enough on climate change. If churches are slow to pray, speak and act on the climate emergency, this passage suggests God will judge us harshly for causing young people to stumble in their faith. Our response needs to be in lament and repentance, in prayer and fasting, and in speaking out and acting decisively.

Action Choose one feature of the environment and pray for it, its rest and Its renewal.

When you consider the ways that this place is under stress, what does it need for rest, restoration and renewal? What needs to be conserved for this site to heal itself? What features need to be reclaimed? What parts of creation need to be restored to their rightful home here? Pray for this site, and the wisdom to care for it.

How will you protect and steward this planet this week?

Intercessory Prayers

Whenever we join together, we should give thanks. So let us join our hearts and minds together and think of all creation and the Creator’s gifts. Loving God.

 

We give our thanks.

Let us think of our Mother, the Earth, upon whom we walk and who supports us and nurtures life in all its forms. We think of the minerals, the fungi, and bacteria that give life to soil, bodies and systems. We pray we can learn to walk on Earth with more respect. Loving God.

 

We give our thanks.

Let us think of the reasons why we are gathered. For this place in which we gather, and for all of the animals and plants that call this place home. Loving God.

 

We give our thanks.

Let us think of the whole human family whose livelihood and well-being depends on the well-being of the Earth. We lift up the men, women and children who are displaced from their homes. Loving God.

 

We give our thanks.

Let us turn our minds to the sacred waters of the world, the great oceans, aquifers, lakes, rivers and streams, the life that lives in the waters and those that give itself to be our food. Loving God.

 

We give our thanks.

Let us now turn our thoughts to the plant life of the Creator’s world. That which is below ground; the roots and vegetables. That which puts just its head above the ground: the grasses, medicines, plants and bushes. All of the many kinds of good fruit the Creator has given us. And finally, the great trees of the forest that we know of as the “Standing Ones.” Loving God.

 

We give our thanks.

Let us think of all our kindred animals, those that crawl, walk, swim and fly. We give thanks for those that provide food for us, those that sustain cycles in their work and living, those that provide companionship and beauty. Loving God.

 

We give our thanks.

Let us think of the birds of the air. The feathered ones that are the messengers between us and the Creator. Loving God.

 

We give our thanks.

Let us think of the relationships that sustain life in this beloved community. We think of the “Three Sisters,” corn, beans and squash who nurture, guard and sustain as they grow together (you may insert local examples of plants or animals that live in mutuality).  These relationships are gifts from the Creator and our sustenance. Loving God.

 

We give our thanks.

Creator God, look upon the creatures gathered here together and send us where you would have us go, so that we may embody the ministry of justice for your Creation through our being and acts. Walk with us so that we may face the winds of change and walk the good road. Protect and renew our common home. Enlighten us. Sustain us. May God our Creator be with us this day and always. Amen.

 (Adapted from Celebrating Creation: Honoring Indigenous People, Kelly Sherman-Conroy, ELCA)

Litany for the Earth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=jlWIthGJdok

 

2021 September Stop Trafficking Newsletter

Child Labor Awareness:  Almost 1 of every 10 children worldwide are involved in child labor

Generally, unsafe child labor practices are defined in part by the number of working hours for a specific child's age. Hazardous child labor includes:

• Any of the worst forms of child labor: including excessively long hours, night work, work with heavy machinery, or work that takes place underground or underwater
• Any labor performed by a child under the age of 12
• More than 14 hours of work, per week, by a child aged 12-14
• More than 43 hours of work, per week, by a child aged 15-17

Worst Forms of Child Labor

• all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict;
• the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or pornographic performances;
• the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties;
• work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm children's health, safety, or morals.

MEXICO

Family Work or Human Trafficking?
Child Labor Law Sparks Controversy

Mexico’s human trafficking law clearly delineates the crime. 

Activists say the reality is more complex – and poor families often pay the price.

Read the Article Here

https://globalpressjournal.com/americas/mexico/family-work-human-trafficking-child-labor-law-sparks-controversy/

Historical Roots of Human Trafficking

• Capitalism, Colonialism, and Imperialism: Roots for Present-Day Trafficking
• Invisibility, Forced Labor, and Domestic Work
• addressing Modern Slavery in Global Supply Chains: The Role of Businesses
• Immigration, Precarity, and Human Trafficking: Histories and Legacies of Asian American Racial Exclusion in the United States
• Systemic and Structural Roots of Child Sex Trafficking: The Role of Gender, Race, and Sexual Orientation in Disproportionate Victimization
• The Complexities of Complex Matters: Health Research, Health Care, and Bodies of Color in the United States

Action:  What Can Be Done?

Child labor will end on,y when there are expanded income support measures for families in situations of vulnerability due to poverty.

Ensuring universal free and good-quality education will provide a viable alternative to child labor and afford children a chance at a better future.

Every child's birth must be registered to have a legal identity and enjoy their rights from birth.

There must be decent work that ensures a fair income for young people of legal working age and adults, emphasizing workers in the informal economy, for families to escape poverty-driven child labor.

Read More 

in the 

September Stop Trafficking Newsletter here:

https://sistersagainsttrafficking.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/2021_09_Stop-Trafficking-EN.pdf

National Migration Week

 September 20 - 26

Migrants cook in a temporary shelter near the burned migrant center "Lipa" during snowfall and freezing temperatures in Bihac, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Dec. 27, 2020. The Vatican announced the theme for the next World Day of Migrants and Refugees: "Toward an ever wider 'we.'" 

The Church has been celebrating the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) since 1914. It is always an occasion to express concern for different vulnerable people on the move; to pray for them as they face many challenges; and to increase awareness about the opportunities that migration offers.

Every year the WDMR is the last Sunday of September; in 2021 it will be celebrated on September 26th. As the title for his annual message, the Holy Father has chosen Towards an ever wider “we”.  Read Pope Francis’ Message here:

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

FOR THE 107th WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES 2021

https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/migration/documents/papa-francesco_20210503_world-migrants-day-2021.html

Refugee Rights

Some basic rights, apply to all refugees. A refugee becomes entitled to other rights the longer they remain in the host country, which is based on the recognition that the longer they remain as refugees, the more rights they need.

• The right not to be expelled, except under certain, strictly defined conditions;
• The right not to be punished for illegal entry into the territory of a contracting State;
• The right to work;
• The right to housing;
• The right to education;
• The right to public relief and assistance;
• The right to freedom of religion;
• The right to access the courts;
• The right to freedom of movement within the territory;
• The right to be issued identity and travel documents.

Prayer for Migrants 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.

For information on Refugees in America go here:

REFUGEES IN AMERICA

https://www.rescue.org/topic/refugees-america