Thursday, January 18, 2018

NINE DAYS FOR LIFE-CHRISTIAN UNITY

Sirach, Chapter 22, Verse 18

Small stones lying on an open height will not remain when the wind blows; So a timid mind based on foolish plans cannot stand up to fear of any kind.

The wind is often used as a representation of the Holy Spirit in the bible. I wonder if this verse expresses the trinity of love which compels us to protect life and preserve the liberty to pursue the will of the Father in our lives.

I praise the word of God; I trust in God, I do not fear. What can mere flesh do to me?

Life First[1]

WASHINGTON—Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, is inviting Catholics and others to join the nationwide 9 Days for Life campaign. "We bring many needs to God this month, including care for displaced persons, racial harmony, Christian unity, and the protection of all human life," Cardinal Dolan said. "I invite our brothers and sisters in Christ to join me and my brother bishops in 9 Days for Life from Thursday, January 18 through Friday, January 26. Our prayers matter. Every prayer matters, and if you can't start at the beginning, jump in when you can!" 9 Days for Life is the U.S. bishops' annual, pro-life prayer and action campaign surrounding the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decisions legalizing abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. The overarching intention of the centerpiece novena is the end to abortion, and each day treats a different aspect of respecting the dignity of the human person—from the beginning of life to its natural end. This year, as part of the "Share the Journey" campaign supporting displaced persons, one day addresses human trafficking, something migrants and refugees are particularly at risk of suffering. By responding to the U.S. bishops' invitation, participants can make a "digital pilgrimage." Joining tens of thousands nationwide, they can build a culture of life through prayer and action, and share their experiences on social media with the hashtags #9DaysforLife and #OurPrayersMatter. There's also a Facebook frame participants can use on their profile picture to show their support for life. The website, www.9daysforlife.com, features a video with Cardinal Dolan calling the campaign "a great way to put our faith into action." The site offers a print version of the novena, as well as four ways to automatically receive the daily prayers, reflections, and suggested actions in either English or Spanish: free "9 Days for Life" mobile app (with customizable reminders), email, text message, and a Facebook event.

“A timid mind is apt to mistake every scratch for a mortal wound.” George Gordon Byron

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity[2]

BIBLICAL REFLECTIONS AND PRAYERS FOR THE EIGHT DAYS: 

Your Right Hand, O Lord, Glorious in Power

Day One: You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt
The Israelites’ memory of being strangers in the land of Egypt lay behind the Law’s instruction that God’s people were to welcome the stranger in their midst. The memory of their own exile was expected to prompt empathy and solidarity with contemporary exiles and strangers. Like Israel, our common Christian experience of God’s saving action goes together with remembering both alienation and estrangement - in the sense of estrangement from God and from his kingdom. This kind of Christian remembering has ethical implications. God has restored our dignity in Christ, and made us citizens of his kingdom, not because of anything we did to deserve it but by his own free gift in love. We are called to do likewise, freely and motivated by love. Christian love is to love like the Father, that is to recognize dignity and to give dignity, and thereby to help bring healing to the broken human family.

Does welcoming the stranger mean we should have open borders?

·         First Principle: People have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families.

·         Second Principle: A country has the right to regulate its borders and to control immigration.

·         Third Principle: A country must regulate its borders with justice and mercy.

Daily Devotions

·         Drops of Christ’s Blood

·         Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

·         Nineveh 90 Day 18

·         Fitness Friday Week 11

·         Nine Days for Life-day 1

·         Please pray for me and this ministry

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[1]http://usccb.org/news/2018/18-010.cfm

[2]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2018-01-18