Online Bilingual Prayer

This February 8 is the World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking. Together with our church and all people of good will, we invite you to pray together at 6:30 p.m. (Central time).  Yes, we will pray in unity using a bilingual prayer. We would love for you to actively participate by making sure you have with you some symbols that honor and connect you to the elements of earth, air, fire, water, and metal.  

Join the online bilingual prayer by clicking in the following link: https://christushealthvideo.zoom.us/j/91347266460
 
Thank you so much for considering joining us in this space of encounter and prayer. And as this year's theme for the World Day of Prayer points out:  journeying for dignity is to recognize that everything is interrelated, and that the exploitation of people cannot be addressed without a respectful relationship with all of creation.

 

A Holy Hour: Prayer In Solidarity with The Victims of Human Trafficking

July 30 is the International Day against Human Trafficking declared by the UN, so we have gathered on this day to pray for those who are victims of this crime. In the many forms of exploitation, women, men, girls, and boys are enslaved in factories, sweatshops, mines, camps, nightclubs and domestic work. Human beings, our sisters and brothers, are being treated as objects. Our people are being exploited after being victims of lies. We ask for forgiveness for the silence. We ask for courage not to dismiss any effort to fight this scourge. And we also pray for all the people and organizations that fight against these situations of injustice, so that the God of life will continue to give them audacity and wisdom.

Print version: HERE

Opening | One Bread, One Body by John Michael Talbot

We pray with the following song or some other song.

https://youtu.be/nNNOQm6WO54

One bread, one body, one Lord of all

One cup of blessing which we bless

And we, though many, throughout the earth

We are one body in this one Lord

Gentile or Jew

Servant or free

Woman or man

No more

One bread, one body, one Lord of all

One cup of blessing which we bless

And we, though many, throughout the earth

We are one body in this one Lord

Many the gifts, many the works

One in the Lord

Of all

One bread, one body, one Lord of all

One cup of blessing which we bless

And we, though many, throughout the earth

We are one body in this one Lord

We are one body in this one Lord

Prayer

Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Presider: In heaven and on earth may Christ be praised forever

R: May his love empower us to promote human dignity for all.   

The global exploitation offers a very wide scope for individuals who see human trafficking as a business. One of the most notorious dimensions of human trafficking is sexual exploitation. However, there are other forms of exploitation: labor exploitation, exploitation of children for the sex industry, begging, war, servile marriages and organ trafficking.

We invite you to bring to your mind and heart the names of cities or people that you know who have been victims of one of these situations and to pronounce them aloud presenting them to our good God. 

Silence

Reading from the book of the prophet Ezekiel 36: 26-27

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

The word of the Lord

Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to Participants in the World Day of Prayer, Reflection and Action Against Human Trafficking (2018).

“When countries fall prey to extreme poverty, violence and corruption, the economy, the regulatory framework and the basic infrastructures are inefficient and are unable to guarantee security, goods and essential rights. In such contexts, the perpetrators of these crimes act with impunity. Organized crime and the illegal trafficking of drugs and of human beings choose their prey from among the people who have the most inadequate means of subsistence and even less hope for the future.” 

Personal reflection

What word or phrase from all that you have heard so far echoes in your heart?

To what do you feel invited, personally and communally?

Action | Music can be good to accompany this moment, such as Carey Landry’s “I will never forget you.” or instrumental music. 

I invite you to place your right hand on your left shoulder and your left hand on your right shoulder, and thus in that embrace recognize the Incarnate Word who teaches us to discover the infinite value of others. Feel God's embrace for you and also embrace so many people who live in situations of slavery.

Psalm | Ita Ford, M.M.

I hope that you come to find that which gives life a deep meaning for you. 

Something worth living for – 

maybe event worth dying for, 

something that energize you, enthuses you, 

enables you to keep moving ahead.

I can’t tell you what it might be – 

that’s for you to find, to choose, to love. 

I can just encourage you to start looking 

and support you in the search.

Praises 

Blessed be God.
Blessed be his Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ true God and true Man.
Blessed be the Name of Jesus.
Blessed be the Compassionate Heart of God
Blessed be Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament of the Community.

Blessed be the Ruah, Holy Spirit.

Blessed be the name of Mary, disciple and mother.

Blessed be St. Joseph, companion of life.

Blessed be God when a person succeeds in being free again.

Blessed be God in those who fight to stop human trafficking.

Amen.

CLOSING PRAYER | Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Trafficking- 2016

O God, when we hear of children and adults being deceived and taken to unknown places for purposes of sexual exploitation, forced labor, and organ ‘harvesting’, our hearts are saddened and our spirits angry that their dignity and rights are ignored through threats, lies, and force. We cry out against the evil practice of this modern slavery, and pray with St. Bakhita for it to end. Give us wisdom and courage to reach out and stand with those whose bodies, hearts and spirits have been so wounded, so that together we may make real your promises to fill these sisters and brothers with a love that is tender and good. Send the exploiters away empty-handed to be converted from this wickedness, and help us all to claim the freedom that is your gift to your children. Amen

Another resource:

© A prayer resource by Congregational Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office. A ministry of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word [World Day Against Human Trafficking 2020] Free Resource

A PRAYER for EARTH DAY

On April 22, the world will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, a time to reaffirm our commitment to understanding our planet’s interconnected systems and to protecting it for future generations.

The Earth is clearly urging a call to action. This period of enforced retreat gives many of us a fresh opportunity to experience how God comes to us. Easter is here! In fact, whenever we experience gratitude for Earth, air, water... for friends and family; for the plants and animals with whom we share this world.

Download the Prayer Service: HERE

Take ACTION: HERE

PRAYER SERVICE FOR THE EARTH

Today, as we reflect on the marvels and wonders of creation, let us renew our commitment as good stewards of the earth.  We join with God’s Creation and with each other. Let us begin our prayer by signing ourselves in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Ant. 1  Lord of all, to Thee we raise, This our hymn of grateful praise. 

Hymn: For the Beauty of the Earth 

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth 

Over and around us lies. 

For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light. 

For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mindʼs delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight. 

For each perfect gift of Thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven. 

Ant. 2 Glory to You, Creator and Sustainer. Glory to You for the awesome gift of life. 

Psalm 65 

It is good to give thanks,
for the boundless mercy
which renews us and makes us whole. 

Happy are those who know this
and open themselves to the Light.
and sing

You make the sunrise and the sunset shout for joy.
You are the earthʼs fertility.
Your law governs her cycles of snow, run-off, flood, and rain. 

You crown the year with abundance.

The wild lands are watered with dew.
The hills deck themselves with green.
The meadows adorn themselves with flocks,
The valleys gown themselves with grain.

They dance together.
They join in song. 

Glory to You, Creator and Sustainer.  Glory to You for the awesome gift of life.

Ant. 3 O most High, almighty, good Lord God, to you belong praise, glory, honor, and all blessing!

St. Francis's Canticle of the Sun

Praised be my Lord God with all creatures;
and especially our brother the sun,
which brings us the day, and the light;
fair is he, and shining with a very great splendor:
O Lord, he signifies you to us!

Praised be my Lord for our sister the moon,
and for the stars,
which God has set clear and lovely in heaven.

Praised be my Lord for our brother the wind,
and for air and cloud, calms and all weather,
by which you uphold in life all creatures.

Praised be my Lord for our sister water,
which is very serviceable to us,
and humble, and precious, and clean.

Praised be my Lord for brother fire, 
through which you give us light in the darkness:
and he is bright, and pleasant, and very mighty,
and strong.

Praised be my Lord for our mother the Earth,
which sustains us and keeps us,
and yields divers fruits, and flowers of
many colors, and grass.

Praised be my Lord for all those who pardon
one another for God's love's sake,
and who endure weakness and tribulation;
blessed are they who peaceably shall endure,
for you, O most High, shall give them a crown!

Praise you, and bless you the Lord,
and give thanks to God, and serve God
with great humility.

Reading: Wisdom of Solomon 11:24-12:1 

For You [God] love all things that exist, and detest none of the things that You have made, for You would not have made anything if You had hated it. How would anything have endured if You had not willed it? Or how would anything not called forth by You have been preserved? You spare all things, for they are Yours, O Lord, You Who love the living. For Your immortal Spirit is in all things.  God looked at everything He had made, and He found it very good. 

Ant. Come, let us praise God for the gift of Creation. 

Canticle (of Zechariah or of Mary) 

Intercessions

Creator God, the parables through which Jesus taught are full of care for creation, whether it be the shepherd seeking the lost sheep, the farmer allowing the 'weeds' and the wheat to grow together until harvest time or the mustard seed growing into a plant that will shelter the birds of the air. 

-       May we follow him in having that same care for creation today. Lord hear us. 

Creator God, you showed us how to live on this earth when you were present among us in the person of Jesus. 

-       May we live out the values he embodied, especially in his appreciation of the ordinary wonders of life: the lilies of the field, the sparrows that fall, the way the wind blows. 

Creator God, the sun, the wind and the waves are your gifts for the flourishing of the whole community of life on earth. 

-       Help us to use them creatively to produce sustainable energy for all.

Creator God, you have generously blessed us with an abundance of gifts in this, your world.

-       Help us to share in that generosity by ensuring that your gifts will be available for the poor and for future generations.

Closing Prayer: A prayer for our earth by Pope Francis

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.
Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty.

Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one.
O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.

Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.
Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth.

Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light.

We thank you for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace. Amen.

Praised be the Incarnate Word!

Prayer in Solidarity with Migrants, Immigrants and Refugees

Download HERE

We see God’s face and hear God’s voice in the cry of immigrants, migrants and refugees, the largest number of them since World War II. Seventy-one million people had been forced to flee their homes by the end of 2018*.  

As global citizens and as people of faith let us be in a compassionate circle of solidarity with our sisters and brothers from around the globe.    

HYMN

WHO DID YOU SEE ALONG THE WAY?**

Who did you see along the way? What did you see?

Who did you see along the way? What did you see?

We saw a child, 

sheltered from the burning sand,

in flight from a king,

a drift from home.

He seemed like one of us.

We saw a man prone beneath an olive tree,

with death in his eyes, estranged from home.

He seemed like one of us.

We saw a woman reaching for her dying son,

held back by police,

no heart for home.

She seemed like one of us.

We saw a crowd, robed in white before the Lamb,

their journey now done,

at last at home.

They seemed to call to us.

Who did you See?  Lyrics © Andrew Hamilton, SJ. Music © Christopher Willcock, SJ

Leader: We gather in the presence of the God of infinite love and compassion.  God calls us to bear witness to the dignity of every human person of every culture and country.  We pray with migrants, immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers—mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles. We remember especially the children—frightened, alone, hungry, and cold. These are God’s children—our children.  May we amplify their voices. May we amplify their cries.

We remember that Abraham and Sarah welcomed strangers and God blessed them.

We remember “You were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

We remember Jesus, Mary, and Joseph who were refugees.

We remember Alan Kurdi, the Syrian refugee child who drowned in the Mediterranean.

We remember 39 Vietnamese migrant workers who died in a closed truck in England.

We remember a 5-year-old from Honduras who was taken from his father in the U.S. He said: “The immigration agents separated me from my father right away. I was very frightened and scared. I cried. I have not seen my father again. . . It is cold at night when we sleep. I have shoes but no socks.”

See the faces and listen to the voices of the children and other vulnerable people.*** 

Time for discussion

How can we learn to recognize the face of God in migrants, immigrants, and refugees?  How can we amplify their voices of so that more people in the world will respond with compassion and justice?  How can we get others who minister with us to amplify the voices of little ones?***

Reading from the Gospel of Mark (Mark 10:13-16)

People were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them.

Leader: Let us pray that we may follow the example of Jesus and embrace and bless the children and all the vulnerable. 

Loving God,

pour out your Spirit upon us

that we have strength and wisdom

to stand with your global family.

We pray in the name of the Incarnate Word.

Amen.

The service might end with all moving in a compassionate circle dance of solidarity.**** 

Resources:

*United Nations on Refugees https://www.unhcr.org/

** Source of the hymn https://www.ocp.org/en-us/songs/78441/who-did-you-see

***Select some of the stories to read from English https://www.project-amplify.org/declarations    

Spanish   https://www.acnur.org/#_ga=2.158095994.1114400238.1576519994-2064662131.1576356770 

****See a circle dance on World Refugee Day, an invitation to recognize others as gifts of God, as the Divine among us, an invitation to dance together with our sisters and brothers.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFDqnj_iTXQ