A Prayer After the Earthquake in Haiti

Lord, at times such as this,
when we realize that the ground beneath our feet
is not as solid as we had imagined,
we plead for your mercy.

As the things we have built crumble about us,
we know too well how small we truly are
on this ever-changing, ever-moving,
fragile planet we call home.
Yet you have promised never to forget us.

Do not forget us now.

Today, so many people are afraid.
They wait in fear of the next tremor.
They hear the cries of the injured amid the rubble.
They roam the streets in shock at what they see.
And they fill the dusty air with wails of grief
and the names of missing dead.

Comfort them, Lord, in this disaster.
Be their rock when the earth refuses to stand still,
and shelter them under your wings when homes no longer exist.

Embrace in your arms those who died so suddenly this day.
Console the hearts of those who mourn,
and ease the pain of bodies on the brink of death.

Pierce, too, our hearts with compassion,
we who watch from afar,
as the poorest on this side of the earth
find only misery upon misery.
Move us to act swiftly this day,
to give generously every day,
to work for justice always,
and to pray unceasingly for those without hope.

And once the shaking has ceased,
the images of destruction have stopped filling the news,
and our thoughts return to life’s daily rumblings,
let us not forget that we are all your children
and they, our brothers and sisters.
We are all the work of your hands.

For though the mountains leave their place
and the hills be tossed to the ground,
your love shall never leave us,
and your promise of peace will never be shaken.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Blessed be the name of the Lord,
now and forever.

Amen.

Why does God allow natural disasters?

At the heart of Haiti's humanitarian crisis is an age old question for many religious people - how can God allow such terrible things to happen? Philosopher David Bain examines the arguments. Read the article by clicking here.


http://www.dsj.org/being-catholic/worship/a-prayer-after-the-earthquake-in-haiti

On the Feast of Sto. Niño

Last Sunday, January 18, we celebrated the feast of the Sto. Niño. The image of the Holy Child in Cebu was, according to a widely accepted belief, the gift of Ferdinand Magellan to the Queen of Cebu during her baptism in 1521. The image was recovered in April 1565 by the conquering troops of Legazpi inside a burning house, the image well preserved inside a chest. Soldiers who were veterans of numerous campaigns in Europe and who were familiar with the devotion to the Holy Child recognized the image as Flemish in origin. The image was entrusted to the Augustinian friars who were with Legazpi in the Cebu expedition. It was enthroned in a hastily-made chapel built on the spot where the image was found. And from then on, the devotion to the Sto. Niño flourished to the form it has taken on today. The Sto. Niño of Cebu has an even older history than the Holy Infant of Prague whose own history began in 1628.

On the feast of the Sto. Niño, all Cebuanos take to the streets and dance the Sinulog, waving to the image of the Sto. Niño as if it were a superstar, and praying Pit Senyor, Pit Senyor with an amazing variety of Sto. Niño images. Perhaps, it is only in the Philippines where the Sto. Niño can be a policeman, a baker, a nurse, doctor, fisherman — there is even a Sto. Niño na dyumi-jingle!

For some, this form of devotion has gone to excesses. And of course, there is more than a grain of truth to this observation. That is why some too quickly judge the Filipino’s piety or Christianity, as superficial, mababaw. For instance, the Sto. Niño is vested so lavishly while, ironically, in one’s surroundings roam street children dressed despicably. And there are so many abused children not only in Cebu but in practically every place in this supposedly Christian country.

Yet in spite of the seeming superficiality that others may see in this uniquely Filipino devotion, there is a hidden and distinct depth to it which mirrors a plain and simple faith: the faith that God is with us, and it is our deepest desire that he abide in us, in our lives and undertakings, and in our many aspirations. That is why the Sto. Niño in the Philippines can be a policeman--because the world of the policeman is part of the realm and sovereignty of God notwithstanding the existence of corrupt and kotong cops. Because the world of the policeman can be employed, and should be employed for the good of the people to bring about security of property and of persons. That is why the Sto. Niño can also be a fisherman--because the sea is also God’s domain where many make their living as they labor to gather the produce of the sea, even as we also know that it is not God’s will that the sea be ravaged of its resources. That is why the Sto. Niño can be a doctor or a nurse--because God continues his work of healing through the skill and knowledge of people like doctors and nurses. Their profession is a noble one, placed at the service of people and not for simply enriching themselves. In summary, God is in all aspects of the human situation and every human situation can be an opportunity for glorifying God and reflecting the face and the goodness of God.

- Fr. Vidal Gornez, SJ

Reposted from jesuits.ph

A NEW YEAR’S REFLECTION

HAPPY NEW YEAR and welcome back everyone!

Allow me to share excerpts of Fr. Joe Galdon’s article entitled, “January Has Two Faces.”

“Nick Joaquin has a very interesting story about the feast of St. Sylvester, which falls on December 31, the last day of the year. Joaquin writes ‘to open the doors of the New Year, the Romans invoked the god Janus, patron of doors and beginnings. (That is why the first month of the year was called January!) Janus’ two faces (one staring forward, the other backward) are a symbol of man’s ability to dwell on the past while speeding into the future.’ ‘In Christianity, the role of Janus has been taken over by another Roman – St. Sylvester, Pope and confessor, whose feast falls on the last day of the year. At midnight on that day, according to traditions, St. Sylvester appears on earth, and with the keys of his office, opens all the gates of the principal archepiscopal cities, and celebrates the first Mass of the year in each cathedral.’

“As we start this new year, this year 2010, let us then look back to the year that was: accomplishments and failures, good weather and the typhoons we had to whether through, good health and illness (A H1N1, Dengue), life and death. “It’s good for us to figure out what went wrong last year, open the doors to the new year, and try to be a little bit better in the days that lie ahead. Ayn Rand says that if we want to be truly happy people, we have to look back and say ‘I’m sorry’ and look forward and say ‘I will!’… I guess that is why the month of January has two faces, too! To remind us to look back and to look forward and to change.

The beginning of the new year… has always been the traditional time for changing our lives and for making resolutions. One of the most consoling realizations as we grow older is that we CAN change our lives! We can open the door to a new life. We are not prisoners of the past!” WE learn from our past. We dream of our future and work on it. The turning of a year is always a good time to take stock of where we are and to look for lessons of the past that may guide us into the future.

Allow me to share with you a story which was part of the homily I gave yesterday at the Mass at the Gesu for the Feast of the Epiphany. Henry van Dyke wrote the story called “The Other Wise Man.” It is about the 4^th person who is supposed to accompany the other three wise men on their journey to search for the newborn King. The name of this other wise man is Artaban. It is said that as Artaban prepares for the journey, he takes with him a bag of precious stones as his present to the baby King. On his way to join the other three wise men, Artaban stops to help a poor person. In so doing, he misses his rendezvous with the others. He is left behind. Artaban tries to catch up but every time he constantly runs into people who need help. And he always stops to help them. In so doing he gives away all the precious stones he planned to give to the newborn king. As the story ends, Artaban is old and poor. He never realized his dream to meet the King of Kings and to place at his feet his gift of precious stones.

The story of “The Other Wise Man” could end here but if it did it would be a story of a man who never realized his one big dream. But the story does not end here. It continues that one day Artaban is in Jerusalem. The city is buzzing with excitement. Authorities are about to execute a criminal. When Artaban sees the criminal, his heart skips a beat. Something tells him this is the King of Kings for whom he has been searching for all his life. Artaban is heartbroken at what he sees. He is even more heartbroken when he sees he can do nothing to help the King. Then something remarkable occurs. Artaban hears the King’s voice say to him: “Don’t be heartbroken, Artaban. You have been helping me all your life. When I was hungry, you gave me food. When I was thirsty, you gave me drink. When I was naked, you clothed me. When I was a stranger, you took me in.”

I tell this story of “The Other Wise Man” to stress the reality that sometimes we are not able to succeed in the pursuit of our dreams. When we look back to our past there are failures. The story of Artaban is the story of many of us. We start our journeys with a fervent desire to pursue our dreams. But somehow, somewhere, something happens which makes us “lose” our direction towards our dreams. We do not have to look beyond our shores to search for examples. We know of the many lives and properties lost with the typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng the past year. Many of the people who were affected had worked hard to have a comfortable home and a good life but the floods made the fulfillment of their dreams a thing of the past. But the wrath of nature and the greed of people destroyed not just the dreams of people but lives and homes as well.

My dear friends in the Lord, let us not stop dreaming or pursuing our dreams. If we had failures in the past year, let us learn from them. Our God has promised us that He will never abandon us. Have faith in Him. If we come to think of it, God’s dream for us is for us to be happy. God the Son embraced our human nature to be one with us. He is one with us in our joy as well as our sadness. When we were not yet content with that love, He embraced pain and suffering and even death on the cross to show us His love, to make us happy. At the end of our lives, I believe one question God will ask of us is, “Were you happy?”… really, truly and genuinely happy? If we are happy, God is happy. But let us not end with that. Let us end with making God to be happy, to have as our dream the happiness of God.

Artaban was happy not only because he found Jesus but more so because he realized that what he has been doing all along was making Jesus happy. We will be happy this year not so much because we have found God but because we have made God happy: with our words, our deeds, our lives. May we find God in everything and may everyone find God in us.

Let us end with the prayer of Dag Hammarsjold, “For all that has been, thank you; and for all that will be, Yes.”

- Fr. Eli Rowdy Y. Lumbo, SJ

Pope Benedict's Prayer Intetntion for January 2010

Young People and Media.
That young people may learn to use social communication media for their personal growth and in preparation to serve society.

Last May Pope Benedict said that we should not be surprised by the popularity of the new communication technologies. Our human desire to extend our friendships by any and all means reflects our participation in the "unifying love of God, who desires to make of all humanity one family" (Message for World Day of Communications, 2009).

This month the Holy Father asks us to pray especially for the young people who use the new communication media, like mobile phones and computers connected to the Internet. The Pope's approach toward these technologies is overwhelmingly hopeful, not fearful.

What an opportunity for young people all over the world to grow in holy love for one another! What an opportunity to promote a worldwide "culture of respect, dialogue, and friendship." What an opportunity to engage in a "genuine and mutual searching for truth... to promote understanding and tolerance." And what an opportunity to proclaim the "Good News of a God who became man, who suffered, died, and rose again to save all people."

For "life is not just a succession of events," the Pope continues, "it is a search for the true, the good, and the beautiful." Only in them do we find happiness. "We must not allow ourselves to be deceived by those who see us merely as consumers in a market of undifferentiated possibilities, where choice itself becomes the good, novelty usurps beauty, and subjective experience displaces truth."

So, while we pray for the good the new media can do, let us also pray against evil. We ask that our young people will not use these media to lie, abuse, or exploit others. We ask too that they will be protected from the lies and abuse of peers and predators.

May the new media enable young people to grow in wisdom and grace as they prepare to serve society in this challenging new century.

Reflection:
How do you and will you use social communication media to reflect God's unifying love?

Reading:
1 Timothy 4:12 Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.

Christian Unity.

That every believer in Christ may understand that unity among all Christians is necessary for effective proclamation of the gospel.

During the month of January the Pope often asks us to pray for Christian unity. When we do so, we Catholics are joining with other Christians in celebrating an annual octave from January 18 to 25 for unity among Christians. The tradition is more than 100 years old.

This year the theme is "You are Witnesses of These Things." The phrase comes from the words Jesus spoke to his disciples just before he ascended into heaven: "Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things" (Luke 24: 45-48).

This month the Pope emphasizes that Christian unity is essential for the proclamation of the gospel. Disunity among Christians undermines the credibility of our witness to the world. How can we preach reconciliation through Christ if we who are baptized oppose one another? Our message of one Lord, one faith, and one baptism cannot abide the scandal of our divisions.

Our divisions generally originated in doctrinal differences, but they are often perpetuated by prejudice, ignorance, fear, and other attitudes which should have no part in a Christian's life. These are things we can change, but we cannot abandon true doctrine.

Urging Christians to unite, Pope Benedict reminds us of St. Paul's admonition to "hold fast to the traditions you were taught" (2 Thessalonians 3:15). We should strive to agree on "normative apostolic teaching." All Christians should seek communion with the Church in every age. We should embrace objective truth that relies neither on subjective experience nor empirical science, but is founded on the "teaching which indeed underlies the inspired word of God and sustains the sacramental life of Christians today" (Homily at an ecumenical prayer service, New York City, April 18, 2008).

Let us join the Holy Father in praying that we will all obey the Spirit which calls us to be one in the Lord.

Reflection:
How might you join with a non-Catholic Christian to witness to the truth of Jesus Christ?

Reading:
1 Corinthians 2: 12-13 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God. And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.

Source: Apostleship of Prayer.org

http://apostleshipofprayer.org/reflectionsMonthly.html