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This Week in Prayer

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INCLUSIVE SPIRITUALITY – This Week in Prayer

This weekly column – a prompt and a resource for your prayer and awareness – is specially intended to be helpful in preparing prayer for a community or group. You are welcome to alert us to upcoming special occasions within the Edmund Rice Network.

Monday 20 May 2013

EAST TIMOR’S INDEPENDENCE DAY

Sometimes called Independence Restoration Day, because having declared itself independent of Portugal in 1975, Timor L’Este was quickly occupied by Indonesia, until 2002. The country, 400 miles north-west of Darwin, Australia, is linked into Oceania’s Edmund Rice Network, and features from time to time on our Oceania website www.edmundrice.org.au

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”  (Desmond Tutu)

Tuesday 21 May

WORLD DAY FOR CULTURAL DIVERSITY FOR DIALOGUE & DEVELOPMENT

The long and unwieldy name of this Unesco-sponsored day, declared in the wake of 9/11, could be captured in the words ‘living together in harmony’. It is based on an appreciation of the world’s cultural richness as part of “the common heritage of humanity”, a diversity as necessary as bio-diversity. The declaration - which can be read on the site www.unesco.org – contains good material for reflection and prayer.

“The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do.”  (Sarah Ban Breathnach)

Wednesday 22 May

INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

The theme for this year’s UN Day for Biological Diversity is “Water and Biodiversity”, chosen to coincide with the UN’s naming 2013 as the International Year of Water Co-operation.

“Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.”  (Phillips Brooks)

Thursday 23 May

WORLD TURTLE DAY

A day intended to increase our respect for turtles and tortoises and encourage action to help the world’s oldest creature to survive. “These gentle creatures have been around for about 200 million years, yet they are now rapidly disappearing”, comments one website. Their situation dramatizes the interconnection of all things and the vital importance of ecological awareness as a facet of healthy human spirituality.

“The intellect always cuts and divides like a pair of scissors. The heart sews things together and unites like a needle. The tailor uses both.”  (Ammachi)

Friday 24 May

FEAST OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

This simple way of appreciating Mary, formalized as a feast-day nearly two centuries ago, has been popularized by Don Bosco and his Salesian followers around the world. The feast comes as a reminder that the month of May is traditionally devoted to the mother of Jesus.

“We cannot discover new oceans until we have the courage to lose sight of the shore.”  (Muriel Chen)

Saturday 25 May

AFRICA DAY and

start of a WEEK OF SOLIDARITY and

INTERNATIONAL MISSING CHILDREN’S DAY

Africa Day is a reminder of all there is to celebrate about Africa. Though Africa’s very real problems receive much exposure, it also has a wealth of beauty that the average tourist only skim-reads. The Edmund Rice Network around Africa is privileged to experience this beauty in powerful ways, and to share it with visitors from other parts of the network who come for immersion experiences or as volunteers. Let us pray today for the African ERN and the circles of people around them. For background to Africa Day, see the website www.africaday.info

The Week of Solidarity with the Peoples of non-Self-Governing Territories lasts till 31 May. It is an invitation to join the United Nations in “renewing the world’s commitment to supporting people aspiring towards independence while still living under colonialisation”.

Missing Children’s Day reminds us of children separated from their families, vulnerable and in danger. A good website for raising awareness is www.icmec.org

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”  (Steve Jobs)

Sunday 26 May

TRINITY SUNDAY and

FEAST OF ST PHILIP NERI and

SORRY DAY

Here are six places where you can find commentaries on this Sunday’s readings:

  • On the right of our home page: find PRAYER GUIDE and click SUNDAY REFLECTION.
  • www.silk.net/RelEd - click Mass Readings > click on 26 May (for the texts themselves).
  • www.catholicbible.org.za – click Sunday Gospel Commentary (by Michael Chalmers cfc).
  • www.goodnews.ie – click Gospel Commentary > click on 16 May.
  • www.liturgy.slu.edu – scroll to 26 May > Get to Know the Readings. (Also in Spanish.)
  • www.salvationhistory.com – click Sun. Bible Reflections under Daily Bread. (Also in Spanish.)

St Philip Neri is remembered for his commonsense and cheerfulness: “A joyful heart”, he said, “is more easily made perfect than a downcast one”. Living in Italy in the 16th Century, he sensed that what was needed to influence society in his day was something different from the monastic model, so he founded the Oratorians, to whom we send greetings on his feastday.

Sorry Day is an Australian initiative “to express regret over the historical mistreatment of Aboriginal peoples”. Many nations could take a cue from this gesture. And, on an interpersonal level, ‘sorry’ may well be one of the most important words needed in our vocabulary.

“If one is master of one thing and understands one thing well, one has at the same time, insight into and understanding of many things.”  (Vincent Van Gogh) 

For further websites and blogs that can support your prayer and reflection, click the PRIVATE REFLECTIONS button under PRAYER GUIDE on the right of our home page.

brother Michael Burke

editor