|
|
||||||
|
Looking up to heaven Jesus sighed; and He said to the deaf and dumb
man,'Ephphatha' that is, 'Be opened'. Immediately, the man's ears were
opened and his tongue was loosened so that he could hear and speak
clearly. In our own lives, we too are deaf and dumb in many ways. Most of us suffer from a deep seated spiritual deafness and blindness that colours the way we look at reality. For the most part we are unaware of their workings in our own lives and helplessly allow them to dictate who we are and what we do. Cultural biases, political prejudices, and racial and religious fundamentalism and discrimination are only some manifestations of the blindness that play out in our own lives. We find it difficult to liberate ourselves from forces that are so part of who we are. However, Jesus liberated the deaf and dumb man of today's reading. We too are called to ask Jesus to do for us what we fail to achieve for ourselves, to heal our blindness so that we may see the light and live our lives truthfully, in accordance with God's will. Lord, heal me from my own blindness so that I may see and give witness to the light. Amen. |
|
- END -
P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
| INTENTION : |
That children will never again be obliged to participate in
any war, but may be freed from hatred and violence and may live, as
children should, enjoying friendship in their family, school and society.
|
|
The international community is increasingly recognising the
vulnerability of displaced children in refugee camps. They are at particular risk
of being exploited by armed groups. As recruited soldiers children
suffer disproportionately from the general rigours of military life.
Younger children may have deformed backs and shoulders, the result of
carrying loads too heavy for them. Malnutrition, respiratory and skin
infections and other ailments are frequent, as are sexually transmitted
diseases, including AIDS. The use of child soldiers also has repercussion on other children who remain in the conflict area. The risk, is that children will be killed, detained interrogated, or subject to pre-emptive recruitment. We must not close our eyes to the fact that child soldiers are not victims and perpetrators. No matter what the child is guilty of, the main responsibility lies with us, the adults. To stop this abuse, no child under 18 should be recruited for or participate in war. There is simply no excuse, no acceptable argument for arming children. | |
|
- END - | |