On this last day of our week of prayer for Christian Unity we celebrate the Reign of Christ. Christ’s victory enables us to look into the future with hope. This victory overcomes all that keeps us from sharing fullness of life with him and with each other. Christians know that unity among us is above all a gift of God. It is a share in Christ’s glorious victory over all that divides.

Eight Days reflecting on our change in Christ

During the week we are invited to enter more deeply into our faith that we will all be changed through the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The biblical readings, commentaries, prayers and questions for reflection, all explore different aspects of what this means for the lives of Christians and their unity with one another, in and for today’s world. We begin by contemplating the Christ who serves, and our journey takes us to the final celebration of Christ’s reign, by way of His cross and resurrection.

On this day the Bible texts show us the Lord strengthening His flock. Following the Good Shepherd, we are called to strengthen each other in the Lord, and to support and fortify the weak and the lost. There is one Shepherd, and we are his people.

Eight Days reflecting on our change in Christ

During the week we are invited to enter more deeply into our faith that we will all be changed through the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The biblical readings, commentaries, prayers and questions for reflection, all explore different aspects of what this means for the lives of Christians and their unity with one another, in and for today’s world. We begin by contemplating the Christ who serves, and our journey takes us to the final celebration of Christ’s reign, by way of His cross and resurrection.

On this day we concentrate our attention on God’s steadfast love. The Paschal Mystery reveals this steadfast love, and calls us to a new way of faith. This faith overcomes fear and opens our hearts to the power of the Spirit. Such faith calls us to friendship with Christ, and so to one another.

Eight Days reflecting on our change in Christ

During the week we are invited to enter more deeply into our faith that we will all be changed through the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The biblical readings, commentaries, prayers and questions for reflection, all explore different aspects of what this means for the lives of Christians and their unity with one another, in and for today’s world. We begin by contemplating the Christ who serves, and our journey takes us to the final celebration of Christ’s reign, by way of His cross and resurrection.

Today we celebrate the peace of the Risen Lord. The Risen One is the great Victor over death and the world of darkness. He unites His disciples, who were paralysed with fear. He opens up before us new prospects of life and of acting for His coming kingdom. The Risen Lord unites and strengthens all believers. Peace and unity are the hallmarks of our transformation in the resurrection.

Eight Days reflecting on our change in Christ

During the week we are invited to enter more deeply into our faith that we will all be changed through the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The biblical readings, commentaries, prayers and questions for reflection, all explore different aspects of what this means for the lives of Christians and their unity with one another, in and for today’s world. We begin by contemplating the Christ who serves, and our journey takes us to the final celebration of Christ’s reign, by way of His cross and resurrection.

This day takes us deeper into the struggles against evil. Victory in Christ is an overcoming of all that damages God’s creation, and keeps us apart from one another. In Jesus we are called to share in this new life, struggling with him against what is wrong in our world, with renewed confidence and with a delight in what is good. In our divisions we cannot be strong enough to overcome evil in our times.

Eight Days reflecting on our change in Christ

During the week we are invited to enter more deeply into our faith that we will all be changed through the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The biblical readings, commentaries, prayers and questions for reflection, all explore different aspects of what this means for the lives of Christians and their unity with one another, in and for today’s world. We begin by contemplating the Christ who serves, and our journey takes us to the final celebration of Christ’s reign, by way of His cross and resurrection.

This day calls us to reflect on the suffering of Christ. Following Christ the Suffering Servant, Christians are called to solidarity with all who suffer. The closer we come to the cross of Christ the closer we come to one another.

Eight Days reflecting on our change in Christ

During the week we are invited to enter more deeply into our faith that we will all be changed through the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The biblical readings, commentaries, prayers and questions for reflection, all explore different aspects of what this means for the lives of Christians and their unity with one another, in and for today’s world. We begin by contemplating the Christ who serves, and our journey takes us to the final celebration of Christ’s reign, by way of His cross and resurrection.

On this day we concentrate on patient waiting for the Lord. To achieve any change, perseverance and patience are needed. Prayer to God for any kind of transformation is also an act of faith and trust in his promises. Such waiting for the Lord is essential for all who pray for the visible unity of the church this week. All ecumenical activities require time, mutual attention and joint action. We are all called to co-operate with the work of the Spirit in uniting Christians.

Eight Days reflecting on our change in Christ

During the week we are invited to enter more deeply into our faith that we will all be changed through the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The biblical readings, commentaries, prayers and questions for reflection, all explore different aspects of what this means for the lives of Christians and their unity with one another, in and for today’s world. We begin by contemplating the Christ who serves, and our journey takes us to the final celebration of Christ’s reign, by way of His cross and resurrection.

Over the coming week we are invited to enter more deeply into our faith that we will all be changed through the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The biblical readings, commentaries, prayers and questions for reflection, all explore different aspects of what this means for the lives of Christians and their unity with one another, in and for today’s world. We begin by contemplating the Christ who serves, and our journey takes us to the final celebration of Christ’s reign, by way of His cross and resurrection:

Day One: Changed by the Servant Christ
The Son of Man came to serve (cf. Mk 10:45)

On this day we encounter Jesus, on the road to victory through service. We see him as the ”one who came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life, a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Consequently, the Church of Jesus Christ is a serving community. The use of our diverse gifts in common service to humanity makes visible our unity in Christ.

The Diocese of Salina welcomes and encourages dialogue with fellow believers in Jesus Christ and is ready and willing to share in common prayer and worship insofar as our confessions allow.  All Churches and ecclesial communities that wish to explore ways to celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2012 with the Catholic community of Salina are invited to contact the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs at 785-827-8746.

Holy Family Sister Caritas Foster Holy Family Sister Caritas Foster

“You are a useless house girl.”

The sentence echoed daily in Sarah’s ears. Her employer, a Kenyan woman, had brought Sarah (not her real name) from Nairobi to the San Francisco Bay Area to take care of the woman’s toddler and her house. Sarah, in her 20s, had believed life would be better in the United States. There was no food in her village. She worked cleaning houses in Nairobi to support her small daughter and her parents. When her employer asked her to come with her to the United States, Sarah felt a leap of hope.

“I was convinced life would be good. When we landed at the San Francisco airport, everything looked so beautiful,” she told an audience of Burlingame Mercy sisters in 2005.

The cruel reality was that Sarah had been labor trafficked by the Kenyan employer, brought here to work as a household slave, imprisoned by threats of harm to her family back home if she didn’t obey. Her employer took her passport and told her that her pay of $50 per month would accumulate toward paying her ticket home. She was not to go out alone or to speak to anyone.

Sarah’s story is one of a pattern which many believe is the largest international criminal operation after drugs. Because victims like Sarah are so well hidden, statistics of human trafficking are difficult to verify. The U.S. State Department estimates that each year more than 600,000 men, women, and children are brought across international borders for both forced labor and sexual exploitation mainly from Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America, and more than 14,000 are trafficked into the United States.

“We in the San Francisco Bay Area are one of the largest receiving areas with our borders and coasts,” said Sister of the Holy Family Caritas Foster, who has dedicated her ministry for four years to educating the public on trafficking. “The fallacy is that anyone illegal comes in through our southern borders,” she said. “Transnationals come into our state at our airports and docks. The lure of a better life is powerful.”

Sister Caritas is tireless in telling the powerful story of people often hidden in plain sight, working in restaurants, nursing homes and even private homes. She has spoken to Rotary clubs, Soroptimist groups and parishes, describing the power that traffickers hold over the workers they have brought to the area. They take away the workers’ documents and threaten them with deportation. Isolated by their lack of English and often prohibited from ever leaving their work site, many victims have no idea where they are.

In 2000 the U.S. government first recognized trafficking as a crime with the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The law funds identification and support of victims through coalitions of law enforcement, the courts and nonprofit organizations. The act is up for reauthorization, and Congress has not yet acted on it.

In 2007 the U.S Bishops Committee on Migration called trafficking “a horrific crime against the basic dignity and rights of the human person.”

Women religious in the Bay Area have been working quietly for years on trafficking. Some have housed victims as they made slow steps toward gaining the protection of a visa designating them as trafficked immigrants. The sisters asked that neither they nor the location of the housing be identified: Traffickers are ruthless in trying to regain control of their victims and could harm their protectors as well.

A note of hope is that the Holy Family Sisters Caritas and Elaine Marie Sanchez are part of a new Cross Bay Collaborative, funded six months ago by the Office of Refugee Resettlement of the federal Department of Health and Human Services. The organization Standing Against Global Exploitation in San Francisco applied for a grant partnering Alameda district attorneys, Newcomers Health Program SF, Bay area Women Against Rape and the sisters. The groups work together to train providers of services, educate people about trafficking and ultimately identify more victims.

Many skills are needed to help trafficking victims. “We need to be patient, continue to work together and partner,” said Caritas.”We must realize (the solution) is going to take a long time.”

Sarah’s case contained a surprising twist. She begged her employer to allow her to go to church, where she pleaded with a priest for help. He called on Sister of Mercy Marilyn Lacey, then Catholic Charities’ director of immigration and refugee services in San Jose. With their encouragement, Sarah ran away from her employer.

Sister Marilyn found a shelter for Sarah and connected her with social services and legal counsel, then referring her case to the justice department for an application for a visa giving her protected status and support as a trafficking victim. With the generous support of a local volunteer who paid for her professional training, Sarah eventually became a medical technician, and her daughter is with her, doing well in school.

An ironic twist is Marilyn’s discovery that Sarah’s abusive employer was on a fellowship at a local university – in the field of human rights.

From January 13, 2012 issue of Catholic San Francisco.

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks Jesus’ initiation into public ministry. At his baptism Jesus is named the Beloved Son of God. With this celebration we recommit ourselves to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.Initiated through our baptism we too are commissioned to proclaim Good News with our lives. The observance of National Vocation Awareness Week (NVAW) began in 1976 when the National Conference of Catholic Bishops designated the 28th Sunday of the year as the beginning of NVAW. In 1997 this celebration was moved to coincide with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.The USA Council of Serra International promotes all Catholic Church vocations. This NVAW kit is designed to assist preachers, teachers, catechists, and other ministers. By fostering a culture of vocations, the Church is strengthened in its universal call to holiness. May this resource meet your particular needs and enhance your local celebration.

From the USCCB:

WASHINGTON—The Catholic Church in the United States will celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week (NVAW), January 9-14. The celebration heralds a week dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life through prayer and education.

This distinctive week gives Catholics an opportunity to renew prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations.

“It is our responsibility to help children and young people develop a prayerful relationship with Jesus Christ so they will know their vocation,” said Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. “Through a culture of vocation in families, parishes, schools and dioceses Catholics can nurture an environment of discipleship, commitment to daily prayer, spiritual conversion, growth in virtue, participation in the sacraments, and service in community. Without this environment, promoting vocations becomes simply recruitment. We believe we have much more to offer our young people.”

People can visit the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/usccb) during the week to see examples of clergy and religious. They also can view reflections under the Vocation Retreat Tab where each day a scripture passage, reflection and prayer will be posted.Resources for promoting National Vocations Awareness Week, such as prayer cards, Holy Hour materials, prayers of the faithful and bulletin-ready quotes, are available on the USCCB vocations webpage at http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations.

National Vocation Awareness Week began in 1976 when the U.S. bishops designated the 28th Sunday of the year for NVAW. In 1997, this celebration was moved to coincide with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which falls on January 9 in 2012.

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

These words lie at the foot of the Statue of Liberty.  After being greeted there, immigrants from northern, southern, and eastern European nations were processed at Ellis Island and then went on to their new homes throughout the United States.  Today, immigrants come from throughout the world – from Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Central & South America.  So, not everyone sees the Statue of Liberty upon arriving at our shores.

The closing of our first reading from Isaiah is filled with rich images.

                        “You shall be radiant at what you see,

                        your heart shall throb and overflow,

                        for the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you,

                        The wealth of nations shall be brought to you.”

Barbara Reid in her book, Abiding Word, says “all people, from near and far, come to the holy city bearing their priceless gifts:  riches from the sea, caravans of camels bulging with treasures, gold, frankincense, and wealth beyond measure”.

Everyone, today, brings what they have – their humanity, their rich culture, their values, and their religious traditions.  This mix provides all of us with an opportunity to learn from one another’s lived-experience and to be enriched with the various gifts that they bring from their part of the world.

Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s we often heard that the United States was a “melting pot” because of its mixture of people.  The difficulty with that image is that once something is melted it ceases to be what it was originally.  The image that speaks to me today is that of a symphony.  The violin, the clarinet, the trumpet, the drum, and all of the other instruments maintain their original sound.  Yet, while playing together, beautiful harmonies are created that would not be present had the instruments not come together.
We hear further in the Letter to the Ephesians that we are “coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel”.  For us that means welcoming our brothers and sisters from throughout the world into this place that we call “home”.  It means “working with”; it means “collaborating with…”

Barbara Reid speaks again:  The exotic visitors from the East, who come with their priceless gifts for the newborn Christ, signal the welcome of all people’s in God’s embrace” [end quote].  As I was reflecting upon the gospel text earlier, I was challenged by the words:  “They prostrated themselves and did him homage”.  Questions arise:  Where do I/where do we prostrate ourselves today?  Where do I/where do we do homage today?

On December 14^th, thirty-three (33) Hispanic/Latino bishops of the United States issued a letter to immigrants.  I was touched not only by the compassion but also by the reality of the situation of many immigrants.  The bishops say “We will not find a solution to our problems by sowing hatred.  We will find the solution by sowing a sense of solidarity among all workers and co-workers – immigrants and citizens – who live together in the United States.  Further, the bishops state that they “will also continue to advocate on behalf of global economic justice, so that our brothers and sisters can find employment opportunities in their countries of origin that offer a living wage, and allow them to live with dignity”.  The letter ends with “We see Jesus the pilgrim in you migrants.  The Word of God migrated from heaven to earth in order to become man and save humanity”.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany; today we celebrate all of us, for we are all migrants in some way.  It may be from another country; it may be finding ourselves at another place in our lives; or it may be finding ourselves growing deeper in relationship with God and with one another.

May we always remember that Jesus, the Christ, the ultimate migrant, resides in and is present in all of us gathered here today and in our streets.  May we reach out in loving relationship to all we meet…

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Welcoming Christ in the Migrant

Just as on the road to Emmaus, Christ’s disciples met him in the guise of a stranger, this year’s theme helps remind us that Christ makes himself present to each of us in the lonesome traveler, the newcomer, and the migrant.  We are called to open our hearts and provide hospitality to those in need.  It is our duty to create a space of welcome and acceptance to the migrant who finds himself or herself far away from home and in a vulnerable situation.

Throughout the fall we will be providing a number of resources that reflect on this theme.  Please check back regularly to see what new resources are available for your use.Some of these items will be available for download only while others will be available in bulk for a nominal price through the USCCB publishing office.If there are resources that you think would be helpful for your ministry, please let me know atTScribner@usccb.org, and I will do what I can to meet your needs.  To purchase National Migration Week material, please contact USCCB publishing at 800-235-8722 or visit their website to browse Migration and Refugee Services material.

We also encourage you to visit the Justice for Immigrants website, where you can find a wide range of educational resources on immigration and Catholic Social Teaching.

Order 2012 National Migration Week Materials

Bilingual Poster (2-sided English/Spanish)

Welcoming Christ in the Migrant (booklet)

Acogiendo a Cristo en el Migrante (folleto)

Prayer Card featuring St. Bakhita (prayer in English and Spanish)

Download PDF Versions of 2012 Materials

Poster/English

Poster Spanish/Español

Prayer Card featuring St. Bakhita (prayer in English and Spanish) 

Welcoming Christ in the Migrant (booklet)

Acogiendo a Cristo en el Migrante (folleto)

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Keeping our Children Safe

These sessions are being held in January as part of Human Trafficking Awareness Month. We know many excellent ways that the internet is used for social networking, education, information and commercial transactions. The internet is also used for exploited purposes and is one of the greatest facilitators of human trafficking. These sessions are to provide information to adults on how to assist the children in their lives to use the internet safely.

Internet Safety 1 2012

An informational session for adults on how children can safely use the internet If you plan to attend one of these informational sessions, please RSVP to Sister Caritas Foster at caritas@sbcglobal.net or P. O. Box 3248, Fremont, CA 94539 and indicate which session you will attend. This session will be repeated in the following locations.

Sessions are 7:00—8:30 p.m.

January 18, 2012
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church
1315 Lomitas Avenue
Livermore, CA
Contact: Julie Gallagher
925-447-4549 ext. 114
upcatholic@aol.com

January 24, 2012
Washington Hospital
2500 Mowry Avenue
Fremont, CA
Conrad E. Anderson Auditorium
Rooms A & B
Contact: Elaine Sanchez, SHF
510-624-4512
shfems@sbcglobal.net

January 25, 2012
Bethany Lutheran Church
1095 Cloud Avenue
Menlo Park, CA
(in the Family Center)
Contact: Catherine Carlton
650-926-9446
cc@catnbob.com

January 31, 2012

Greater St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church
1827 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Oakland, CA
Contact: Administrative Office
510-452-0803
Info@gspbc.org

These sessions are being held in January as part of Human Trafficking Awareness Month. We know many excellent ways that the internet is used for social networking, education, information and commercial transactions. The internet is also used for exploited purposes and is one of the greatest facilitators of human trafficking. These sessions are to provide information to adults on how to assist the children in their lives to use the internet safely.

This project is supported in part by Grant No. 90ZV0092 awarded by the Rescue and Restore Victims of Human Trafficking Regional Program, Anti-Trafficking In Persons Division, Office of Refugee Resettlement/ACF, Department of Health and Human Services. The contents of this document are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HHS. 

Please join us as we celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week

…those called to married life

…those called to single life

…those called to consecrated life

…those called to ordained life

Prayer Service followed by refreshments Thursday, January 12, 2012 7:00pm

Sisters of the Holy Family 159 Washington Blvd. Fremont, CA. 94539

www.holyfamilysisters.org

(510) 624-4511

Only if people change will the world change; and in order to change, people need the light that comes from God, the light which so unexpectedly [on the night of Christmas] entered into our night.
—Homily at Mass for the Solemnity,of the Nativity of the Lord, December 25, 2008

These quotes and reflections from the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, are excerpted from “Christmas: Pope Benedict XVI Spiritual Thoughts Series.”

We celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family each year between Christmas and the Solemnity of Mary, which automatically creates in our minds images of baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph as adoring parents. But the Gospel today shows a different image: a missing child, and the frantic search of the parents as they imagined all the things that could have happened. There are other moments in the life of the Holy Family that bring them right into fellowship with today’s newspaper subjects: the young family fleeing for their lives from threatened violence; the child grown and out on his own, following a path that causes his family concern; the child arrested in the night and taken to places unknown; the child executed for the convenience of a king who didn’t want trouble. Other traditional images also touch us: the child and mother at the deathbed of the father;  the mother alone, having lost both husband and child. All these moments and more are included in our image of “The Holy Family,” and all are sanctified by having been part of the Incarnation. We would not wish such pain and suffering on anyone, yet our God has experienced such things as a human being, and remains God-with-us throughout everything we endure. God does not wish such suffering any more than we do.

What does God’s existence as part of a human family say to you about your own family life?

Afrikaner (Afrikaans) ~ “Geseënde Kersfees”
Argentine ~ “Felices Pascuas”
Bohemian ~ “Vesele Vanoce”
Brazilian ~ “Boas Festas”
Chinese (Cantonese) ~ “Saint Dan Fai Lok”
Danish ~ “Glædelig Jul”
Dutch ~ “Vrolijk Kerstfeest”
English ~ “Merry Christmas”
Filipino ~ “Maligayang Pasko”
Finnish ~ “Hyvaa Joulua”
French ~ “Joyeux Noël”
German ~ “Froehliche Weihnachten”
Greek ~ “Kala Christouyenna”
Hawaiian ~ “Mele Kalikimaka”
Hebrew ~ “Mo’adim Lesimkha”
Icelandic ~ “Gledileg Jol”
Indonesian ~ “Selamat Hari Natal”
Irish ~ “Nollaig Shona Dhuit”
Italian ~ “Buone Feste Natalizie” - Natale italiano
Japanese ~ “Kurisumasu Omedeto”
Korean ~ “Sung Tan Chuk Ha”
Lithuanian ~ “Linksmu Kaledu”
Malay ~ “Selamat Hari Natal”
Maori ~ “Meri Kirihimete”
Norwegian ~ “God Jul” - Jul i Norge
Romanian ~ “Craciun Fericit”
Peruvian ~ “Felices Fiestas”
Portugese ~ “Boas Festas”
Slovakian ~ “Vesele Vianoce”
Spanish ~ “Feliz Navidad” - Cyber Navidad
Swedish ~ “God Jul” - Jul i Sverige
Welsh ~ “Nadolig Llawen

God’s sign is his humility. God’s sign is that he makes himself small; he becomes a child; he lets us touch him and he asks for our love. How we would prefer a different sign, an imposing, irresistible sign of God’s power and greatness! But his sign summons us to faith and love, and thus it gives us hope: this is what God is like. He has power, he is Goodness itself. He invites us to become like him. Yes indeed, we become like God if we allow ourselves to be shaped by this sign; if we ourselves learn humility and hence true greatness; if we renounce violence and use only the weapons of truth and love.

—Homily at Mass for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, December 24, 2009

These quotes and reflections from the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, are excerpted from “Christmas: Pope Benedict XVI Spiritual Thoughts Series.”

Jesus is born, God is With-Us, the world is different because of the Incarnation. God’s entering into the world enfleshed changed not only that generation of people, but God’s whole relationship with the Earth and its creatures. It’s the work of a lifetime to get beyond the Baby Jesus, the shepherds and kings, the Santas and reindeer, the shopping and eating and drinking to come to an understanding of what the Incarnation continues to mean to each of us, to all of us, to our world and all its inhabitants. Several years ago I was being mean-spirited and resentful about all the people who celebrated Christmas without having a clue what they were celebrating. In a thrift store I found a children’s book that concluded, “Christmas is for everyone!” I’ve been less resentful since I found that book, and have found that if I truly believe that Christmas is for everyone, then I need to do some stretching. It’s a process that makes each Christmas more awesome than the one before. Emmanuel — God-With-Us. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Where is the awe of Christmas for you?

Silent Monks Singing Halleluia