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Reflection on the Rescue of the Chilean Miners October 26th, 2010
Renee Yann is a Sister of Mercy and VP for Mission and Values at Mercy Keystone Health Plan in Philadelphia. She wrote this reflection in anticipation of the rescue of the Chilean Miners, which we wanted to share with you.
Dear Friends and Co -ministers,
Last night and today, the world’s thoughts and prayers are even more closely focused on a small town in Chile where thirty-three men have been trapped deep in the darkness of the earth.
One by one, over the course of the forty-eight hours, these men will be delivered to light, resurrected to the life they left, unsuspecting, one morning over two months ago. They will be extracted from the earth through a passageway barely shoulder-wide. Like any birth, each of their transitions will be accompanied by that strange mix of agony and hope that yields new life. And with each one of them, we will experience vicariously what it means to be reborn.
On a brilliant October days such as these, when even the leaves seem made of sunshine, we might more deeply appreciate the longing of the Chilean miners to return to the light. Each of us, at sometime in our lives, has spent time beneath the surface of life. Perhaps we have known the darkness of depression, bereavement, addiction, mental illness or economic desperation in ourselves or those we love. Time spent in the cavern of these burdens is exponentially longer than normal time. We expend enormous amounts of energy looking for a way out, until we finally abandon ourselves to the realization that the only way “out” is “through”.
Over these hours, these miners will complete their passage “through”. As each one comes back to his family, let us thank God with them. And may we use the time as a meditation and thanksgiving for our own passages, whether completed or on-going. May we use it as a time of prayer for our world that we may be delivered from war, poverty, tyranny, terrorism and selfishness. Whether or not these men knew it, our Creator has held their hands through the weeks of suffering. God will rise with them in the narrow cage of their deliverance. And God is always with us as we are continually born to newness in our own lives. Today, as we watch the newsreels, holding our breath in anticipation, remember the One Who is always holding your hand.
Blessings,
Sister Renee
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Renee Yann, RSM
Congo Week of Action: October 17- 23 October 14th, 2010
The Missionary Oblates JPIC office joins millions around the world in commemorating the Congo Week of Action.
Faith communities, civil society groups in fifty countries and about two hundred universities will mark the week-long set of actions which is designed to raise awareness about the devastating situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and mobilize support on behalf of the country’s people. It will take place from Sunday October 17 to Saturday October 23. 2010.
Democratic Republic of Congo remains one of the largest and most neglected humanitarian crises today with more than six million deaths since 1998. Millions of people have been displaced and many thousands of women and children have
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International Day for the Eradication of Poverty – October 17th October 12th, 2010
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed. (Luke 4:18-19)
Worship resources for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on October 17th are available in sixteen languages thanks to the Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, USG/UISG Secretariat in Rome.
The English, Spanish and French versions are available from our site for download:
- Eradication of Poverty Prayer (English)
- Eradication of Poverty Prayer (French)
- Eradication of Poverty Prayer (Spanish)
Fall 2010 Issue of the JPIC Report Available October 10th, 2010
Read the new issue of the JPIC Report. If you are not receiving a hard copy in the mail and would like to, please contact the JPIC Office by emailing Rowena Gono.
Read the Fall 2010 JPIC Report (Download PDF)
U.S. Catholic Task Force on Africa offers Support to Bishop Duffy OMI October 10th, 2010
- Poor state of Zambian roads hampers economic development
On October 8, a coalition of Catholic religious, Africa advocacy groups and humanitarian organizations based in Washington D.C issued a letter of support to Bishop Paul Duffy OMI in Zambia. The letter from the Catholic Task Force on Africa offers words of encouragement and expresses solidarity with Bishop Duffy. The Bishop has been receiving threats in recent months from ruling government party members for his having spoken out about the living conditions of people in his diocese.
