MIRROR
CHRIST
The Light of the World
CHRIST – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
MIRROR GIVE JOY, GIVE HOPE
CONTENTS PAGE Christ - The Light of the World.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J F Declan Quinn.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Christmas - A Feast of Light.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fr. Martin Barta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Rebuilding Souls in Nineveh, Iraq.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Majid’s Return Home to Nineveh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Your Christmas Gift for Christians in Need. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Quality of Mercy Unites Christians in Syria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Christ’s Light in Syria’s Darkness.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Christ’s Light Shining in Colombia.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Reflecting Christ’s Light in Cuba. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Russia: The Ecumenism of the Martyrs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 The Beginning of Wisdom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 A Master Builder In the Lord’s Vineyard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Labourers in the Lord’s Vineyard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
‘Gratitude is the first sign of a thinking, rational creature.’ BLESSED SOLANUS CASEY
Editor: Jürgen Liminski. Publisher: ACN International, Postfach 1209, 61452 Königstein, Germany. De licentia competentis auctoritatis ecclesiasticae. Printed in Ireland - ISSN 0252-2535. www.acninternational.org
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CHRIST – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD A chairde,
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s Christians we are people of the Light. In Jesus Christ, God became Man, lived as a man, suffered and was persecuted as a man, died on the Cross as a man, descended into Hell and on the third day rose again from the dead. And He did all this so that you and I can have the opportunity of sharing eternal life with Him in heaven. God became Man to open up the gates of Heaven to us, to give us Hope. God became man to bring authentic Joy to the world. As People of the Light, people who have been given the grace of Faith we are called to give witness to the Faith, we are called to reflect Christ’s Light in the world and one of the ways which you do so is through the support which you provide to the pastoral mission of the Universal Church through the alms you give via Aid to the Church in Need. No words can adequately express our gratitude for the material and spiritual help you have provided Christ’s Holy Church in Need in past years. Indeed there is nothing which we could do to adequately acknowledge the immeasurable good which your support has provided to God’s suffering and persecuted Church and His Children the world over. God knows what you have done and will reward you accordingly and handsomely, for our God is just and merciful and loving beyond imagining.
That the world is attempting to eclipse God is a reality but so too is the reality that we are here, you, me and others to reflect the Light of Christ into the darkest corners of the world and the darkest recesses of the human heart. In this daily battle for the hearts and minds of humanity, through our prayers, our works and our alms ACN is active and making a real and positive difference. Since every little thing we in ACN do is done Christ’s name it is blessed by Christ. And being blessed by Christ it is bearing fruit and will bear even more fruit. Let us thank God for this privilege of being able to serve Him and pray for the grace that we may be able to serve Him more and better in this life and in the life that is to come. A blessed Christmas and happy New Year to you and all those who are near and dear to you,
Beir Beannacht
J F Declan Quinn Director, Aid to the Church in Need (Ire)
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CHRIST – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
CHRISTMAS - A FEAST OF LIGHT Dear Friends,
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eventy years ago Father Werenfried van Straaten wrote about the terrible sufferings of the refugees fleeing Eastern Europe at the end of World War II. In his now famous Christmas article ‘No room at the Inn’ he spoke of their need as the ‘need of Christ’. Unfortunately, as we approach Christmas 2017 we must report that: ‘There is still no room for Him at the inn’. After six years of war and genocide in the Middle East, the situation of the Christians there no longer makes the headlines. Meanwhile, terrorism is spreading throughout the world, and, almost desperately, people seek for precautionary measures and solutions.
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Yet despite these dark times, we once more prepare to celebrate Christmas – indeed, it is because of the darkness that we must celebrate this Feast of Light in order to remind ourselves once more that Jesus, Mary and Joseph are still with us. They sought shelter and found only a stable. But thanks to them, Heaven came down to this earth. For Christmas is the Feast of God made Man. God became Man to save our world. In order for this miracle to take place again and again among us, God needs our faith, a faith that transforms our lives.
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We should take the faith of Mary and Joseph as our model. Joseph having prayed with all his heart to understand God’s plan, then set to work. We can easily imagine all the preparations the carpenter would have made for the birth of the Divine Child. And then how painful it must have been for him, to have had nothing more than a manger to place Jesus in, to have to live for two years in someone else’s house, and then have to flee into Egypt (Matthew 2:11-16). What courage and patience Saint Joseph must have shown in enduring all these humbling trials and challenges – and overcoming them all in order to give God a home. Joseph’s faith undoubtedly saved the life of the Son of God. He is a very human saint: he protected his wife and child, caring for them, working and providing for them and loving them as no other has done. Dear friends,
rebuild a home for them and their families in their ancestral lands. They are hoping for many more workers, in the mode of Joseph, who will help rebuild their ruined homes, churches and monasteries, so that they can remain as witnesses to the Incarnation, witnesses to hope and witnesses of love and reconciliation in this the cradle of Christianity. In gratitude for all you do, I wish you every grace and blessing during this Christmas season – and a blessed New Year to you and all your families.
Father Martin M. Barta, ACN Ecclesiastical Assistant
Let us strive to imitate Saint Joseph’s trust in God. Let us live as people of the Nativity, despite the terrible events of this world. Let us be, like Saint Joseph, ‘God’s workers’, who find time to be open to God’s inspirations and then let them guide our work. Like Saint Joseph, the Christians of the Middle East have had to endure long years of exile and insecurity, seeking a place of safe shelter. Now we have the opportunity to GIVE JOY, GIVE HOPE
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St. Anne’s Church, Sligo
On RED WEDNESDAY
22ND NOVEMBER 2017
We wore Red, We lit Red and We prayed for suffering and Persecuted Christians around the World. Galway Cathedral
Knock Shrine
St. Anne’s Church, Sligo
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ACNIRELAND.ORG/REDWEDNESDAY
Armagh Cathedral
ANOTHER ‘BETHLEHEM’... THE NINEVEH PROJECT
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dvent is a ‘time of expectation’. For thousands of Iraqi Christians, the wait after they were driven out by the terrorist organisation ISIS has stretched out to an indefinite period. Since 2014, many of them have had to leave their homes. They now want to go back to the places where their ancestors have lived since the beginnings of Christianity. However, since they were driven away, their houses have been destroyed, damaged and looted. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is helping these Christian families return home. Aid to the Church in Need wants to enable around 13,000 families to return to their homes in Nineveh, Iraq. In order to do so, thousands houses have to be rebuilt.
Father Andrzej Halemba associates this work with the Advent season. ‘Bethlehem means ‘house of bread’. We want to make sure that the Christians on the Nineveh Plains can once more have a ‘Bethlehem’,
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ACNIRELAND.ORG/NINEVEH
a dwelling that actually exists,’ the head of the Middle East section of Aid to the Church in Need explained. The situation there remains tense. More than 10,000 houses have to be renovated or rebuilt for those returning home. The reconstruction zone encompasses nine towns. The total costs for the reconstruction, including infrastructure and the region’s more than 360 church buildings, are estimated to be €230 million. Aid to the Church in Need is calling for people all over the world to contribute to this mammoth task.
‘ACN is determined to help the faithful replant the faith back in the soil toiled by so many generations of Christians’ Cardinal Mauro Piacenza
CHRIST – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
REBUILDING SOULS IN NINEVEH
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hose who believe, live differently. ‘Faith pertains essentially to the future; it is promise of future glory’, Joseph Ratzinger wrote back in 1970. ‘Faith means life lived in a spirit of trust. It betokens the certainty that God is the one who guarantees our human future.’ The Christians of Iraq’s Nineveh Plains are filled with this spirit of trust. Rooted in faith, they look to the future. This is the symbolic meaning of the olive tree. Each of the 554 families who have returned to Qaraqosh and Bartella has received a small olive tree. In solemn procession, they carried them back to their partially rebuilt villages. Returning to their roots does not simply mean going back to a particular place. It also means going back to love, back to reconcilia-
tion. The olive tree also symbolises this. During a Mass for the returning Christians, a bishop blessed the trees, and the name of each family was read out. With Our Lady’s help, Everyone understood Father Georges that the rebuilding of is organising the new their houses was just beginning. a beginning, only the first step. Their most challenging task will be to rebuild souls, removing the wreckage from hearts, clearing away hatred and fear and reconciling with their neighbours. To do this they will need faith in Jesus, the source of all love, as this allows them to look towards the future with hope.
With cross and olive trees: Returning to Qaraqosh.
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IRAQ
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These families have seen faith put into action; they have experienced love. When they were fleeing, intent on simply surviving, ACN helped them with food, blankets and medicines and thereby saved tens of thousands of these Christians. The solidarity, the support, the mercy expressed in these deeds, gave them the courage to go on living. ‘It was as important as our daily bread’, says one father of a family, and a Dominican Sister from the convent of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Teleskov adds, ‘Now it is a matter of “as we forgive those who trespass against us”’. These Sisters now need to rebuild their ruined convent. We have promised to help them. ‘The families need us’, says Sister Luma, quite forgetting everything the Sisters themselves have endured over the past few years – the expulsion, and flight, the destruction of their
History and future, and the face of faith:
convent, and the death of 14 out of the 70 Sisters of her congregation. The Sisters are confident, for the Christian Churches of the Nineveh Plains have joined forces with ACN to coordinate rebuilding work in the region. They need to rebuild thousands of family homes, hundreds of churches, parish centres, schools and doctors’ surgeries. For ACN this is our biggest aid and reconstruction programme in recent decades. The Islamists drove people from their homes, burned down their houses, hacked down the trees – but their roots remain in the ground, just like the roots of the people’s faith and trust in God. And it is to these roots that the Christians of Nineveh are now returning. •
The rebuilding process begins in the heart.
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CHRIST – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
MAJID’S RETURN HOME TO NINEVEH ‘I really want to go back to the city of my birth, Qaraqosh,’ says a smiling Majid Shaba (45), who runs a fast food establishment in Erbil. ‘When ISIS invaded Qaraqosh I had to leave the city, in which I was in charge of a fast food restaurant, Chefcity. I didn’t leave my city out of my own free will. My new restaurant in Erbil has been doing reasonably well, but you simply cannot compare life in Erbil to life in Qaraqosh: it is not a good alternative. That’s why I want to return to Qaraqosh, to the Nineveh plains: I was born there, I want to live and die there. Qaraqosh is my city.’
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ajid has been in the city of his birth for three days to make his house ready to live in. Today, his wife Asmaa Alias (40) has also arrived from Erbil, along with their children Dima (10) and Shaban (4). Their oldest son, Yousif (14), stayed behind in their temporary house in Erbil’s Christian neighbourhood Ankawa. ‘I long to live in Qaraqosh again,’ says Asmaa, smiling. Samir Alias Polis (49), his wife Thaira Alias Karromi (43) and their three children are helping their brother and sister-in-law to clean their house. Samir works as a cleaner in Erbil and found temporary shelter in an apartment of the Church. ‘The militias are strong,’ he sighs, scrubbing the pavement. ‘I’m not sure we are safe’. He is not as enthusiastic as Majid about returning and sometimes he thinks about moving abroad.
Putting order to the mess left behind by ISIS.
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Majid still has a lot of work to do in his fast food restaurant ‘Chefcity’, where things are still quite a mess. In the neighbouring house, Raafat Foufael (32) and his uncle Badry Sloulaka (62) are working hard to put order in the mess that the jihadists left behind. Before the occupation, the building was used for hosting parties. Couples raised their glasses to their marriage and danced in the dancing hall. Raafat shows us the special bench for the newlyweds. ‘Luckily, it has been spared,’ he says. ‘The toilets have also not been damaged; they are merely covered in a lot of dust. Sadly, the hall and the stairs had been set on fire.’ The air-conditioning in the hall is blackened and on the ceiling are miserable steel pipes. The bar with the tap, on the first floor, has been damaged and will need fixing. Raafat hired workers to renovate and clean the place as soon as possible.
Majid’s destroyed restaurant in the centre of Qaraqosh.
Majid is determined to open the doors of his restaurant as soon as possible as well. ‘I don’t receive any support with the renovation, but that won’t stop me from restoring my restaurant’s honour,’ declares Majid with determination. ‘Chefcity in Qaraqosh will open its doors again.’ ‘I don’t approve of Christians leaving the Nineveh plains,’ ponders Majid. ‘I believe you shouldn’t leave your birthplace and you shouldn’t leave your homeland. People don’t have to leave this area because of their safety, because ISIS is in the past now. We now possess our own army that can protect us. I have a good feeling about the future.’ Since 2014 and up to September 2017 ACN has provided over €34 million for projects in Iraq. •
Majid Shaba and his wife Asmaa Alias and their children Dima Majid and Yousif Majid.
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CHRIST – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR CHRISTIANS IN NEED HAITI
LIGHT UP A PARISH FOR TWO DAYS - €10 Haiti has so often been the victim of natural disasters. The country is still suffering the consequences of an earthquake seven years ago, and of Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Many roads are impassable, electricity poles lie broken, the infrastructure in many places remains, quite literally, shattered. The worst problem is often the lack of electricity. Without lighting it is impossible to organise evening meetings for catechists or pastoral workers, celebrate Holy Mass, or run talks and leisure activities for young people. ‘Without light, the parish is to all intents dead after sunset’, says Father Gernelus of Saint Benedict’s Church in Hinche Diocese. This is a new parish with very few resources, and it will be years before the electricity supply will be brought here. And so Father Gernelus wants to harness the power of nature, or more precisely the power of the sun, by installing solar panels on the church roof to provide energy and light in the parish house, without needing the regional infrastructure. For just €10 he will have electric power for two full day, and two less problem to worry about. •
SYRIA
FOR THE CHILDREN OF ALEPPO - €50
Children in Aleppo, Syria do not expect much from life. They are happy to be given a picture book, a pair of socks, a wool hat and scarf, winter shoes, warm trousers and shirts. Because of the civil war, they have had to do without these sorts of things in recent winters. Now we are planning to send them and their families a Christmas parcel, with all these things. Last year we were also able to provide parcels to show the Christians of Aleppo that they have not been forgotten and that people around the world are thinking about them and their families. It costs €50 for a Christmas parcel which, of course, contains much more than just a material gift: it shows them our fellowship in faith, it makes it tangible, it is a gift that will be remembered for a lifetime. •
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BANGLADESH
A HOME FOR JESUS - €100
Bangladesh is one of the world’s poorest countries, and Christians are among the poorest of the poor. Many are drawn to the cities in search of work, where they struggle to make a living as day labourers and cleaners. In the Catholic Diocese of Rajshahi, a large city in the north-west of the country, hundreds have found a home in the Good Shepherd parish. Here, in the Kolimnagar quarter of the city, the parish has set up a primary school for their children and a needlework centre for single women, both run by Catholic religious Sisters. Holy Mass is also celebrated daily in a makeshift ‘chapel’ with thin bamboo walls. This building is constantly shaken by the wind and rain, and sometimes even badly damaged. The parish is growing rapidly, and the Sisters are concerned. Where will they hold their Bible study groups, teach catechism, hold choir rehearsals? There is plenty of faith, but it needs a home, and moreover it needs a house for the Lord to dwell in. They want to be able to pray, sing, teach in front of His Tabernacle. They have asked our help for a solid chapel – and sent us the plans for what they propose to build. It will be around 1,100 square feet (104 m2) in area and cost almost €20,000. •
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CHRIST – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
THE QUALITY OF MERCY UNITES CHRISTIANS IN SYRIA
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he civil war in Syria is one of the worst catastrophes of modern times. Some 350,000 people have been killed, while 5 million have fled abroad and another 6 million have been left homeless as internal refugees in their own country.
It began in Aleppo, where 80% of the population had already fled and where most of those who were left survived only thanks to the food parcels from various aid agencies. These parcels came in all shapes and sizes, but most contained no milk for children.
In the first few months of this year alone, 1,159 children died during the bombings. Death came suddenly and violently to many families as the bombs fell. And each time a little bit of future was buried with them. But there is also another, slower death, when families cannot escape but lack the barest necessities. Then children and babies die of malnutrition. This is where the ACN-sponsored initiative ‘A drop of milk’ comes in.
So the aim of this project is to provide a regular supply of milk for children under 10, and not just in Aleppo. Around 2,600 children between one and 10 are getting milk powder and 150 babies under a year receive special formula milk.
Waiting for milk for her little brother: Everyday life in Aleppo.
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But it is not only about vitamins and calories; every drop of milk is a drop of mercy, which not only nourishes the child but also the mother’s heart. It nourishes hope, hope that their children will, after all, have a future in their own homeland.
Milk powder for a month: Welcomed with joy.
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This regular milk distribution is made without regard to religion, with so many different Christian denominations and other faiths here in Syria. So the programme also has an ecumenical dimension – ‘it unites us Christians’, writes Dr. Nabil Antaki of the so-called ‘Blue Marists’ – a group of religious brothers and lay volunteers working with the refugees. But every drop costs money, as do the procurement, storage and distribution of the milk. We need around €16,800 each month. In summer the helpers have to cope with searing heat, and in winter with biting cold. Right now an icy wind is cutting through the bombed-out buildings. Oil and petrol are scarce, the electricity supply is only intermittent, and expensive too. The cold means sickness, and sickness means medicines. It is better to find the money for the heating, which means that people can work, repair what they have, forge a future. In recent years we have helped many refugees survive the winter. But blankets alone are not enough. The generators have to be kept going, at least a few hours a day. With your material help and your prayers let us continue to demonstarte to the world that the quality of Christ’s Mercy is not strained and His Grace is ever bountyful. •
What will this winter be like for her? Until now a blanket was enough, in winter it won’t be.
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CHRIST – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
CHRIST’S LIGHT IN SYRIA’S DARKNESS
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ver 100 young people have gathered in a small building opposite the Greek Orthodox Church of Mar Elias in northern Aleppo. They are all wearing dark red polo shirts with the image of Christ Pantocrator and the logo of the Orthodox Youth Movement.
Most of these young people are university students working as volunteers, and the movement is a charity which is helping around 2,200 Christian families in Aleppo who have been plunged into poverty as a result of the war. ‘We are also helping 1,700 Muslim families, providing them with clothing, food, medicines and accommodation for those who have lost their homes in the bombings’, explains Elias Faraj, a retired civil engineer who is coordinating the aid programme. Aleppo is the city that has suffered most of all as a result of the civil war. After five years of warfare and despite the fact that the bombs finally stopped falling last December, the city is still without electricity most of the time and the water supply is still very limited. ‘Our future is still very uncertain, and the crisis will continue for a long time yet, I fear’, Faraj confesses. Today the group of volunteers is being visited by Father Andrzej Halemba, a Catholic priest and the head of the projects section for the Middle East of the international Catholic pastoral charity and pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
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After the various introductions and words of thanks on the part of the leaders of the movement, Father Halemba is delighted to be able to talk to the young people and encourage them in their work and daily life. ‘You are the hope of Syria, you are the light in the midst of so much darkness’, he tells them. Deep emotion shines in the eyes of these young men and women. At the end they all stand up and together recite a prayer in Arabic. ‘ACN helped us back in 2015 for providing medical supplies at the same time supporting 700 families in distress each month.’, Elias Faraj tells us. ‘We are extremely grateful for this aid, and grateful for this visit by Father Andrzej, because it gives us hope and courage to continue working here. This crisis has made us still more united and encouraged us to collaborate more closely together between our different Churches, for we are the same Body of Christ’. These young people, leaders and volunteers of the Orthodox Youth Movement have also suffered the consequences of the war. Yet despite this, they continue their work of helping those in still greater need. Elias Faraj himself is an example of this. He has been responsible for the social aid section of the organisation since 2011, when the civil war
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first broke out in Syria and before the conflict extended to Aleppo.
rebuild the country. I believe that it is our goal to work together to rebuild our community.’
Soon after he he was abducted for three days and his family were forced to pay a ransom and were lucky to get him back alive. One of his sisters was shot in the leg while walking in the street and came close to losing her leg. ‘But I have forgiven them. There are some who think that I am stupid for having done so, but I do forgive them. This is the true freedom that God gives us.’
Standing beside him is a young woman, Gadan Naflek, another of the youth volunteers. ‘I am helping with the schooling of young children aged 3 and 4. It makes me really happy to be able to help other people, and I am learning to love and to give to others what I myself have received.’
For Joseph Abdo, a third-year medical student at the University of Aleppo, his reason for joining the organisation was the fact that ‘they are helping people in different ways. It has been a good experience for me because it is teaching me to give to others what I myself have received.’ Speaking about the future of his country, he says, ‘I am longing for peace, first of all. Our generation is the one that is going to have to
Elias Faraj, head of the social area of the Orthodox Youth Movement.
And these young people do not forget to thank us for the aid provided by ACN. ‘All the aid we are given, no matter how small, is doing a great deal of good and is very necessary’, adds George Juri, aged 24, who has recently graduated in civil engineering. These young people have seen the horror of war from close up. The exploding bombs and the din of combat have been the soundtrack of their lives for over five years. Rosa Iwas, a university student in her second year of studying English literature at the University of Aleppo, tells us, ‘When I go to church, I pray to God for peace and for the needs of all the people living round about me. Without our faith it would be very difficult to continue here.’ ACN has been working together with the Orthodox Youth Movement since 2015 and has recently promised support for three different aid projects. These include the provision of essential medical supplies for 2,200 Christian families and the cost of gas, electricity and bread for the support of 700 of the most needy families in Aleppo. •
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CHRIST’S LIGHT SHINING IN COLOMBIA
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he Catholic faithful of Medellin del Ariari are eagerly looking forward to their new church. Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, ACN was able to contribute towards this project, and now the new church is nearly finished.
This parish in the diocese of Granada is some 350 miles (600 km) southeast of the other Medellin, Colombia‘s second city, and was established only in 2013. In fact it is not really a ‘normal’ parish at all, but has been designated as a special place of remembrance for all the victims of the violence in the country since 1980. The people of this region had first-hand experience of the terrible suffering which afflicted the entire country during that time. Between 2002 and 2006 no fewer than 700 families were driven from their villages in the area of the present parish. Some of them have since returned, but much still has to be done to
rebuild all the social infrastructure and above all the people‘s trust and hope in the future. The new church is intended to be a place of healing, reconciliation and peace as well as a memorial. Many of those traumatised by past events, including victims and family members alike, will be given special pastoral and psychological support. The central focus will be on the respect for and protection of life, which was so terribly trampled on in the past. The three Claretian priests who are based in this centre will be making every effort to ensure that the life of these people is re-established on a solid footing and adequately protected. Father Alphonso María Prieto has contacted ACN to say that the Church is now roughly 70% complete and that Holy Mass can already be celebrated there. He writes, ‘Thanks to your generosity, we will be able to proceed with this work without any great delay. It is by no means a luxurious church, but it is very beautiful, as befits our Lord and God who gives us every good gift. Our community finds in this church a very beautiful and welcoming place of spiritual refuge which will at the same time be a living memorial to the many martyrs and victims of violence from sadder and darker times, and above all a source of hope for a future in justice and peace.’ •
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REFLECTING CHRIST’S LIGHT IN CUBA
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n September 2017 vast areas of Cuba were struck by Hurricane Irma. The island was pounded by winds gusting up to 160 miles (250 km) an hour, torrential rainfall, tidal surges with waves of up to 30 feet and widespread flooding. At least 10 people lost their lives and there was extensive damage across wide swathes of the country. And while hurricanes are no rarity in this region, Hurricane Irma was more powerful than anything people here have experienced for decades. Needless to say, many of the Catholic dioceses in the country have also suffered from this natural disaster, and many of the people have been forced to stand helpless at the sight of their damaged homes and churches. In the archdiocese of Camaguey, for example, one chapel was completely destroyed, three churches were left in danger of collapse and five other churches and chapels suffered severe damage. The hurricane raged for nine
The chapel of Jiquí, Cuba, completely collapsed during Hurricane Irma.
hours, and thousands of people had to be evacuated from their homes. Just as soon as the worst of the hurricane had passed, Archbishop Wilfredo Pino Estevez was out, examining the scene of the devastation. In the town of Esmeralda, which was particularly hard hit, he found the church totally destroyed. ‘It was painful to see our church razed to the ground’, he said, ‘with the benches tossed hither and thither and the holy pictures and statues smashed.’ Although it was still raining heavily, he stood on the spot where the Church had once been and spoke to a married couple there. The woman, whose name was Ismaela, said to him, ‘Well, Bishop, the chapel may have collapsed, but not the Church.’ For of course the Church is not merely a building of stone, but the living Body of Christ, which no storm can destroy, even if the buildings collapse. Now the time has come to start rebuilding. Archbishop Wilfredo is concerned above all for the people who have been left homeless and consequently he has asked ACN to help him purchase 6,500 corrugated steel roofing sheets. 5,000 of them will be given out to those who need them, so that their families can once again have a roof over their heads. The rest he intends to use to repair the damage on some of the churches and chapels. We are helping him reflect Christ’s light in Cuba. •
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RUSSIA: THE ECUMENISM OF THE MARTYRS 7 November 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the ‘October’ Revolution in Russia. The revolution developed into a brutal civil war that ended with the establishment of the Peter Humenick communist Soviet Union: a violent dictatorship ideologically rooted in Marxism, Leninism and Stalinism. This began one of the worst periods of persecution in Church history. Now, one hundred years later, it is the Christians in the Middle East who are being persecuted. And it is the Church in Russia, once severely persecuted itself, that is working together with the international Catholic pastoral charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) to support those being persecuted today.
Q:
How important is the day commemorating the October Revolution in
Russia?
A:
Very important: this is a period marked by one of the worst persecutions of Christians of the modern age and possibly of history. We should not forget how greatly the Eastern Orthodox church, which the Second Vatican Council referred to as a ‘sister church’, suffered during Soviet times. Twenty years after the October Revolution, only 100 of what were once approx. 60,000 churches were still in existence. Fifteen thousand priests were killed during the first two years after the October Revolution. More than 300 bishops were executed or died in prison. The region affected by the worst persecution of Christians in history extended from Kaliningrad in the West all the way to Magadan in the East.
The interview with Peter Humeniuk, Head of the Russian and Central Asian section of Aid to the Church in Need, was held by Maria Lozano.
St. Petersburg view from River Lena.
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Q:
Is this why the persecution of Christians is an important topic to the church in Russia?
A:
Certain parallels can be drawn between the events of the last one hundred years since the October Revolution and the events that are currently unfolding in the Middle East, for example. The Russian church just went through that which our confrères in the Middle East are now experiencing. This is why we Russians cannot just accept it as a piece of news when the attempt is being made to wipe out Christianity somewhere in the world. Pope John Paul II was very conscious of that which is known as the ‘ecumenism of the martyrs’. With this in mind, it was his heartfelt wish to see the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Church grow closer. This wish was shared by Father Werenfried van Straaten, founder of ACN. He devoted his entire life to working towards this reconciliation.
Q:
Aid to the Church in Need is continuing his work, primarily by initiating solidarity campaigns for the persecuted Christians in Syria. How did this cooperation develop?
A:
This cooperation is one of the practical results of the historic meeting between Pope Francis and Patriarch Kyrill that took place in February of 2016 in Cuba. The meeting gave rise to a series of joint projects for Syria that are being organised by the Roman Catholic Church in Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate. For example, a joint Orthodox-Catholic delegation, which included ACN, visited refugees in the Beqaa Valley and met with representatives of the local churches in Lebanon and Syria in April 2016. I have just returned from another trip to Lebanon, during which Metropolitan Hilarion met with prominent representatives of all local denominations. Mons. Kirill Klimovich, bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Irkutsk, also joined us from Russia. The main purpose of the meeting was the development of a database to document the destruction of the ‘spiritual infrastructure’.
Patriarch Kyrill.
A further topic was the restoration of the holy sites destroyed by ISIS and targeted child and youth services in this region. We have informed Pope Francis and Patriarch Kyrill about this work.
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CHRIST – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Q: A:
Why is documenting the destruction so important?
For IS, it is not just about destroying the physical buildings. Rather, they would like to destroy the ‘spiritual home’ of the people. For the people there, all Christian symbols and buildings provide a sense of belonging, of having roots. ISIS wants to destroy these people with their history and social networks. It is important for us to hold on to the witnesses of the martyrs. These are crimes that need to be documented, simply so that they do not happen again in the future and so that they are remembered. This is why we would like to compile the individual experiences of the people and have these checked to ensure that the sources be traced back.
Q:
Aid to the Church in Need is also celebrating an anniversary at the moment: Exactly 25 years ago, on 13 October 1992, Father Werenfried van Straaten first travelled to Moscow to meet with Patriarch Alexy II. This meeting marked the beginning of a programme for the Russian Orthodox church. How would you describe the cooperation today?
A:
Since then, a relationship of trust has been established with the Orthodox Church on a number of levels. We have overcome obstacles and I am very happy about the current form of cooperation. I am sure that our work in the past helped make the meeting in Havana possible. Now we have the important task of putting Havana into action. This is why we have formed a mixed work group of Russian Catholics, the Russian Orthodox Church and our pastoral charity. The work of this group is being overseen by Archbishop of Moscow Paulo Pezzi on the Catholic side, by Metropolitan Hilarion, the head of the Foreign Office, on the Orthodox side, and by Johannes Heereman, Executive President of the foundation, on the side of ACN.
Archbishop of Moscow Paulo Pezzi & Metropolitan Hilarion.
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Q: A:
And what have been the results?
In addition to the campaigns in the Middle East, concrete examples are providing aid to women who find themselves in critical situations, are victims of domestic violence, are suffering hardship or distress or are in need of shelter because they have decided against having an abortion. It is important for us to strengthen Christian values such as the family or the protection of life. We are also promoting an exchange of experiences between Catholics and Orthodox. For example, a delegation from Italy and Portugal met for the first time in St. Petersburg with Russian-Orthodox partners to discuss drug addiction. The Catholic seminary in St. Petersburg provided the setting for this meeting, which was attended by the pro-rector of the Orthodox seminary and academy as well as many Orthodox priests who are professionally trained as physicians, psychologists, etc. and know a great deal about this subject. For us, this is an expression of living ecumenism, in the service of the people and in the spirit of joint responsibility. •
Stavropol, Russia City of the Cross angel statue.
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CHRIST – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM1
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cripture says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 9:10). But how should we understand ‘Fear of the Lord’.
Note here that the first two servants prospered:
‘Fear of the Lord’ is a virtue that helps us to use God’s gifts well and can be understood in two ways. ‘Imperfect fear’ is the fear of punishment and the loss of Heaven. By contrast ‘perfect fear’ is holding Him in awe, revering Him, having a deep love and appreciation for Him as the source of all that we are and all that we have. Out of love, reverence, and a sense of awe, we fear giving any offense to Him, who is Holy, God, and deserving of all our love.
One gets five talents; the other, two—each according to his ability. While the ‘inequity’ may offend modern sensibilities, note the explanation in the passage itself: the men had different abilities.
The differences between these two types of fear are made clear in the Parable of the Talents THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money. (Matthew 25: 14-18)
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1. THEY RECEIVED TALENTS
Before considering this unfair, consider what good manager does not give greater responsibility to a higher performing worker than to a poor one? Later in the same Gospel, we receive this fundamental rule: We must prove ourselves worthy is small things before being given greater responsibility. (Matt 25:23).
2. THEY TOOK RISKS
Their relationship with the master allows the men freedom to take risks. They view him as a reasonable man, one who would applaud their industriousness. Though they are taking a risk, they believe that even if there were to be losses, they will not be dealt with unmercifully. They seem to experience the freedom and courage to step out and make use of the talents entrusted to them. Notice that the text says they ‘immediately’ went out and traded. They are eager to work for their master and take the risks on his behalf in order to please him. 1 Edited and adapted from Msgr. Pope’s ‘Community in Mission’ blog. http://blog.adw.org/2017/11/growing-fear-lord-homily-33rdsunday-year/
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3. THEY WERE GLAD TO BE HELD TO ACCOUNT
Upon the master’s return the men appear joyful as they report, ‘Master, you gave me five (two) talents. See, I have made five (two) more.’ There is an enthusiasm for the opportunity they were given and a joy for the harvest.
4. THEY ROSE IN THE RANKS
The men’s presumptions of the master’s fairness and reasonability are affirmed in his response: ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ The two good and faithful servants see the owner of the riches as a man with whom they can deal. They have a healthy respect for him but not an immature fear. They receive the funds gladly and with gratitude go to work, motivated and enthusiastic about the opportunity they have been given. The posture of these two servants is a portrait of a holy and more perfect fear of the
Lord. With this sort of holy fear, we love God and are enthusiastic to work for Him, realising that He shares His blessings and is both reasonable and generous. Confident of His mercy (though not presuming it), we go to work in His vineyard. Within the designated boundaries, there is both room to manoeuvre and safety from the thickets of sin. Mature fear of the Lord is joyful and encouraging, not cringing or hiding from Him. To fear the Lord more perfectly is to hold him awe, to rejoice in His power and wisdom, to accept His authority as saving and helpful. In this way we yield an abundant harvest with His gifts. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love (1 Jn 4:18). We are counseled to grow out of this imperfect fear through deepening love of God. Grow in love; mature in your fear of the Lord and reap the abundant riches of a faithful servant and child of God. •
The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field. LUKE 10:2
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A MASTER BUILDER IN THE LORD’S VINEYARD BLESSED SOLANUS CASEY, A GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT2
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t. Francis of Assisi sold all he had and collected stones to rebuild the Portiuncula. Blessed Solanus Casey, a Franciscan in Detroit, collected thousands of tales of woe from a suffering city and helped God to rebuild lives. Time and time again, God blesses poverty, devotion and unfettered faith and builds something beautiful. In the year we celebrate the centenary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima — which, amid Mary’s dire warnings, shared a clear message of hope for a better world — Father Solanus, a simple Franciscan priest who made the world better by exemplifying Christlike simplicity, humility and love for humanity was beatified. Bernard Francis Casey was born into a hardworking Irish-American family who struggled and suffered to build a life for 16 children. Yet, they did. Barney, as he was known to family and friends, also struggled. He was left with a weak and impaired voice due to diphtheria and went from job to job in a struggle to find his vocation. When he settled on the priesthood, the diocesan seminary in Milwaukee, with its classes in German and Latin, proved to be a bridge too far. It was suggested he join a religious order that could ordain him as a simplex priest, a priest without the faculties to preach or hear 2 Adapted and edited from Robert Klesko’s original article at http:// www.ncregister.com/daily-news/solanus-casey-an-example-ofchristian-rebuilding
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confessions. This must have been a blow to his pride, and yet in prayer, he heard the soft and comforting voice of the Blessed Mother tell him, ‘Go to Detroit.’ The Capuchin Friars of St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit would make a home for the now-Father Casey. At St. Bonaventure, Father Casey remained obscure and content. He loved to play his violin, and he did so poorly. This did not dissuade him, nor did his assignment as porter of the monastery. To be porter meant he got to minister to people. The poor would come to him — so would the sick and unemployed, especially during the Great Depression. Catholics and non-Catholics alike would come and tell their stories to the Irishman who loved a good story. Father Casey was never one to give a quick and curt answer. He responded to each person prayerfully. And miracles happened. The unemployed quickly found work. The sick were healed. Broken marriages were mended, and the desperate people of Detroit were given hope in a time of hopelessness. A monument of Solanus’ work still stands in the midst of a recovering city: the Capuchin Soup Kitchen. Solanus and his brother Capuchins worked the soup kitchen throughout the Depression. When bread ran low, Father Casey prayed for God to give us ‘our daily bread,’ and a truck soon arrived with a donation. It was the soup kitchen and the prayer of the
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simplex priest that kept the flame of faith alive in desperate times. The Holy Mass was always the first thing on Solanus’ mind and the greatest succour for anyone in need. Another devotion close to his heart was the holy cross. St. Bonaventure’s has a relic of the True Cross, and Father Casey would often bless the sick with this holy relic. Prayer and devotion always lift the spirits of the downtrodden. When Father Casey died in 1957 more than 20,000 Detroiters filed passed his casket. What did this man have to elicit such devotion, and how does his witness fit into this time of rebuilding? Father Casey had the ability to take what was given to him and turn it into something beautiful for God and neighbour. He did so first by listening to the narrative of suffering.
We don’t do this enough in our society. We are in the age of the instant reply. Quick to argue, quick to become overemotional, we need to recover the ability to listen. Only in listening was Father Casey able to discern. When we are practiced at listening and discerning, we can give people a real answer to the question of suffering. Father Casey was never one for a boxed answer; as a porter, he was attentive to the request of each guest and could discern what it was they actually needed. It was these virtues that made him a master builder, taking the scraps he was given and refashioning them into a better future for all who sought his prayers. Let us look at the life of Father Casey and try to imitate him by opening the door to others, by being a porter to anyone who knocks, by doing ‘little things’ with great love for the God who loves us first and loves us always. •
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THANK YOU FOR CARING FOR LABOURERS IN THE LORD’S VINEYARD MALAWI AND ZAMBIA
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frica – a continent of vast expanses, rich colors, torrential rainfall, remote mountain regions, and arid deserts. Marked by simple faith, with deep trust in God, Africa’s people are often resigned to adversity. Despite all the wars, Africa is by no means a continent without hope. Mission in Africa means facing the challenges of nature and constantly seeking new solutions. One solution to the challenges of nature is a lightweight motorcycle. For Father Juliano, of the parish of Our Lady of Victories in Dedza, Malawi, it was almost his salvation. On his old bicycle he would constantly arrive exhausted at the outstation, 13 miles away, bathed in perspiration in the heat or soaked to the skin by the rain, often arriving late because of the mud, punctures or simply the need to take a rest.
‘It not only hampered my pastoral work but sometimes made it impossible’, he writes, ‘it was also a severe trial of my own faith, even in the very first year after my ordination’. Thanks to the new motorcycle we provided him, he can now do twice as much in half the time, and also better channel his energies and focus more on the needs of the people themselves. Again in Malawi, Father Stephen, of the parish of Christ the King in Domasi, writes enthusiastically, ‘Thanks to this motorcycle I can climb every hill and mountain, and we have many small villages and chapels up there. Now it takes me one hour instead of three and on Sunday I can say two Masses instead of just one. Now I can perform funerals for Christians even in places where there is no public transport. I can organise Bible study groups and visit the elderly and sick. I take the sacraments to them, and we pray together. It’s as though by turning the throttle, I can also speed up the spiritual life and my evangelisation work.’ There are many other priests in Malawi and Zambia who feel the same way as Father Juliano and Father Stephen. Indeed we have funded 50 motorcycles in these countries and were able to get a 40% reduction in price by placing a bulk order.
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Cars are much more expensive, both to buy and to repair, but their advantage lies in the distances they can cover and their ability to transport more people over flatter and wider expanses of territory. But in many places, notably Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Uganda and other parts of Africa, motorbikes are the ideal solution. Recently we have funded or promised around 100 motorcycles at a cost of €100,000. As Father Juliano writes, ‘Everything is fine. Things are running well in the vineyard of Our Lord Jesus.’ For the Sisters from the discalced Carmelites in Antioquia, Colombia, the convent chapel is the place where they live their vocation of prayer most intensively. That is why, in thanking us for our help in building their chapel, they also thank us ‘for believing in our vocation that God has given us, of praying here in seclusion’. For these enclosed Sisters it is something of a miracle that their chapel has been built and consecrated. ‘Now we feel truly a part of the great ACN family’, writes Mother Maria Alba Lopez Rios, ‘not only because we have received so much from you, both spiritually and materially, but above all because we can now take part in your mission daily, through our prayer here in front of the Tabernacle.’ •
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CHRIST – THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
YOUR APPRECIATION... COURAGEOUS FAITH
BLESSINGS AND CONGRATULATIONS
Please thank these noble, courageous Christians for being the strength of the Church. Our hearts ache for them. We need their prayers. We pray for you too.
I write to congratulate ACN on your tremendous success of seventy years. I always enjoy the Mirror stories and read them with interest: great achievement, sadness, positive success. The ‘Dear friends’ letter by the international president was very informative about the beginnings etc. of your 70-year history.
A benefactor in the United States A FAITHFUL FRIEND I no longer recall when I first got to know about ACN, but I recall reading the book Where God Weeps by Father Werenfried right at the beginning. He signed it for me personally after a Mass that he had celebrated. I still remember his impressive figure, in his white habit. With my modest means I want to continue helping the persecuted Church and my persecuted brothers and sisters, and continue praying for them as well.
Blessings and congratulations to all your helpers and Priests, Religious in danger often. It is very enlightening and encouraging to hear of so many seminarians. God’s blessing and prayer for them. Receive my gift to assist their needs. I don’t need an acknowledgement. Thank you. A religious Sister from Australia
WHAT THE SAINTS SAY...
A benefactress in Italy
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‘We must be faithful to the present moment or we will frustrate the plan of God for our lives.’ Blessed Solanus Casey Quote selected by Eddie Cotter, founder
ead heologians ociety www.DeadTheologiansSociety.com Aid to the Church in Need
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...AND OUR THANKS Dear Friends,
O
nce again this year, Christmas comes against the background of the refugee crisis. It is a world crisis in fact. Our position as a Pontifical Foundation is clear: we want to help to ease the plight of the Church in the home countries of the Christian refugees, so that these Christians can remain on their native soil. That is also what they want. And when they have been forced to flee, most still want to return. That is why we are helping them to rebuild their homes, churches, monasteries and convents. Thanks to your generosity we have already been able to restore hundreds of ruined buildings making them places where people can live, work and pray in dignity once more. ‘We are but guests on earth…’ So runs one well-known German hymn. And these places too are only temporary shelters on the road to our heavenly home. Yet these places are also places of witness. They tell of the love
of God for men, of our redemption through the Incarnation. So these places and the presence of the Christians in them also convey a message – a message of love and reconciliation. This is what ACN stands for. And your generosity makes it possible. My heartfelt thanks to you all for your help. And I wish you a happy and holy Christmas!
Johannes Freiherr Heereman, Executive President of ACN International
WHERE TO SEND YOUR CONTRIBUTION FOR THE CHURCH IN NEED Please use the Freepost envelope.
IBAN BIC
Aid to the Church in Need,
IE32 BOFI 9005 7890 6993 28 BOFI IE2D
info@acnireland.org
If you give by standing order, or have sent a donation recently, please accept our sincere thanks. This MIRROR is for your interest and information.
www.acnireland.org
Registered Charity Numbers: (RoI) 9492 (NI) XR96620.
151 St. Mobhi Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 9.
(01) 837 7516
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WE ARE CALLED TO BE MISSIONARIES OF
‘Let us be, like Saint Joseph, “God’s workers”, open to God’s inspirations and then let them guide our work.’ ACN Ecclesiastical Assistant
‘Let us make room in our heart and in our day for the Lord. Each Christian family can first of all – as Mary and Joseph did – welcome Jesus, listen to Him, speak with Him, guard Him, protect Him, grow with Him; and in this way improve the world.’
And the Word was made flesh and ‘set up his tent’ among us… Christmas in the Middle East.
General audience, 17 December 2014.
Aid to the Church in Need
THE MIRROR IS AVAILABLE TO READ AT ACNIRELAND.ORG/MIRROR
MIRROR GIVE JOY, GIVE HOPE
Putting Love
Rays of Hope into Practice
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