ADVENT REFLECTIONS 2016
Second Sunday of Advent
One of the things that the Catholic Church can justifiably be proud of is its commitment to social justice. In an earlier letter this year Bishop Patrick asked us to think particularly about the plight of the victims of modern slavery. He has asked the Justice and Peace commission to organise a series of days across the diocese to raise awareness about this. The first one in Lincoln has already taken place and was attended by about 100 people. The next one is in Leicester in January and he would like us to encourage as many people as possible to attend. Because of the nature of slavery it is difficult to get accurate figures about the extent of the problem in Britain but a government estimate is that there are about 13,000 people working in unacceptable conditions, of these about 53% are male working for example in car washes. They often have their passports taken from them, they do not have a contract specifying the number of hours they should work, they live in very poor accommodation and are the victims of abuse. You may have seen news items recently about the involvement of the Border Agency in trying to track down these victims of exploitation .The Border agency has been given new powers to search premises where abuse is suspected.
This Sunday has been designated as Bible Sunday which is very appropriate to a consideration of slavery. The readings which we have heard today all have something relevant to say about those people who are victims of injustice, for example Isaiah tells us the lord judges the wretched with integrity and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land. This is a constant theme in the Scriptures.
(Kathryn Timmons)
Third Sunday of Advent
This Third Sunday of Advent is a day to rejoice in excited expectation as we look forward to the wonderful event we shall soon be celebrating. It's a time to give thanks for the many good things in our lives - but at the same time to remember our responsibility to care for others.
Our Bishop Patrick has asked us particularly this Advent to hold in our loving thoughts all victims of slavery - those helpless men, woman and children held in captivity at constant risk of physical, psychological and/or sexual abuse. Some of the victims live abroad working on farms and in factories to produce by their forced labour the goods we want to buy as cheaply as possible; some victims have fled war and violence or abject poverty and injustice in their search for safety, only to be tricked by traffickers, while others have fallen into evil hands in their homeland through misfortune or vulnerability. Each of those individuals deserves to be as free as we are here today. So what can we do?
We need to remember - cheap goods from abroad, cheap services here in our own country may have been produced at very high cost to someone else. Hand car washes and nail bars are just two examples of where young people are often held in bondage and we might find such situations locally. If we have the slightest suspicion that someone is being exploited we must be willing to report it to the Police, instead of walking by on the other side. And we need to pray. This Prayer is from the Diocesan Reflections for today:
Lord, there is so much bad news in our world: war; famine; natural disasters, cruelty; prejudice; self-interest.
And yet there is also much good: love; concern; solidarity; small, unseen unselfish acts of kindness.
For the times I have focused only on the bad and failed to see the good, I ask your forgiveness.
For the times I have looked the other way because I was embarrassed and didn't know what to do, I ask your forgiveness.
For the times I have meant to do something got distracted and then forgot my good intentions, I ask your forgiveness.
Open my mouth Lord, to speak out boldly against injustice. May I be a willing advocate for those who live in despair and bring them words of comfort and hope. Amen
(Shirley Ratcliffe)
Fourth Sunday of Advent
The key message in today’s readings is surely “….they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means God-is-with-us. Indeed it is mentioned in the first reading from Isaiah and again in Matthew’s gospel. God truly is with us but he also asks us to care for each other, particularly the poor and the needy.
Each year the Justice and Peace Group take the opportunity of the holy seasons of Lent and Advent to remind the parish that part of our Christian Ministry is to help and support people who are in need. The Catholic Church in England and Wales does this through its emphasis on Catholic Social Teaching and the promotion of Social Justice.
In this Year of Mercy just finished, our Lenten Reflection considered the Corporal Works of Mercy: Feed the Hungry; Give drink to the Thirsty; Clothe the Naked; Visit the Sick: Shelter the Homeless; Ransom the Captives/Visit the Imprisoned and Bury the Dead. We do hope you have managed to undertake at least one of these works of mercy in our parish.
Our Advent reflections have focused on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery. Kathryn and Shirley have explained how Bishop Patrick himself is leading a Diocesan-wide project to raise awareness of the plight of victims of modern slavery. They also highlighted the many forms of modern slavery, particularly that a high proportion of the estimated 13,000 victims in the UK are victims of sexual exploitation, including the abuse of children.
Bishop Patrick is coming to Leicester in the New Year to launch the programme in Leicestershire. He will lead a conference on Saturday 14 January at Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Braunstone at 11.00am. The aim is not only to raise awareness but to give us the signs to look out for to identify slavery. We will also be trained on what action to take if we discover or suspect people are in slavery or being exploited.
This is a great opportunity for all of us to really live out our faith by helping the poor and needy and I would ask that as many parishioners as possible make the effort to attend this conference. I will put up a poster after Christmas inviting you to sign up to go so that I can organise transport.
Finally, can I ask that, at this Christmas time, you pray for the victims of human trafficking and all those in any kind of slavery.
Thank you.
(Paul Carroll)
One of the things that the Catholic Church can justifiably be proud of is its commitment to social justice. In an earlier letter this year Bishop Patrick asked us to think particularly about the plight of the victims of modern slavery. He has asked the Justice and Peace commission to organise a series of days across the diocese to raise awareness about this. The first one in Lincoln has already taken place and was attended by about 100 people. The next one is in Leicester in January and he would like us to encourage as many people as possible to attend. Because of the nature of slavery it is difficult to get accurate figures about the extent of the problem in Britain but a government estimate is that there are about 13,000 people working in unacceptable conditions, of these about 53% are male working for example in car washes. They often have their passports taken from them, they do not have a contract specifying the number of hours they should work, they live in very poor accommodation and are the victims of abuse. You may have seen news items recently about the involvement of the Border Agency in trying to track down these victims of exploitation .The Border agency has been given new powers to search premises where abuse is suspected.
This Sunday has been designated as Bible Sunday which is very appropriate to a consideration of slavery. The readings which we have heard today all have something relevant to say about those people who are victims of injustice, for example Isaiah tells us the lord judges the wretched with integrity and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land. This is a constant theme in the Scriptures.
(Kathryn Timmons)
Third Sunday of Advent
This Third Sunday of Advent is a day to rejoice in excited expectation as we look forward to the wonderful event we shall soon be celebrating. It's a time to give thanks for the many good things in our lives - but at the same time to remember our responsibility to care for others.
Our Bishop Patrick has asked us particularly this Advent to hold in our loving thoughts all victims of slavery - those helpless men, woman and children held in captivity at constant risk of physical, psychological and/or sexual abuse. Some of the victims live abroad working on farms and in factories to produce by their forced labour the goods we want to buy as cheaply as possible; some victims have fled war and violence or abject poverty and injustice in their search for safety, only to be tricked by traffickers, while others have fallen into evil hands in their homeland through misfortune or vulnerability. Each of those individuals deserves to be as free as we are here today. So what can we do?
We need to remember - cheap goods from abroad, cheap services here in our own country may have been produced at very high cost to someone else. Hand car washes and nail bars are just two examples of where young people are often held in bondage and we might find such situations locally. If we have the slightest suspicion that someone is being exploited we must be willing to report it to the Police, instead of walking by on the other side. And we need to pray. This Prayer is from the Diocesan Reflections for today:
Lord, there is so much bad news in our world: war; famine; natural disasters, cruelty; prejudice; self-interest.
And yet there is also much good: love; concern; solidarity; small, unseen unselfish acts of kindness.
For the times I have focused only on the bad and failed to see the good, I ask your forgiveness.
For the times I have looked the other way because I was embarrassed and didn't know what to do, I ask your forgiveness.
For the times I have meant to do something got distracted and then forgot my good intentions, I ask your forgiveness.
Open my mouth Lord, to speak out boldly against injustice. May I be a willing advocate for those who live in despair and bring them words of comfort and hope. Amen
(Shirley Ratcliffe)
Fourth Sunday of Advent
The key message in today’s readings is surely “….they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means God-is-with-us. Indeed it is mentioned in the first reading from Isaiah and again in Matthew’s gospel. God truly is with us but he also asks us to care for each other, particularly the poor and the needy.
Each year the Justice and Peace Group take the opportunity of the holy seasons of Lent and Advent to remind the parish that part of our Christian Ministry is to help and support people who are in need. The Catholic Church in England and Wales does this through its emphasis on Catholic Social Teaching and the promotion of Social Justice.
In this Year of Mercy just finished, our Lenten Reflection considered the Corporal Works of Mercy: Feed the Hungry; Give drink to the Thirsty; Clothe the Naked; Visit the Sick: Shelter the Homeless; Ransom the Captives/Visit the Imprisoned and Bury the Dead. We do hope you have managed to undertake at least one of these works of mercy in our parish.
Our Advent reflections have focused on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery. Kathryn and Shirley have explained how Bishop Patrick himself is leading a Diocesan-wide project to raise awareness of the plight of victims of modern slavery. They also highlighted the many forms of modern slavery, particularly that a high proportion of the estimated 13,000 victims in the UK are victims of sexual exploitation, including the abuse of children.
Bishop Patrick is coming to Leicester in the New Year to launch the programme in Leicestershire. He will lead a conference on Saturday 14 January at Most Blessed Sacrament Church in Braunstone at 11.00am. The aim is not only to raise awareness but to give us the signs to look out for to identify slavery. We will also be trained on what action to take if we discover or suspect people are in slavery or being exploited.
This is a great opportunity for all of us to really live out our faith by helping the poor and needy and I would ask that as many parishioners as possible make the effort to attend this conference. I will put up a poster after Christmas inviting you to sign up to go so that I can organise transport.
Finally, can I ask that, at this Christmas time, you pray for the victims of human trafficking and all those in any kind of slavery.
Thank you.
(Paul Carroll)
