Practices Search Results
Lord of the Dance, we are so grateful for the enduring melodic rock and pop music by the legendary Beatles.
Poll: In a recent poll, 69% say the Beatles' music has held up well and still sounds current and fresh today; just 25% disagree and think it's out of date. Two-thirds of Americans say the Beatles have had a great deal of influence on music and popular culture. Those surveyed named "Hey Jude" as their favorite song, followed by "Yellow Submarine." (CBS News Poll on Twitter)
Lover of Creativity, we are so thankful for all the creative and curating skills of so many bloggers and social network users. They enrich our lives immensely.
Survey: A Pew Research Center survey discovered some interesting things about Internet users.
· 54% of adult Internet users post photos or videos online that they themselves have created. We call them creators.
· 47% of adult Internet users take photos or videos that they have found online and repost them on sites designed for sharing images. We call them curators.
· Overall, 62% of Internet users do at least one of the creating or curating activities, and 40% of internet users are both creators and curators. (Pew Research Center)
O Dweller in the Heart, we pray for the 11.7 million undocumented immigrants in the United States who live in constant fear of being deported.
Fact: A record number of 419,384 deportations took place in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Between 2009 - 2012, the Obama administration deported 1.6 million immigrants. (The Pew Research Center) Most Hispanics think that being able to live and work in the United States legally without the threat of deportation is more important than having a pathway to citizenship. (The Pew Research Center) Soul Liberator, comfort those who worry that they themselves, a family member, or a close friend could be deported from the United States.
Hearer of All, we pray that you will watch over and protect those who are suffering around the world as a result of economic inequality.
Report: Elites and citizens agree that economic inequality is a top priority, according to an article on PewRearch.org. A new report released by the World Economic Forum ranks rising inequality as the top trend facing the globe in 2015. Credit Suisse says people with a net worth of more than $1 million represent just 0.7 % of the global population, but they have 41% of the world's wealth. Meanwhile, those with a net worth of less than $10,000 represent 69% of the population, but just 3% of global wealth. Experts have concluded that inequality is linked to poverty, environmental degradation, unemployment, and political instability.
Companion of the Sorrowing, we give thanks for the three Catholic activists whose witness calls us to join in the protest against the continuing military madness of keeping so many deadly nuclear weapons in our country.
Fact: Three antiwar activists were recently sentenced to long prison terms and heavy fines for their nonviolent action at the Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Greg Boerje-Obed, 58, of Duluth, and Michael Walli, 65, of Washington, D.C. were sentenced to 62 months in prison. Sister Megan Rice, 84, of New York City, received a 35-month sentence in prison. (The Peaceworker.org)
Mother of Mercy, 15.8 million American children do not have enough food to eat, and millions more children around the world are in similar situations. Give them strength as they strive to grow up healthy and to live full lives.
REPORT: Some 14.3 percent of U.S. households were "food insecure" in 2013, meaning that they had difficulty affording adequate food at some point during the year. Households with children face especially high rates; 20.9 percent among households with children under age 6. This leads to negative health and development outcomes for children. (Off the Charts Blog based on a USDA report)
God of All Nations, we pray that you will send your healing balm to those who have been the victims of religion-related violence, mob prejudice, harassment over attire, or other religion-related abuse.
REPORT: Pew Research reports that hostility and violence surrounding religion is at a six-year high and is a serious global issue. A third of the 198 countries and territories in the study had high religious hostilities in 2012. The sharpest increase was in the Middle East and North Africa. There also was a significant increase in religious hostilities in the Asia-Pacific region, where China edged into the "high" category for the first time. (pewforum.org)
Inspiring Spirit, guide, direct, and sustain members of all the world's religions that we may find as many ways as possible to open our hearts to those walking different paths from our own.
Unifier, bring us closer to those of other traditions so that we can all contribute to the healing of the world.
Fountain of Mercy, the human touch is increasingly being replaced by machines. Deliver us from the worship of speed and efficiency and help us to see that the self-checkout trend is ending jobs and putting people out of work.
Fact: What do librarians, travel agents, video store clerks, supermarket cashiers, and newspaper deliverers have in common? They are among 12 Jobs that are vanishing. The self-checkout phenomenon is also common in grocery stores and pharmacies. (Salary.com)
Force of Life, we give you thanks for those working to remove dangerous landmines in Cambodia and other countries, including APOPO's HeroRATS, African Giant Pouched rats who are trained to detect mines buried in the ground.
Fact: Reports shows that landmine deaths and injuries over the past decades now total in the hundreds of thousands. In Cambodia, a country of almost 15 million people, there are estimates of 10 million landmines. The toll on citizens has been catastrophic: 40,000 live as amputees, one of the highest rates in the world. The good news is that mines are now a problem only in certain parts of Cambodia. (The Huffington Post)
