Practices Search Results
Sustainer of the Universe, we are concerned about the millions of people in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world who cannot find employment. We pray that you will help them keep their spirits up, lest they fall into anxiety and depression.
REPORT: A chart released by the Senate Budget Committee, based on data from the nonpartisan Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed that nearly a quarter of Americans aged 25 - 54 are not working. Commented the office of Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.): "There are 124.5 million Americans in their prime working years. . . . 28.9 million people, or 23.2 percent of the total, is not currently employed. They either became so discouraged that they have left the labor force entirely, or they are in the labor force but unemployed. This group of non-employed individuals is more than 3.5 million larger than when the recession began in 2007."
An estimated 21 million Americans experience some form of depression every year. It is an emotionally, physically, and spiritually depleting disease that can lead to suicide.
We are still reeling from the news of the suicide of Robin Williams who valiantly struggled with depression for many years. Our hearts go out to his wife, children, and other loved ones. We and millions of other fans grieve the loss of this immensely talented actor and extraordinary comedian. He left many legacies, contributed to raising awareness of many issues through the roles he took on and the charities he supported. And today, we see that by his suicide, he has raised awareness of the suffering caused by depression.
One Who Weeps, be with all victims of sexual violence as they struggle with the memories and the pain of having being attacked.
REPORT: The latest report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that approximately one third of Americans have been the victim of sexual violence. An estimated 23 million women and 2 million men have been raped. One strategy for stemming the tide of sexual violence is "bystander intervention" where dangerous situations are stopped by action from onlookers. (Smithsonianmag.com)
Trusted Guide, stay by our side, as we work with the victims of sexual violence to find more solutions to prevent violence and bring safety to places where all should be at ease – in their communities, schools, and homes.
Great Heart of Love, help us to do everything possible to stop the senseless deaths of children who often have easy access to guns in the home.
Fact: Every day, an average of 20 American children are hospitalized from injuries caused by firearms. Another 3,000 die every year before they get to the emergency room. For people 15 to 19, firearm injuries are the second leading cause of death, behind motor vehicle crashes. (USA Today) Friend of Children, help us find the ways, through public awareness and legislation, to give priority to protecting the lives of children over protecting the rights of gun owners. Let us heed the call of pediatricians urging parents to remove guns from the home or store them securely, locked and unloaded.
Morning Star, we ask you to relieve the plight of men and women just released from prison who are having trouble finding places to live, work, and receive health care.
Facts: In an article on www.newclearvision.com Victoria Law writes about the difficulties of men and women coming home after serving time in prison. In this piece reprinted from The New York Times, we learn that 670,000 people are released from prison each year. Many of them have very little money and no family or friends to help them out; if they do land a job, it is a menial one with low pay. To top it all off, when they leave prison, they lack access to affordable health care.
O Beautiful Presence, we are saddened by reports that many of our brothers and sisters are not getting enough sleep every night. Many people are working too hard or entertaining themselves too long and not getting the essential rest they need to truly take care of themselves.
Surveys: One recent survey found that the number of "short sleepers" (those who got fewer than six hours of sleep at night) rose 22% from 1975 to 2006, a trend that was most pronounced and significant among full-time workers. A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one in 25 people admitted to having fallen asleep while driving during the previous month. Another survey showed that 29% of workers had fallen asleep or had been very sleepy at work. (nytimes.com)
God of Mercy, be with those who are suffering and dying from Ebola, a deadly hemorrhagic disease caused by a virus. Comfort those in mourning and bring peace to those in caught up in panic.
FACTS: As of mid-October 2014, nearly 5,000 people have died from Ebola in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, and the United States. There could be 10,000 new Ebola cases per week in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ginea by the end of ths year, the World Health Organization has warned. Among the victims are some of the region's top doctors. Symptoms include fever, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, and internal bleeding. There is no vaccine or cure for Ebola and the death rate is 90 percent.
Guardian of the Grieving, be with the besieged children of Gaza as they try to weather the storm of bombs hitting their small walled-in community. Attend to each child with your embrace of compassion and soften the blows of their pain and sorrow.
FACT: Of the 1.8 million people in Gaza, 900,000 of them are under the age of 18. During Israel's current assault by land and air on this small strip of land, some 200,000 Gazans, the majority of them children, have had to flee their homes and have sought shelter in UN schools and other public places. The children here under 10 years old cannot remember a world without Israel's seven-year blockage of Gaza. They are living through their third war. (The dailybeast.com reported by Jesse Rosenfeld)
"Sun of Justice, . . .
Sear our minds with the painful reality
of those who need your protective strength.
Radiate our hearts with true concern for them.
Burn away the dross of empty indifference.
Energize us into taking deliberate action
To aid those suffering from the power of others."
- Latin Hymn in Fragments of Your Ancient Name by Joyce Rupp
God of Heaven and Earth, we give thanks for all the ways in which you reveal yourself to us in both ordinary and extraordinary ways.
Polls: A Harris Poll finds that while a strong majority (74 %) of U.S. adults do believe in God, this belief is in decline when compared to previous years when over four in five (82%) expressed a belief in God. A belief in Heaven also declined from 75% to 68%. A Pew Research Center Poll reveals that 65%
who claim a religious affiliation think many religions, not just their own religion, can lead to eternal life. Or to put it another way, heaven is not a gated community. (Harris Interactive)
Great God, a new U.N. Report on the reality of climate change sounds an alarm about the devastating impact of global warming on all dimensions of our lives and lifestyle.
Report & Polls: This week a United Nations panel released a three-volume report on climate change based on 12,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies. Global warming is already having dire effects on food supplies, plants, and animals. Mass extinctions are already underway. Wars over resources are on the horizon. In 2013, only 34% of Americans felt climate change should be a priority of the U.S. Congress. Even more shocking from the same study found that 26% of Americans think there is no solid evidence that the Earth has gotten warmer over the past two decades. (Pew Research Center)