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Writer's pictureProfiles in Catholicism
Jul 2, 201815 min read

July 2018 Issue

Updated: Aug 7, 2018



A Message from the Editor

Profiles in Catholicism

We are especially grateful that Deborah Newman, our great designer, was able to add the Spiritual and Societal topics on our Topics Web. It may take us several weeks to index additional articles and videos on the applicable pages.


For those who believe that the separation of children from their parents when they seek asylum in the United States from countries where the violence endangers their children’s lives is immoral, it is our responsibility to speak out in whatever way we can to be most effective. One of the countries from which there is a major increase in seeking asylum is Guatemala. Here is an example of one artist who spoke out via his art our against violence in Guatemala and the results of his effort in A Death in Guatemala.


We are grateful for Christian Peschken’s assistance in securing our interview with Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič.



We ask our readers to forward this issue of Profiles in Catholicism to your friends and colleagues to help us introduce those whom we interview and discuss topics of importance.


quote of the Month


A church that does not provoke any crises, a gospel that does not unsettle, a word of God that does not get under anyone’s skin, a word of God that does not touch the real sin of the society in which it is being proclaimed—what gospel is that? Archbishop Romero, April 16, 1978


Prayer of the Month

A Prayer for East Africa O Lord, with so much tragedy going on in our own country,

children separated from their parents at our borders,

needy asylum seekers turned away,

against the spirit of all that we stand for,

as stated on the Statue of Liberty,

help us to think of, pray for, and find the means to help others

around the world,

especially the millions of people facing starvation

in East Africa.

We are called by the Jewish prophets and by Jesus

to help all in need, and our country has the resources to do so.

Help us to work together with other nations around the world

to raise awareness of the desperation of the East Africans,

and to pool our resources to send them food and medical aid,

so that they may survive

and help others to survive

and thrive.

We ask this in the name of our Loving Father, the Son who sacrificed his life for all,

and the Holy Spirit who permeates all reality and the hearts and souls of all humans.

Amen by Dr. Eugene Fisher Profiles in Catholicism


Interviews


General Articles and Commentaries



FEATURED REPORT



Articles and Commentaries on the United States Immoral Separations of Immigrant Children from their Parents


Advocacy




Help save the lives of people in Kenya who are dying from lack of access to clean water. please read our interview with Father Joseph Mungai, FMH.



Whether They Are Young or Old, Hungry or Addicted, Homeless or Friendless... Catholic Charities sees the face of God in those in need. By providing food, clothing, shelter and counseling, we bring hope to the hopeless in the city of Chicago and its suburbs. With 150 programs at 153 locations throughout Cook and Lake counties, we serve virtually every neighborhood and parish in the Chicagoland area. Through our broad spectrum of services, we annually assist more than 1 million persons in Cook and Lake counties without regard to religious, ethnic or economic background. For more than 98 years, Catholic Charities has empowered families and individuals of all races and religious backgrounds to realize their full potential. Our services help people from the point of conception through the last stages of their lives. We keep mothers and their babies well-fed, prepare children in low-income families for school, keep youth in school and out of gangs, counsel and give job training to adults with economic troubles, provide affordable housing for seniors, and organize in-home care services for seniors who need help caring for themselves. donations@catholiccharities.net

Only 8 cents of every dollar donated goes toward our administrative expenses; the rest goes directly to help clients. While Catholic Charities raises funds separately from the Archdiocese of Chicago, we serve as the social service arm of the church


Support Capuchin Community Services At the Capuchin Community Services, we support those who cannot support themselves. We are grateful to you for your support whether it be through prayer, through donated goods, or through financial donation. Please be assured that we are careful stewards of your trust. We welcome contributions of any size. All are acknowledged and are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Capuchin Community Services is a ministry of the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph. Unless otherwise directed, donations support the local ministry and the Province. To donate through the mail: Capuchin Community Services PO Box 05830 Milwaukee, WI 53205-0830


Book Reviews and Commentaries


by Leonard Pitts Jr.

Reviewed by Valeria Stokes Profiles in Catholicism


compiled by Fr. Simon C. Kim, PhD

Reviewed by Susana L. Vasquez Profiles in Catholicism



by Daniel D'Amario Book Blurb A Little Guide for Your Last Days by Jeffry Hendrix

Reviewed by William Doino Jr. The Weekly Standard Magazine

Film Reviews and Commentaries

“333” Reviewed by Justine Benanty



Nothing Like a Dame review: Mess with Maggie Smith at your peril Reviewed by Tristram Fane Saunders Catholic Church in Australia


‘Tag’ movie based on three-decade chase game of Jesuit school friends Reviewed by Carol Zimmermann - Catholic News Service/America




TV Reviews and Commentaries


Gotham Reviewed by Paul Asay Plugged’In


MUSIC Reviews and Commentaries


Prayers


A Prayer to Prevent Nuclear War Lord God, you created life and beauty in this world. You then entrusted the human community with caring for, and enhancing, your creation. Strengthen us, we pray, in this challenging time when the power to destroy this creation has grown so dangerously. Lead us on a road of peace, a road that includes a program of removing all nuclear weapons from our earth. We cannot hope to meet this challenge without your continuing presence and support. For this we make our prayerful plea in your name. by John T. Pawlikowski, OSM, Profiles in Catholicism


A Prayer for Migrant Children

Good Lord, who said “Whoever receives one of these little ones, receives me,” bless the little ones who are caught in the struggle of migration, separation, and abuse. Give all those adults who are responsible for them and for their welfare the wisdom and courage to do the children justice and to protect them. Make our hearts more loving and willing to do the right thing by them. May we see in all people young and old your image and so reverence their great dignity. We make our prayer through you who came among us as a child and who was forced to flee the threat of violence. Amen

by Father Louis J. Cameli Profiles in Catholicism


A Prayer for East Africa O Lord, with so much tragedy going on in our own country,

children separated from their parents at our borders,

needy asylum seekers turned away,

against the spirit of all that we stand for,

as stated on the Statue of Liberty,

help us to think of, pray for, and find the means to help others

around the world,

especially the millions of people facing starvation

in East Africa.

We are called by the Jewish prophets and by Jesus

to help all in need, and our country has the resources to do so.

Help us to work together with other nations around the world

to raise awareness of the desperation of the East Africans,

and to pool our resources to send them food and medical aid,

so that they may survive

and help others to survive

and thrive.

We ask this in the name of our Loving Father, the Son who sacrificed his life for all,

and the Holy Spirit who permeates all reality and the hearts and souls of all humans.

Amen by Dr.Eugene Fisher Profiles in Catholicism


A Prayer for Healing Victims of Abuse

God of endless love,

ever caring, ever strong,

always present, always just:

You gave your only Son

to save us by the blood of his cross.

Gentle Jesus, shepherd of peace,

join to your own suffering

the pain of all who have been hurt

in body, mind, and spirit by those who betrayed the trust placed in them.

Hear our cries as we agonize

over the harm done to our brothers and sisters.

Breathe wisdom into our prayers,

soothe restless hearts with hope,

steady shaken spirits with faith:

Show us the way to justice and wholeness,

enlightened by truth and enfolded in your mercy.

Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts,

heal your people’s wounds

and transform our brokenness.

Grant us courage and wisdom, humility and grace,

so that we may act with justice

and find peace in you.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

by Christian Peschken Profiles in Catholicism


A Prayer to End Gun Violence

Lord Jesus, as you approached the city of Jerusalem,

Before your passion,

As your people waved palms in your honor,

You saw the city and wept over it because you

Loved it.

You knew of the violence and chaos you would suffer

In that beloved city

still you loved it and wept over it.

Lord Jesus, look upon our cities, weep over them,

Love them and protect them.

Weep over us and strengthen us as we suffer

Violence and chaos.

Weep over us and love us.

Lord Jesus, weep over us and love us. (See Lk 19)

by Father David O. Brown, O.S.M. Profiles in Catholicism


Prayer for Senator John McCain, Almighty God from all evils and the scourges of cancer, deliver your servant John McCain, we pray to the Lord. Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Prayer for Immigrants and Refugees Lord Jesus, when you multiplied the loaves and fishes, you provided more than food for the body, you offered us the gift of yourself, the gift which satisfies every hunger and quenches every thirst! Your disciples were filled with fear and doubt, but you poured out your love and compassion on the migrant crowd, welcoming them as brothers and sisters.

Lord Jesus, today you call us to welcome the members of God's family who come to our land to escape oppression, poverty, persecution, violence, and war. Like your disciples, we too are filled with fear and doubt and even suspicion. We build barriers in our hearts and in our minds.

Lord Jesus, help us by your grace,

§ To banish fear from our hearts, that we may embrace each of your children as our own brother and sister;

§ To welcome migrants and refugees with joy and generosity, while responding to their many needs;

§ To realize that you call all people to your holy mountain to learn the ways of peace and justice;

§ To share of our abundance as you spread a banquet before us;

§ To give witness to your love for all people, as we celebrate the many gifts they bring.

We praise you and give you thanks for the family you have called together from so many people. We see in this human family a reflection of the divine unity of the one Most Holy Trinity in whom we make our prayer: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops


A Prayer for Those with Disabilities

Giving praise and thanks to you, O God

In whose image we have all been created,

We gather in faith and love,

Where through the power of the Spirit,

All our bodies,

disabled and non disabled alike,

all become one Body in Christ Jesus.

With tender mercy and love you created life and hope

out of darkness and emptiness,

and then in your wisdom,

because you understood that human vulnerability

is the source of communion in the Kingdom,

you sent your only child to enter into the frailty of human life.

Your graciousness is a never-ending source of justice and mercy

best known to us through Jesus, the Christ,

Who in life, death and resurrection,

preached hope and inclusion.

Even when we sin by excluding

those who society pushes to the margins because they are different,

you continue to shower us with mercy by inviting us

back to the table of embodied love,

giving us yet another chance to taste and drink of a justice

that welcomes the estranged and the stranger as friend

and bids us, here and now,

to join you in building the Kingdom.

[This is the preface from the "Eucharistic Prayer of Inclusion”


A Prayer for the End of Human Trafficking

God of freedom, beauty and truth

we believe that your deepest desire,

your most powerful energy,

is that all creation might know abundant life.

We raise our voices in anguished prayer

for our sisters and brothers,

women and girls, men and boys,

who are modern day slaves;

They are your beloved daughters and sons,

exploited sexually or forced to work

because of human violence and greed.

Fill us with your holy anger and your sacred passion

that those who are trafficked might know healing and justice;

that traffickers will come to repentance and conversion;

that all of us might live in such a way

that others are not made to pay the price

for our comfort and convenience.

Hasten the coming of the day when all people

and our precious Earth itself

will be treated, not as a commodity,

but as radiant images of your freedom, beauty and truth.

Amen. May it be so.

As shared by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, N.J.




Videos


Fr. James Martin: What Does the Bible Say? Refugees, migrants and foreigners?

Pope Francis visits WCC Geneva 70th Anniversary


By PESCHKEN reports

Trauma at the Texas-Mexico Border: Families Separated, Children Detained & Residents Fighting Back


‘WHAT IS GOD'S POLITICS? - Does God Make and Break Political Leaders? by Fr. William Nicholas


Spirituality and Humor: Jokes from Father James Martin

Interview with Fr. Daniel Horan


Mormon girl converts to Catholicism

by Rebecca Le Roy‘’


Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems Interview with Prof. Lambert PT`1 by PESCHKEN reports


Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems Interview with Prof. Lambert PT 2

by PESCHKEN reports


Franciscan University Presents: Catholic Issues in Healthcare and Bioethics

by Franciscan University of Steubenville


How Do Catholic Guys Respect Women in Dating?

by The Catholic Sports Guys


Documentary Life Inside The Maximum Security Prison In The US - Lost Lives Behind The Bars

by Watch Now!


Noam Chomsky - How to Deal with the Trump Presidency

by Chomsky's Philosophy


The dancing Jesuit

by Fr. Saju George SJ



Sacred Harmony Made in Italy live concert Kracow Sacred

by Marco Lo Russo Rouge


ADS



Retirement Fund for the Religious


The Life- Global Sisters Report


Become the Joy in Broken Communities - Midwest Capuchin Franciscan Vocations


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