Our special intention for the month of February is for abandoned and unloved children and we invite you to include this intention in your weekly holy hour.
"See the Divine Infant in the little ones:
Love them very much for His sake".
These are words of the foundress of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth, Mother St. Basil. Among the works of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth is the caring for children affected by the plight of AIDS in Africa.
"Litany of Remembrance" by Sr Joyce Rupp, OSM.
I remember all the children of the world. As Jesus called to the little children to come to Him, so I gather in prayer the children of our world who are hurting. I embrace them with loving kindness and with a desire to mend the systems that bring such pain to their young lives. I remember all the children:
...who will go hungry today,
...whose parents are on drugs,
...who have no one to teach them to read,
...who are handicapped and unattended,
...who do not know love,
...who live in filth and degradation,
,,,who have no friends,
...who are not listened to,
...who have never been sung to or read to or taken by the hand or experienced earth's mystery and beauty,
...who do not have anyone to tuck them into bed at night,
...who are shunned or mistreated because of their color, their religion, or the place where they live,
...who have no awareness of their inner goodness,
...who have stopped believing in love,
...who are filled with anger and hate,
...who are receiving a poor education,
...who are ill or in pain,
...who are grieving the death of a loved one
...who are suffering from AIDS or drug-related diseases
...who feel lonely, desolate, and unloved,
...who are filled with fear for their lives,
...who hear only harsh words and hostile language,
...who have been bruised, beaten, and mutilated,
...who are victims of incest, rape, and pornography,
...who hide in fear from the sounds of war,
...who are ill and have no medical attention.
I pray for the children of our world today and I pray for each man and woman of this world, including myself, that we will do our part to create better living conditions for these children. Show us the way dear Jesus and prod us into action. O Holy Mother Mary wrap these little ones in the mantle of your love and protect them. God of justice and compassion have mercy on us and the little ones. AmenI remember all the children of the world. As Jesus called to the little children to come to Him, so I gather in prayer the children of our world who are hurting. I embrace them with loving kindness and with a desire to mend the systems that bring such pain to their young lives. I remember all the children:
...who will go hungry today,
...whose parents are on drugs,
...who have no one to teach them to read,
...who are handicapped and unattended,
...who do not know love,
...who live in filth and degradation,
,,,who have no friends,
...who are not listened to,
...who have never been sung to or read to or taken by the hand or experienced earth's mystery and beauty,
...who do not have anyone to tuck them into bed at night,
...who are shunned or mistreated because of their color, their religion, or the place where they live,
...who have no awareness of their inner goodness,
...who have stopped believing in love,
...who are filled with anger and hate,
...who are receiving a poor education,
...who are ill or in pain,
...who are grieving the death of a loved one
...who are suffering from AIDS or drug-related diseases
...who feel lonely, desolate, and unloved,
...who are filled with fear for their lives,
...who hear only harsh words and hostile language,
...who have been bruised, beaten, and mutilated,
...who are victims of incest, rape, and pornography,
...who hide in fear from the sounds of war,
...who are ill and have no medical attention.
A street is no place for a child to call 'home'.
But it is estimated that there are over 100 million street children in the world.
Why do children end up on the streets?
Children end up on the streets for a mixture of reasons, though poverty is usually at the heart of the problem. In many cases a child's family can no longer afford to care for them properly or may need their help to supplement the family income and help put food on the table.
Or it could be that a child's parents have been killed by conflict or HIV/AIDS, or they may have become separated when they were forced to flee their homes. In parts of Congo and Uganda, families and communities sometimes accuse children of being witches and for bringing bad luck upon them. In Afghanistan girls may end up on the streets after they have been forced to leave home for commiting 'honour crimes' like adultery (i.e. being raped or sexually abused) or refusing an arranged marriage. Boys may end up on the street to help support their parent's opium addiction.
Some children spend the daytime on the streets (to beg or to work) but return to their families at night. For others, the streets are their home and they have nowhere else to go.
What do they do on the streets?
Life on the streets is a dangerous, harsh existence and most street children become extraordinarily resilient and inventive in order to simply survive. On the streets they may earn money in a number of ways including:
- Begging.
- Shoe shining, collecting rubbish for recycling, other menial tasks.
- Many girls are forced into prostitution or sex work in order to survive and are extremely vulnerable to abuse and violence.
Drug abuse is a problem for many street children - it's often the only way of escaping a horrific existence - if only for a few hours. Many street kids are the victims of violence.
What can we do ?
- By getting involved with organizations, either by making a donation of money, time or perhaps both, you can play an active part in fighting poverty.
- Put the teachings of Charity into practice - teachings that tell us of the importance of loving your neighbour and the value of care, compassion and support for those who are struggling.
- By sharing your blessings with others, you can help ease the burden of poverty for those around you.
- Remember them in your prayers every day - it can and does make a difference.
"The poor do not need our sympathy and our pity. The poor need our love and compassion" Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
On the 8th February we celebrate the feast day of St. Jerome Emiliani who is the patron saint of abandoned and unloved children. St Jerome was born in Venice, Italy in 1481 and as a young man served in the Venetian army where he was captured and imprisoned. During this imprisonment in a dungeon in Treviso he repented of his earlier life, turned to prayer and vowed himself to our Lady. Having escaped prison he devoted himself to caring for abandoned orphans at a time when plague and famine were widespread. He rented a house for them to live in, providing clothing and food for them out of his own resources and instructed them in the doctrine and practice of the Faith. St Jerome himself caught an infectious disease from the children he cared for and died on February 8th 1571. St Jerome was canonised on the 12th October 1767 and in 1928 Pope Pius XI declared him patron saint of abandoned and unloved children.
Prayer
Saint Jerome Emiliani, watch over all children who are abandoned or unloved. Give us the courage to show them God's love through our care. Help us to lose the chains that keep us from living the life God intended for us. Amen.