Prayer for Africa

O Mary, Mother of God,
Thanks to you, on the day of the Annunciation,
At the dawn of the new era,
The whole human race with all its cultures
Rejoiced in recognizing itself as one family.
On the eve of a new Pentecost for Africa
The People of God turn to you and fervently pray:
May the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Make the nations of Africa
Places of peace and human dignity.
Make the communities and cultures of Africa
Respect diversity while promoting unity.
May the peoples of this great Continent,
Your beloved sons and daughters,
Celebrate hope.
May they be granted
God’s justice, love and peace.

Pope John Paul II,

Cameroon, Africa,

1995

++++++++++++++++++++++++  

"What would I call upon you to do, then? 

Look with me upon the griefs, the aches, the anguished cries of the world in which we live.

 Look out, and grieve. Look out, and ache. Look out, and feel its pains. 

 But most of all, understand that Christ, our Lord, lived and died and rose again, not only that we might be redeemed to God,

but that we might be redeemed to one another as well, and that we might come to live out that redemption

 by building a community of justice and peace."

C.Culver

++++++++++++++++++++++++  

Reflection Questions

 In his 2006 Lenten Message, Pope Benedict XVI said:

 Enlightened by this Paschal truth, the Church knows that if we are to promote development in its fullness, our own "gaze" upon mankind has to be measured

 against that of Christ. In fact, it is quite impossible to separate the response to people's material and social needs from the fulfillment of the profound desires

 of their hearts. This has to be emphasized all the more in today's rapidly changing world, in which our responsibility towards the poor emerges with ever greater

 clarity and urgency. In the face of the terrible challenge of poverty afflicting so much of the world's population, indifference and self-centered isolation stand

  in stark contrast to the "gaze" of Christ.

 +Relate this excerpt from his message to the situations discussed above. How might Christ feel about suffering, conflict, and poverty?

   What is the responsibility of world leaders and world citizens in these situations?

 +During Lent, Catholics practice the spiritual discipline of fasting on particular days of the season. How might you use this practice to gain

   greater solidarity with the plight of our African sisters and brothers?