Aid to the Church in Need's Blog

Thoughts of the Season

churchinneed — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:28:48 +0000

Christmas is the feast of the great yearning for our better selves, for the pure and upright child in each of us, for the heaven we seek in vain on earth and for the peace we will only find in heaven.

-Father Werenfried van Straaten, Founder, Aid to the Church in Need

Prayer of the Day: An Advent Prayer

churchinneed — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:52:33 +0000

All-powerful God,
increase our strength of will for doing good
that Christ may find an eager welcome at his coming
and call us to his side in the kingdom of heaven,
where he lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God,
for ever and ever. 

Amen.

Thought of the Day

churchinneed — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:49:16 +0000

Christ demands a faith that will move mountains. And since he never demands the impossible, we can, in the strength of our faith, move aside mountains of misery and ignorance, of misunderstanding, hatred and selfishness. Usually this implies a task of reconciliation, which can be achieved only through prayer, humility and selfless love.

- Father Werenfried van Straaten, (1913-2003), Founder of ACN

A Quote from the Pope

churchinneed — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:00:40 +0000

The Lord is always within hearing. We can inwardly draw away from him. We can live turning our backs on him. But He always waits for us and is always close to us.

Pope Benedict XVI

PRAYER FOR FAITHFULNESS

churchinneed — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:52:55 +0000

O Lord, I pray for the grace and the strength
to remain faithful to your teachings
and to the sacramental life of the Church.
Help me to persevere in the commitments
and promises I have made to you.
Give me the fortitude to live up to the vocation
I received in my baptism,
to the duties derived from my confirmation in the Spirit,
and to the graces received in the other sacraments.

Help me to place love of God and service to Him
before all else
and help me to bring selfless love
to my brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Amen

ACN News: Will Venezuela seize Church property?

churchinneed — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:47:26 +0000

The seizure of businesses in Venezuela has led to fears that the country’s radical government may be poised to carry out a mass confiscation of Church property, according to a lay Catholic expert.

Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the charity for persecuted and other suffering Christians, a source close to the Bishops’ Conference of Venezuela said a number of policies put in place by President Hugo Chavez are causing widespread anxiety.

Click here to read full story or to donate to the Church in Need

Thought of the Day

churchinneed — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:02:52 +0000

“Neither war nor peace can ever cause the truth of Our Lord’s words to waver. He is and remains the same for all eternity and his words will never pass away. And so our eternal happiness is inseparably bound up with Christ.”

- Father Werenfried van Straaten, (1913-2003), Founder of ACN

THANKSGIVING PRAYER

churchinneed — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:34:16 +0000

Father in Heaven, Creator of all and source of all goodness and love, please look kindly upon us and receive our heartfelt gratitude in this time of giving thanks. Thank you for all the graces and blessings You have bestowed upon us, spiritual and temporal: our faith and religious heritage, our food and shelter, our health, the loves we have for one another, our family and friends. Dear Father, in Your infinite generosity, please grant us continued graces and blessing throughout the coming year. This we ask in the Name of Jesus, Your Son and our Brother. Amen

Prayer of Pope Pius XII

churchinneed — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:58:11 +0000

O well-beloved of God,
hear the ardent cry
which rises up from every heart.
Bend tenderly over our aching wounds.
Convert the wicked,
dry the tears of the afflicted and oppressed,
comfort the poor and humble,
quench hatreds, sweeten hardness,
safeguard the flower of purity in youth,
protect the holy church,
make all men feel the attractions of Christian goodness.
In your name,
resounding harmoniously in heaven,
may they recognize that they are brothers,
and that the nations are members of one family,
upon which may there shine forth the sun
of a universal and sincere peace.

Prayer for True Friendship

churchinneed — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:38:25 +0000

Jesus, loving companion of Your children, You have extended Your friendship to all. You opened Your arms without discrimination, Offering Your warmth to those seeking comfort. Endow me with the virtue of such a friendship, To know, love and trust all on an equal basis; To share my patronizing without favorism, And to be pleasant towards the destitute. Fashion my heart to reflect Your qualities, Those befitting of a cordial association. Jesus, You showed me the way to true friendship: Blessed is Your amazing and warm Person!