O God, when we hear of children and adults deceived and taken to unknown places for purposes of sexual exploitation, forced labor, and organ \u2018harvesting\u2019, our hearts are saddened and our spirits angry that their dignity and rights are ignored through threats, lies, and force.<\/p>\n
We cry out against the evil practice of this modern slavery, and pray with St. Bakhita for it to end.<\/p>\n
Give us wisdom and courage to reach out and stand with those whose bodies, hearts and spirits have been so wounded, so that together we may make real your promises to fill these sisters and brothers with a love that is tender and good.<\/p>\n
Send the exploiters away empty-handed to be converted from this wickedness, and help us all to claim the freedom that is your gift to your children. Amen.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
To this I only add:<\/p>\n
St. Josephine Bakhita, pray for the freedom of your brothers and sisters still enslaved.\u00a0 And pray for the freedom of their captors, and those who\u00a0patronize their trade,\u00a0from their own enslavement to false gods of profit, lust and consumption\u00a0demanding human sacrifice.\u00a0 Lord, free your people\u00a0to live in\u00a0the dignity for which they were created.\u00a0 Amen.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Today is the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita and the first International Day of Prayer and Awareness against Human Trafficking, which Pope Francis observed following the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer.\u00a0 We are all invited to join the observance with this moving prayer: O God, when we hear of children and adults deceived and taken to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2932,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[625,101,364,132,1165,127,112,1391,648],"tags":[1479,1480],"class_list":["post-27487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-freedom","category-human-rights","category-justice","category-morality","category-pope-francis","category-prayer","category-saints","category-throwaway-culture","category-woundedness","tag-international-day-of-prayer-against-human-trafficking","tag-st-josephine-bakhita"],"yoast_head":"\n
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