austraLasia #2343

Young people from 400 cities around the world to raise their voice for peace on 31st January

JERUSALEM: 29th January 2009 -- Not a lot of good news has come out of Jerusalem in recent weeks, but the Salesian, recall, rejects "everything that encourages deprivation, injustice and violence" and cooperates "with all who are trying to build a society more worthy of man's dignity" (C.33), so the initiative indicated below deserves wide support.
    It is not only the work of a group of Salesian students of theology at Ratisbonne (there are other groups involved around the world , especially but not only from Italy), but  Francesco de Ruve SDB, who is also behind the 'youth for life'  movement (see their www.youthfl.org site), has seized the moment and mobilised Salesians around the world to be involved in getting young people to raise their voices for peace on  31st January.  He would now like East Asia-Oceania to be involved and is using this channel to achieve that. 
     The International Day of Intercession for Peace follows an appeal by the Holy Father on 28th December, [when nothing but bad news was coming out of Jerusalem]....." The earthly homeland of Jesus cannot continue to witness such bloodshed that is endlessly repeated! I implore an end to that violence.. Let us entrust our fervent prayers for these intentions to Jesus, Prince of Peace".  
    Youth For Life, along with the Papaboys and several other groups has taken this appeal up via an international day of intercession for peace. It is a youth initiative and no accident that it is occurring on 31st January!
    Just to get a bit of an idea how this has develoepd, note that there is a Facebook group (admittedly the group has an Italian title, but it is not limited to Italian speakers - vogliamo la pace per la Terra Santa), on Saturday morning at Calvary in Jerusalem, Telepace Holy Land will broadcast the early morning mass, at little later in the day (there is another Ratisboone Salesian student involved as the Telepace representative in Jerusalem). The 5 pm Mass at the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin is supporting this venture too - the Bishop of Pinerolo will be the main celebrant for that occasion. One bishop in Mozambique has involved his entire diocese, urging all his priests, parishes and faithful to join in prayer on Saturday.
    You can best follow this through the Youth for Life website, on their English page. But it would be easy to encourage young people in your school, parish or other setting to focus their thoughts Saturday especially on prayer for those who have suffered and are suffering in the Middle East and especially what we call the Holy Land. The initiative actually asks for an hour of prayer. You could join the international aspect of it directly through the Facebook group, or simply organise an hour of prayer.
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Title: australasia 2343
Subject and key words: SDB General, prayer for peace in Holy Land
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2343