2015
Free Christmas Movie : An American Christmas Carol - Stars Henry Winkler
An American Christmas Carol (1979) Poster An American Christmas Carol (1979) TV Movie | 98 min | Drama, Fantasy | 16 December 1979 (USA) In an American town, an old bitter miser is given a ghostly chance at redemption on Christmas Eve. Director: Eric Till Writers: Charles Dickens (story), Jerome Coopersmith (screenplay) Stars: Henry Winkler, Dorian Harewood, David Wayne |
Today's Mass Readings and Video : Mon. December 21, 2015
Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent
Lectionary: 197
Reading 1SG 2:8-14
Hark! my lover–here he comes
springing across the mountains,
leaping across the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Here he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattices.
My lover speaks; he says to me,
“Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one,
and come!
“For see, the winter is past,
the rains are over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of pruning the vines has come,
and the song of the dove is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.
Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,
and come!
“O my dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the secret recesses of the cliff,
Let me see you,
let me hear your voice,
For your voice is sweet,
and you are lovely.”
springing across the mountains,
leaping across the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Here he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattices.
My lover speaks; he says to me,
“Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one,
and come!
“For see, the winter is past,
the rains are over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of pruning the vines has come,
and the song of the dove is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.
Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,
and come!
“O my dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the secret recesses of the cliff,
Let me see you,
let me hear your voice,
For your voice is sweet,
and you are lovely.”
OrZEP 3:14-18A
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you,
he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.
O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:
come to save us, Lord our God!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you,
he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.
Responsorial PsalmPS 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21
R. (1a; 3a) Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
R. Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:
come to save us, Lord our God!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 1:39-45
Mary set out in those days
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
#PopeFrancis "All baptized persons are missionaries of the Good News, above all by their lives," Christmas Message to Curia - Video - FULL TEXT
Please find below the full text of the Pope’s address to the Curia:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am pleased to offer heartfelt good wishes for a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year to you and your co-workers, to the Papal Representatives, and in particular to those who in the past year have completed their service and retired. Let us also remember all those who have gone home to God. My thoughts and my gratitude go to you and to the members of your families.
In our meeting in 2013, I wanted to stress two important and inseparable aspects of the work of the Curia: professionalism and service, and I offered Saint Joseph as a model to be imitated. Then, last year, as a preparation for the sacrament of Reconciliation, we spoke of certain temptations or "maladies" – the "catalogue of curial diseases" – which could affect any Christian, curia, community, congregation, parish or ecclesial movement. Diseases which call for prevention, vigilance, care and, sadly, in some cases, painful and prolonged interventions. Some of these diseases became evident in the course of the past year, causing no small pain to the entire body and harming many souls. It seems necessary to state what has been – and ever shall be – the object of sincere reflection and decisive provisions. The reform will move forward with determination, clarity and firm resolve, since Ecclesia semper reformanda.
Nonetheless, diseases and even scandals cannot obscure the efficiency of the services rendered to the Pope and to the entire Church by the Roman Curia, with great effort, responsibility, commitment and dedication, and this is a real source of consolation. Saint Ignatius taught that “it is typical of the evil spirit to instil remorse, sadness and difficulties, and to cause needless worry so as to prevent us from going forward; instead, it is typical of the good spirit to instil courage and energy, consolations and tears, inspirations and serenity, and to lessen and remove every difficulty so as to make us advance on the path of goodness.”
It would be a grave injustice not to express heartfelt gratitude and needed encouragement to all those good and honest men and women in the Curia who work with dedication, devotion, fidelity and professionalism, offering to the Church and the Successor of Peter the assurance of their solidarity and obedience, as well as their constant prayers.
Moreover, cases of resistance, difficulties and failures on the part of individuals and ministers are so many lessons and opportunities for growth, and never for discouragement. They are opportunities for returning to the essentials, which means being ever more conscious of ourselves, of God and our neighbours, of the sensus Ecclesiae and the sensus fidei.
It is about this return to essentials that I wish to speak today, just a few days after the Church’s inauguration of the pilgrimage of the Holy Year of Mercy, a Year which represents for her and for all of us a pressing summons togratitude, conversion, renewal, penance and reconciliation.
Christmas is truly the feast of God’s infinite mercy, as Saint Augustine of Hippo tells us: “Could there have been any greater mercy shown to us unhappy men than that which led the Creator of the heavens to come down among us, and the Creator of the earth to take on our mortal body? That same mercy led the Lord of the world to assume the nature of a servant, so that, being himself bread, he would suffer hunger; being himself satiety, he would thirst; being himself power, he would know weakness; being himself salvation, he would experience our woundedness, and being himself life, he would die. All this he did to assuage our hunger, alleviate our longing, strengthen our weaknesses, wipe out our sins and enkindle our charity”. Consequently, in the context of this Year of Mercy and our own preparation for the coming celebration of Christmas, I would like to present a practical aid for fruitfully experiencing this season of grace. It is by no means an exhaustive catalogue of needed virtues for those who serve in the Curia and for all those who would like to make their consecration or service to the Church more fruitful.
I would ask the Heads of Dicasteries and other superiors to ponder this, to add to it and to complete it. It is a list based on an acrostic analysis of the word Misericordia, with the aim of having it serve as our guide and beacon:
1. Missionary and pastoral spirit: missionary spirit is what makes the Curia evidently fertile and fruitful; it is proof of the effectiveness, efficiency and authenticity of our activity. Faith is a gift, yet the measure of our faith is also seen by the extent to which we communicate it. All baptized persons are missionaries of the Good News, above all by their lives, their work and their witness of joy and conviction. A sound pastoral spirit is an indispensable virtue for the priest in particular. It is shown in his daily effort to follow the Good Shepherd who cares for the flock and gives his life to save the lives of others. It is the yardstick for our curial and priestly work. Without these two wings we could never take flight, or even enjoy the happiness of the “faithful servant” (Mt 25:14-30).
2. Idoneity and sagacity: idoneity, or suitability, entails personal effort aimed at acquiring the necessary requisites for exercising as best we can our tasks and duties with intelligence and insight. It does not countenance “recommendations” and payoffs. Sagacity is the readiness to grasp and confront situations with shrewdness and creativity. Idoneity and sagacity also represent our human response to divine grace, when we let ourselves follow the famous dictum: “Do everything as if God did not exist and then put it all in God’s hands as if you did not exist”. It is the approach of the disciple who prays to the Lord every day in the words of the beautiful Universal Prayer attributed to Pope Clement XI: “Vouchsafe to conduct me by your wisdom, to restrain me by your justice, to comfort me by your mercy, to defend me by your power. To thee I desire to consecrate all my thoughts, words, actions and sufferings; that hencefore I may think only of you, speak of you, refer all my actions to your greater glory, and suffer willingly whatever you appoint”.
3. Spirituality and humanity: spirituality is the backbone of all service in the Church and in the Christian life. It is what nourishes all our activity, sustaining and protecting it from human frailty and daily temptation. Humanity is what embodies the truthfulness of our faith; those who renounce their humanity renounce everything. Humanity is what makes us different from machines and robots which feel nothing and are never moved. Once we find it hard to weep seriously or to laugh heartily, we have begun our decline and the process of turning from “humans” into something else. Humanity is knowing how to show tenderness and fidelity and courtesy to all (cf. Phil 4:5). Spirituality and humanity, while innate qualities, are a potential needing to be activated fully, attained completely and demonstrated daily.
4. Example and fidelity: Blessed Paul VI reminded the Curia of “its calling to set an example”. An example of avoiding scandals which harm souls and impair the credibility of our witness. Fidelity to our consecration, to our vocation, always mindful of the words of Christ, “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much” (Lk 16:10) and “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world for stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes” (Mt 18:6-7).
5. Rationality and gentleness: rationality helps avoid emotional excesses, while gentleness helps avoid an excess of bureaucracy, programmes and planning. These qualities are necessary for a balanced personality: “The enemy pays careful heed to whether a soul is coarse or delicate; if it is delicate, he finds a way to make it overly delicate, in order to cause it greater distress and confusion”. Every excess is a symptom of some imbalance.
6. Innocuousness and determination: innocuousness makes us cautious in our judgments and capable of refraining from impulsive and hasty actions. It is the ability to bring out the best in ourselves, in others and in all kinds of situations by acting carefully and attentively. It consists of doing unto others what we would have them do to us (cf. Mt 7:12 and Lk 6:31). Determination is acting with a resolute will, clear vision, obedience to God and solely for the supreme law of the salus animarum (cf. CIC can. 1725). 7. Charity and truth: two inseparable virtues of the Christian life, “speaking the truth in charity and practising charity in truth” (cf. Eph 4:15). To the point where charity without truth becomes a destructive ideology of complaisance and truth without charity becomes myopic legalism. 8. Honesty and maturity: honesty is rectitude, consistency and absolute sincerity with regard both to ourselves and to God. An honest person does not act virtuously only when he or she is being watched; honest persons have no fear of being caught, since they never betray the trust of others. An honest person is never domineering like the “wicked servant” (cf. Mt 24:48-51), with regard to the persons or matters entrusted to his or her care. Honesty is the foundation on which all other qualities rest. Maturity is the quest to achieve balance and harmony in our physical, mental and spiritual gifts. It is the goal and outcome of a never-ending process of development which has nothing to do with age.
9. Respectfulness and humility: respectfulness is an endowment of those noble and tactful souls who always try to show genuine respect for others, for their own work, for their superiors and subordinates, for dossiers and papers, for confidentiality and privacy, who can listen carefully and speak politely. Humility is the virtue of the saints and those godly persons who become all the more important as they come to realize that they are nothing, and can do nothing, apart from God’s grace (cf. Jn 15:8).
10. Diligence and attentiveness: the more we trust in God and his providence, the more we grow in diligence and readiness to give of ourselves, in the knowledge that the more we give the more we receive. What good would it do to open all the Holy Doors of all the basilicas in the world if the doors of our own heart are closed to love, if our hands are closed to giving, if our homes are closed to hospitality and our churches to welcome and acceptance. Attentiveness is concern for the little things, for doing our best and never yielding to our vices and failings. Saint Vincent de Paul used to pray: “Lord, help me to be always aware of those around me, those who are worried or dismayed, those suffering in silence, and those who feel alone and abandoned”.
11. Intrepidness and alertness: being intrepid means fearlessness in the face of troubles, like Daniel in the den of lions, or David before Goliath. It means acting with boldness, determination and resolve, “as a good soldier” (2 Tim 2:3-4). It means being immediately ready to take the first step, like Abraham, or Mary. Alertness, on the other hand, is the ability to act freely and easily, without being attached to fleeting material things. The Psalm says: “if riches increase, set not your heart on them” (Ps 61:10). To be alert means to be always on the go, and never being burdened by the accumulation of needless things, caught up in our own concerns and driven by ambition.
12. Trustworthiness and sobriety: trustworthy persons are those who honour their commitments with seriousness and responsibility when they are being observed, but above all when they are alone; they radiate a sense of tranquillity because they never betray a trust. Sobriety – the last virtue on this list, but not because it is least important – is the ability to renounce what is superfluous and to resist the dominant consumerist mentality. Sobriety is prudence, simplicity, straightforwardness, balance and temperance. Sobriety is seeing the world through God’s eyes and from the side of the poor. Sobriety is a style of life which points to the primacy of others as a hierarchical principle and is shown in a life of concern and service towards others. The sober person is consistent and straightforward in all things, because he or she can reduce, recover, recycle, repair, and live a life of moderation.
Dear brothers and sisters,
Mercy is no fleeting sentiment, but rather the synthesis of the joyful Good News, a choice and decision on the part of all who desire to put on the “Heart of Jesus” and to be serious followers of the Lord who has asked us to “be merciful even as your heavenly Father is merciful” (Mt 5:48; Lk 6:36). In the words of Father Ermes Ronchi, “Mercy is a scandal for justice, a folly for intelligence, a consolation for us who are debtors. The debt for being alive, the debt for being loved is only repayable by mercy”.
And so may mercy guide our steps, inspire our reforms and enlighten our decisions. May it be the basis of all our efforts. May it teach us when to move forward and when to step back. May it also enable us to understand the littleness of all that we do in God’s greater plan of salvation and his majestic and mysterious working.
To help us better grasp this, let us savour the magnificent prayer, commonly attributed to Blessed Oscar Arnulfo Romero, but pronounced for the first time by Cardinal John Dearden:
Every now and then it helps us to take a step back
and to see things from a distance.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is also beyond our visions.
In our lives, we manage to achieve only a small part
of the marvellous plan that is God’s work.
Nothing that we do is complete,
which is to say that the Kingdom is greater than ourselves.
No statement says everything that can be said.
No prayer completely expresses the faith.
No Creed brings perfection.
No pastoral visit solves every problem.
No programme fully accomplishes the mission of the Church.
No goal or purpose ever reaches completion.
This is what it is about: We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that others will watch over them.
We lay the foundations of something that will develop.
We add the yeast which will multiply our possibilities.
We cannot do everything,
yet it is liberating to begin.
This gives us the strength to do something and to do it well.
It may remain incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way.
It is an opportunity for the grace of God to enter and to do the rest.
It may be that we will never see its completion, but that is the difference between the master and the labourer.
We are labourers, not master builders, servants, not the Messiah.
We are prophets of a future that does not belong to us.
Christmas Novena : Day 6 : Official Plenary #Indulgence - #Prayers to SHARE
Opening Prayer:
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to
the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now
and ever shall be, world without
end.Amen.
the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now
and ever shall be, world without
end.Amen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Day 6 Prayers
The Adoration of the Kings
O most sweet infant Jesus, who was made known
to the three kings, who worshipped you as you lie on
Mary's breast, and offered you the mystical presents
of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Have mercy on us.
Have mercy on us, 0 Lord. Have mercy on us.
Hail Mary...
Amen.
Day 1: http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/12/official-novena-for-christmas-day-1.htmlDay 2: http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/12/novena-for-christmas-day-2-plenary.html
Day 3: http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/12/christmas-novena-day-3-plenary.html
Day 4: http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/12/christmas-novena-day-4-plenary.html
Day 5: http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/12/christmas-novena-day-5-plenary.html
Day 6: http://jceworld.blogspot.ca/2013/12/christmas-novena-day-6-plenary.html
Day 7:
Day 8:
Day 9:
FROM THE RACCOLTA OFFICIAL
NOVENA PREPARATORY TO CHRISTMAS In order to the devout preparation of ourselves for the glorious Birthday of our most loving Saviour, Jesus Christ, which the holy Church recalls to our memory every year on the 25th of December, and at the same time to render Him thanks for this great benefit, Pope Pius VII., by a Rescript of the Segretaria of the Memorials, dated August 12th, 1815 (which said Rescript is preserved in the Segretaria of the Vicariate), granted to all faithful Christians who, being contrite in heart, should prepare themselves for that great solemnity by a novena, consisting of pious exercises, prayers, acts of virtue, &c. -
i. An indulgence of 300 days each day of the said novena, and -
ii. A plenary indulgence to be gained on Christmas day, or on some day in its octave, by those who, after Confession and Communion, shall have made the said novena every day, and who shall pray according to the intentions of the Sovereigns Pontiff: and note that the Confession and Communion may be made on any one of the days of the said novena, provided the novena is correctly kept. This was declared by Pope Pius VIII., of holy memory, by means of the S. Congr. of Indulgences, July 9, 1830. These indulgences were extended by the above-named Pius VII. to one other time in the year, besides the the specified, when any one should make the aforesaid novena in honour of the Child Jesus.
i. An indulgence of 300 days each day of the said novena, and -
ii. A plenary indulgence to be gained on Christmas day, or on some day in its octave, by those who, after Confession and Communion, shall have made the said novena every day, and who shall pray according to the intentions of the Sovereigns Pontiff: and note that the Confession and Communion may be made on any one of the days of the said novena, provided the novena is correctly kept. This was declared by Pope Pius VIII., of holy memory, by means of the S. Congr. of Indulgences, July 9, 1830. These indulgences were extended by the above-named Pius VII. to one other time in the year, besides the the specified, when any one should make the aforesaid novena in honour of the Child Jesus.
Don't Forget to Say Grace before Dinner - A Special Prayer for you to Say with your Family....
Archbishop's Special Grace for Christmas Dinner
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
18 Dec 2015
18 Dec 2015
The best accompanyment for Christmas dinner is giving thanks to God in prayer
"Don't forget to say grace before your Christmas dinner" says Archbishop Fisher.
Stopping to give thanks before a meal is at the very heart of the Judeo-Christian tradition and can be a blessed opportunity to refocus in the midst of the sometimes hectic busyness, on the things that really matter.
In his special Christmas grace, the Archbishop compels us to be grateful for the gift of each person at the table and to remember and bless those loved ones not with us.
He reflects upon the humble birth of our Saviour and how that helps us remember those "without food or family or friendship at this time".
Recognising the generosity of God at this holy time of year allows us to truly prepare for the greatest gift of all at Christmas, the Son of God born into our midst.
"Make of our hearts a crib in which to place the Christ child…for you are our Christmas Lord, now and forever", prays the Archbishop.
Grace at Christmas Dinner
God of Christmas and of every day, giver of all good gifts,
we thank you for the many ways you have blessed us.
We are grateful for each person gathered around this table.
Bless us, our food and our company today.
Bless those we love who are not with us.
With gratitude and love, we remember your humble birth
into our lives and so pray for those without food or family
or friendship at this time. We remember the stable in which
you were born and so pray for those with no place to live.
We remember your flight into Egypt and so pray for
persecuted Christians and for refugees at this time.
We join your angels in giving glory to God in the highest
and in praying for peace and goodwill on earth.
Help us to see what really matters and to respond with faith, hope and love.
Make of our hearts a crib in which to place the Christ child.
Keep us safe and close to you in the year ahead.
For you are our Christmas Lord, now and forever. Amen.
we thank you for the many ways you have blessed us.
We are grateful for each person gathered around this table.
Bless us, our food and our company today.
Bless those we love who are not with us.
With gratitude and love, we remember your humble birth
into our lives and so pray for those without food or family
or friendship at this time. We remember the stable in which
you were born and so pray for those with no place to live.
We remember your flight into Egypt and so pray for
persecuted Christians and for refugees at this time.
We join your angels in giving glory to God in the highest
and in praying for peace and goodwill on earth.
Help us to see what really matters and to respond with faith, hope and love.
Make of our hearts a crib in which to place the Christ child.
Keep us safe and close to you in the year ahead.
For you are our Christmas Lord, now and forever. Amen.
Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP
Archbishop of Sydney
Archbishop of Sydney
To download a printable version of the Archbishop's Christmas Grace, click here.
Shared from Archdiocese of Sydney
#BreakingNews 91 People Missing as Mud Buries 33 Buildings in China - Please Pray
A mountain of mud buries 33 buildings. At least 91 people missing (video)The landslide covered an area of 380 thousand square meters, including three workers' dormitories, factories, offices, a canteen and other buildings. The landslide consists of land and construction waste accumulated until it became a mountain as tall as a 20-story building. For two years, workers and residents had expressed fears, that went unheeded. China’s blind industrial development lacks in basic work safety standards.
Shenzhen (AsiaNews) - Tens of emergency teams are desperately searching for survivors after a mountain of mud and debris hit and destroyed 33 buildings. The incident occurred yesterday at about 11:40.
Amateur videos show the mountain of mud crashing down producing a wall of noise and debris that engulfed surrounding buildings in seconds.
Seven people were rescued, but at least 91 people are missing. Shenzhen is the largest industrial center of China, near the border with Hong Kong. The buildings buried beneath the mud include dormitories for workers, several factories and offices, a canteen and other buildings. The landslide has also broken gas mains of city and emergency crews are trying to fix them.
While firefighters and specialists seek signs of life in the mudslide, 900 people were evacuated from the buildings. The mud has flooded an area equal to 380 thousand square meters.
According to the ministry of land and natural resources, the landslide was caused by a mountain of earth and construction waste as tall as a 20-story building. The "mountain" was too high and too unstable. For at least two years the residents and workers in the area have been expressing their fears, which have gone unheeded, while every day the trucks continued to unload waste.
President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have appealed to the rescue forces to do everything possible to find the missing persons.
Debate over the incident is filling social networks with accusations lodged against the nation’s blind industrialization in recent years and the lack of security policies. Many remember the Tianjin disaster last August, when a deposit of lethal chemicals, stored near residential buildings, exploded.
(John Ai collaborated) Share from AsiaNewsIT
#PopeFrancis “I also want to ask your forgiveness for the scandals that there have been in the Vatican." Text - Video
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis received the employees of the Holy See and the Vatican City State in a special audience on Monday, to exchange Christmas greetings with them and their families. During the course of the audience, the Holy Father expressed his gratitude to the workers and their families, and asked forgiveness for the recent scandals in the Vatican.
Click below to hear our report
“As I thank you,” Pope Francis said, “I also want to ask your forgiveness for the scandals that there have been in the Vatican. I wish, however, that my attitude and yours, especially in these days, be above all one of prayer: pray for the people involved in these scandals, that those who have done wrong might repent and find the right path once again.”
The Holy Father also encouraged his employees to cultivate family life.
“I encourage you to take care of your marriage and your children,” he said. “Marriage is like a plant,” he continued. “It is not like a closet, that you put there, in the room, and just dust it occasionally: a plant is alive, it should be cared for every day.” Likewise, “A marriage is a living reality: the couple’s life should never be taken for granted, at no stage of the path of a family. Let us remember that the most precious gift for the children are not things, but the love of parents – and I mean not only the love of parents towards their children, but parents’ love for each other.”
Departing from his prepared text, the Holy Father had particular words for grandparents and their role in the health of family life and the upbringing of children. “Grandparents are so important in the family,” he said, “grandparents have memory, have wisdom: do not leave grandparents aside.”
Forgiveness was another major theme of Pope Francis’ unscripted reflections: peacemaking among spouses and among children. “The Jubilee is something to be lived in the domestic Church, as well, not only in the big events,” he said. “Indeed, God loves those who practice mercy in ordinary circumstances,” he continued. “This I want to wish you: to experience the joy of mercy,beginning in your family.”
Pope Francis concluded, saying, “Thanks for your work, forgiveness for the scandals and, ‘Onward!’: go forward in this community and bring my greetings and my best wishes to your loved ones, the elderly and the sick – and continue, please, to pray for me. Thanks again and ‘Merry Christmas!’”
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Saint December 21 : Saint Peter Canisius : Patron of Catholic Press and Germany
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Novena to Mother Teresa of Calcutta - OFFICIAL #Prayer #Novena to SHARE
Shared from the Missionaries of Charity
Official Novena Prayer to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Official Novena Prayer to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Prayed each day of the Novena
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you, and so became the light of His love to all. Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request). Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too, may radiate His light and love to others. Amen. Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.
“Jesus is my All in All”
Thought for the day:“Don’t search for Jesus in far lands; He is not there. He is close to you; He is in you.”
Ask for the grace of an intimate knowledge of Jesus.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Second Day –Jesus Loves You
Thought for the day:
“Do not be afraid - you are precious to Jesus. He loves you.”
Ask for the grace to be convinced of Jesus’ unconditional and personal love for you.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Thought for the day:
“Just think! God is thirsting for you and me to come forward to satiate His thirst.”
Ask for the grace to understand Jesus’ cry of thirst.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Fourth Day – Our Lady Will Help You
Thought for the day:
“How close we must keep to Our Lady who understood what depth of Divine Love was being revealed as she stood at the foot of the Cross and heard Jesus cry out: ‘I thirst.’ ”
Ask for the grace to learn from Our Lady to quench Jesus’ thirst as she did.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Fifth Day – Trust Jesus Blindly
Thought for the day:
“Confidence in God can do all things. It is our emptiness and lowliness that God needs and not our plenitude.”
Ask for the grace to have an unshakeable trust in the God’s power and love for you and for all.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Sixth Day - True Love is Surrender
Thought for the day: “Allow God to use you without consulting you.”
Ask for the grace to surrender your whole life to God.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Seventh Day – God Loves a Cheerful Giver
Thought for the day:“Joy is the sign of union with God, of God’s presence. Joy is love, the normal result of a heart burning with love.”
Ask for the grace to find joy in loving and to share this joy with all you meet.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Eighth Day – Jesus Made Himself the Bread of Life and the Hungry One
Thought for the day: “Believe that He, Jesus, is in the appearance of Bread and that He, Jesus, is in the hungry, naked, sick, lonely, unloved, homeless, helpless and hopeless.”
Ask for the grace of a deep faith to see Jesus in the Bread of Life and to serve Him in the distressing disguise of the poor.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Ninth Day – Holiness is Jesus Living and Acting in Me
Thought for the day: “Charity for each other is the surest way to great holiness.”
Ask for the grace to become a saint.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
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