CHILDREN OF THE CROSS - My translator in Pakistan sent me these pictures today with very sad news of the continuing persecution of Christians in his country. For a long time I have wanted to start a prayer group of children (and adults with childlike souls) to pray for priests. I even discussed it in my new book, "In Our Lady's Shadow: the Spirituality of Praying for Priests". Well, Aqif has taken my books and started a prayer group (made up of mostly children) in Pakistan to pray for their persecuted brothers and sisters. I have decided that I will join him in this work and found my little Apostolate of the Children of the Cross. We will form little prayer groups of children to gather the First Friday of the Month (for now I will be able to host it at 3:30pm -the Hour of Jesus' Death and Divine Mercy) to pray for BOTH priests and persecuted Christians. It will be very simple -some spontaneous prayer, a Chaplet of Divine Mercy, a decade of the Rosary and perhaps a Chaplet of Sorrows. The little prayer group will last about 30-45 minutes. I will invite the children who come to bring pictures of the priests and others who they want to pray for. Any children (or people) in my area who want to come over at 3:30 on the First Friday of the month to pray are welcome. It would be helpful to let me know ahead of time if you are coming and the number (since I might have to move it to a bigger location if we get a handful of big families), but you don't have to and God will provide. Also, any mother (or other person) who would like to start their own little group in their home or parish can contact me and we will unite this into something official.
Below is the email I received from Aqif this morning and I ask anyone who is moved and wants to help contribute to get more books printed in Pakistan to please let me know or visit one of my two gofundme's for this purpose. Both books are sorely needed and the price of printing is just about $1.5/book. With around $3000 we could reprint 1000 of both of them, and for about $1500 more we could print my third book which he is currently translating. Come Holy Spirit!
Most of all, PLEASE PRAY FOR ALL OF THIS!!!
"Greetings and I really feel sad to share a few sad news with you.
First yesterday, two Christian nurses were accused falsely in a blasphemy case in Faisalabad (a city in Punjab). It was a very sad occasion. The surrounding environment is really sad and full of fear.
Then in Hyderabad (a city near Karachi) a woman named Agnes Nazeer Masih was raped. And even in this city people, especially women were full of fear.
And same day in the same city, a Christian girl of 16 years was forced to get married to a Muslim person.
Now these kinds of stories, every day, are there to make sure that Christians are daily persecuted in our country. And no one is there to follow these cases. Everyday many young men and women are persecuted because they are Christians.
These three sad and shocking incidents really made me and everyone cry. So I gathered a group of five people (young and even children) to pray for them. We read paragraphs from your book “Out of Darkness” in Urdu.
I tried to contact these victims, and told them somehow that a small group is praying with them in their persecution. I told them that Jesus is with us in this suffering. We and Jesus both have emotional, psychological and physical sufferings.
Mary, I am sure, you really do not know how much your book is bringing hope to our persecuted community.
There are many women who after reading your book “Holiness of womanhood” acknowledged that your book has told them the true meaning of being women.
May God provide us with more, so I can print a few more “Holiness of womanhood” and distribute it among persecuted Christian community. I also wish to give more “Out of Darkness” to persecuted women for free here in Pakistan.
We are really thanking God, that HE is using your writings as a source of peace, hope and comfort here in my country.
I am sharing a picture of a group of five people. You may use it. We have decided to use this group wherever persecution takes place. We will use your book “out of Darkness”. Gradually we will increase groups. The main responsibility of this group is to use your book and pray for all persecuted communities here in Pakistan and throughout the world.
And thank you to you again.
Need your continued prayers.”
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