Over 25,000 children die every day around the world.
* 1 child dying every 3.5 seconds
* 17-18 children dying every minute
* Over 9 million children dying every year
* Some 70 million children dying between 2000 and 2007

“The silent killers are poverty, hunger, easily preventable diseases and illnesses, and other related causes. In spite of the scale of this daily/ongoing catastrophe, it rarely manages to achieve, much less sustain, prime-time, headline coverage.”

The above is from
http://www.globalissues.org/article/715/today-over-25000-children-died-a…
and is based on a UNICEF report. (Source: http://www.educationforjustice.org/resources/fourth-sunday-advent-c-december-20-2009) Continue reading →

As Christmas draws nigh, we turn to the infancy stories to establish the identity of Jesus. Matthew’s and Luke’s infancy narratives were not part of the original kerygma. Yet, we cannot and should not dismiss their importance. The accounts were added to show how Jesus fulfilled the promise of the Hebrew Scriptures. Remember that the early church–the Jesus Movement–was very Jewish. In fact, the people would attend the synagogue on Saturday and would hold “home” liturgies on Sunday. In the late 1st century CE, there was a rift and the Jesus Movement dissociated itself from Judaism.

Today’s readings draw a comparison between Manoah and his ever-nameless wife and Zachariah and Elizabeth, who was Army’s cousin. The comparison between their offspring, Samson and John the Baptizer, is also very explicit. Continue reading →

After I read today’s readings, I suffered a case of writer’s block. I did not know exactly how I wanted to reflect on the readings. Then, as I was walking on a rainy mountain morning, the writers’ block left me. I go the word. It was “justice.”

Jeremiah was a seventh century prophet who was all about justice. He challenged the false prophets and their false programs for peace. He also challenged the king to obey the word of God and not form alliances to defend Israel. For all his efforts, Jeremiah was rejected, beaten, imprisoned and thrown into a cistern to die. So much for the fate of the prophet! Continue reading →

God, the Creator, is letting the people know that God is at work (Is 45). God is not the Deist God sitting comfortably in heaven and watching creation run. God is not a remote, aloof clockmaker.

No, God is active. God forms light. God creates darkness. Go makes well-being. God creates woe. God does all things. God is the designer and maker of the earth. God established the earth. God designed the earth to be lived in. Continue reading →

The Real Picture of the Last Supper

The eyes of the LORD are on those who do justice and God’s ears are open to their cry.
The face of YHWH is turned against evildoers, to cut off their memory from the earth.

The Lord hears the cry of the poor. Continue reading →