World Day of Prayer for Migrants and Refugees coming on Sunday

Pope Benedict XVI has called the church to prayer for migrants and refugees throughout the world this Sunday, January 14th. You can read his message for this Day of Prayer by going to http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/migration/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20061018_world-migrants-day_en.html

A prayer for this day follows:

Let us pray.

Mary Most Holy, you, together with St. Joseph and the Child Jesus, experienced the suffering of exile. You were forced to flee to Egypt to escape the persecution of Herod. Today we entrust the men, women and children who live as migrants and refugees to your maternal protection.

Grant us the grace to welcome them with Christian hospitality, so that these brothers and sisters of ours may find acceptance and understanding on their journey.

Teach us to recognize your Son in the migrant who labors to bring food to our tables, in the refugee seeking protection from persecution, war, and famine, in the woman and child who are victims of human trafficking, in the asylum seeker imprisoned for fleeing without documents.

May all those who are far from their place of birth find in the Church a home where no one is a stranger. We ask this in the name of your blessed Son, Jesus, the Lord. Amen.