Today, 30th April, is a special day for us Missionaries of Africa. It is the feast day of Our Lady of Africa.
This day is not known by many in the Universal Church but in Africa it is an important day. Many parishes have taken Our Lady of Africa as their patron, as have many religious congregations and orders of nuns or priests or bothers.
Our founder, Cardinal Lavigerie, had a special devotion to Mary, and so do we.
Here is a prayer, composed by the Justice and Peace Commission of our society last year. You may wish to use it in your prayer today.
Feast of Our Lady of Africa: universal prayer
Lord, with Marie we pray:
- Be with the victims of all forms of slavery today: human trafficking for sex slavery, forced labour, child soldiers in war zones, the unjust commerce and the exploitation of natural resources in poor countries. We ask you to be help and strength to all those victims.
Lord, with Marie we pray:
- Protect all those committed in the fight against human trafficking. That they may be joined by thousands of others who desire to commit themselves as well in that fight. Grant us and all our brothers and sisters, determination in the fight for dignity, justice and liberation of the oppressed.
Lord, with Marie we pray:
- Gather believers of different religions so that they can build bridges between ethnic groups, nations and generations, bridges on which it is possible to walk hand in hand, listen to each other and work together for our Common Home.
Lord, with Marie we pray: - Lord, bring us together from all nations that we may live and proclaim the Good News of liberation that Jesus proclaimed. That through the power of the Holy Spirit we may build a world where peace, justice, solidarity and fraternity reign.
Lord, with Marie we pray: - 150 yeas ago, our brothers and sisters, seized by the love of Christ, responded generously to the Lord’s call for the evangelisation of Africa and the African world. Give us Lord today, the ability to discern the needs of our world and respond generously to them, bringing – like our elders – light, joy and hope to those who need it so much.
