November…Samhain
Samhain…our clocks have gone back and we enter a darker time in our natural world, a time of rest, of stillness, a time to listen. May we too use this time to grow calm and grounded deep within
1st November /Samhain
Feast of All Saints
‘Let us all rejoice in the Lord….. at whose festival the Angels rejoice….
Entrance Antiphon of the mass for November 1st
Action: Open your eyes today and you might see some ‘saints in the making’. Remember to pray in union with those many ordinary good people who walked with God in their daily lives who now live in God’s presence.
2nd November /Samhain
All Souls
A time when we remember all those who have gone before us, family, friends, neighbours, those who have died during the pandemic and those who have died tragically in Ireland recently and all who have died across the world, in Gujarat India, in Seoul, in the Horn of Africa, Pakistan and Ukraine. due to war, poverty and climate change
Action: Keep them close to your heart in prayer during these November days.
Consider planting a sapling, a seed or a bulb as a way of remembering them and let its growth be a sign of life and resurrection.
Wed 9 November/Samhain
All Saints of Ireland
Action: Think about your favourite Irish saint… Brendan the Navigator, Brigid, Columba, Columbanus, Gobnait, Ita, Kevin, Kieran, Moling, , Nessan, Oliver Plunkett, Patrick and so many many more and remember to call on those special friends when you need them!
9th November/Samhain
Birthday of Dorothy Day
“…What we would like to do is change the world—make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves as God intended them to do. And to a certain extent, by fighting for better conditions, by crying out unceasingly for the rights of the workers, of the poor, of the destitute…we can to a certain extent change the world; we can work for the oasis, the little cell of joy and peace in a harried world. We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever widening circle will reach around the world.
We repeat, there is nothing that we can do but love, and dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbour, to love our enemy as well as our friend” Love Is The Measure The Catholic Worker, June 1942
Action: Listen to the cry of the poor, and let us respond with loving hearts.
9 November/Samhain
St. Martin of Tours
“I am a soldier of Christ, I cannot fight”. St. Martin of Tours.
Action: Pray for lasting peace in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, the Holy Land and South Sudan.
11th November/Samhain
Opening of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan (11-22 Nov).
Conference of the Parties to the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A key task for the COP is to review the national communication and emission inventories submitted by the Parties. Based on that information, the COP assesses the effects of the measures taken by the Parties to reduce greenhouse gases in their economy.
The pledges about greenhouse leading up to 2030 “need to be seven times higher to be in line with the 1.5 degrees goal of the Paris Agreement” Kevin O’Sullivan“Climate at risk of crossing points,” The Irish Times, September 14th2022.
Action:Creator God,You have created us to be protectors and carers for creation. May each of us play our part, no matter how small.
9 November/Samhain
St. Martin of Tours
“I am a soldier of Christ, I cannot fight”. St. Martin of Tours.
Action: Pray for lasting peace in the Holy Land, Ukraine and South Sudan and other co
20th November/Samhain
Universal Children’s Day
Always try to support and listen to children. Speak up for those who are exploited in child slavery,in war, in climate change and experience violence in any place.
Action: Support groups that offer activities for children in your community.
22nd November/Samhain
St. Cecilia
“Come before him singing for joy”. Ps. 99
Action: Sing a new song this week by reaching out to someone lonely, maybe a phone call or just a smile! Remember to maintain a safe social distance.
Closing of COP29.
23rd November/ Samhain
St. Columban
“Interreligious dialogue is a part of the Church’s evangelising mission” Pope John Paul II
‘It is profoundly true that there can be no world peace without religious peace, and there can be no religious peace without religious dialogue.’ Cyril Lovett SSC
Action: Read ‘The Far East’ and learn of the work of Columban missionaries, women, men and lay people. Visit the Columban website
Mission Month webinar: Watch it here Columban Missionary, Sr Anne Carbon, Columban Sister..
25th November /Samhain
United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
This is the beginning of the 16 Days against Gender Based Violence, which is an annual international campaign from 25 November until 10 December, Human Rights Day. started in 1991, t is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
Action: Get to know about services in your area to support women suffering from gender based violence. Open your eyes to the awful reality of Sex Trafficking and help to STOP THE DEMAND. aptireland.org ruhama.ie Say this Daily prayer