Freedom from Oppression

 In today's first reading, Deuteronomy 26: 4-10, Moses reminds the people that his "father was a wandering Aramean who went down to Egypt with a small household and lived there as an alien.  But there he became a nation great, strong, and numerous. When the Egyptians maltreated and oppressed us, imposing hard labor upon us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and he heard our cry and saw out affliction, our toil, and our oppression. He brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand and outstretched arm, with terrifying power, with signs and wonders...."

We have similar situations today  throughout the world where people are being oppressed and are crying out to the Lord, our God, seeking to be freed from their oppressors. As with the Israelites, whom God brought out of a nation that was oppressing them, I pray that God  frees the Ukrainians from Russian oppression, that Putin is defeated in his attempts to destroy the Ukrainian nation.  

We also have individuals crying out to the Lord, our God, to be freed of abusers, those who are oppressing them sexually, physically, emotionally, spiritually and psychologically.  May the cry of these afflicted individuals be heard. May the oppressors be brought to justice and never be allowed to repeat their crimes against anyone! I ask this in Jesus' name.

Persons may also be oppressed by mental or physical illnesses. May they also be cured in Jesus' name!

Prayer for Oppressors, Great or Small, Rich or Poor

 In today's first reading, Isaiah 58: 9b-14, the Lord says to us: "If you remove from  your midst oppression, false accusations and malicious speech; if you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like the midday; then the Lord will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land."

I pray this prayer, not only for myself, but for those in our world who are oppressing others, who are mouthing false accusations and engaging in malicious speech against other persons and/or other nations. May God forgive these people and grant them the grace of conversion. In the Gospel  acclamation of today the Lord says to us in Ezekiel 33: 11, "I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, says the Lord, but rather in his conversion, that he may life."

We may want the wicked of our world to be destroyed by some means--natural or intentional--but that is not the will of our God or theirs, the one true God of us all!  Let us, therefore, pray for the conversion of all men and women, especially those oppressing others persons and/or other nations.