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The Holy Bishop of Myra is especially venerated as the patron of children. Devotion to him ought to be increased these days as children are abducted and exploited through human trafficking and slavery - victims of forced labor and sexual exploitation. While others are killed in the womb, and in some cases after live birth... yet many more endure intolerable and abusive childhoods without proper parenting, without faith or hope. Never forget the children of divorce, or same sex couples, as well as children of benign neglect - often left alone by a single parent or grandparent, struggling to make ends meet. Of course there are children suffering from poverty and hunger throughout the world, yet there is that deeper poverty of living in an immoral household, be it prostitution, substance abuse, or illegal activity - again, without faith or hope.
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St. Nicholas, pray for us.
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Art: St. Nicholas Center
Link: Church celebrates St. Nicholas Day.
Terry - beautifully highlighted the plight of children. Yesterday evening I was reading a posting on a website that had illustrating the posting a child nailed to a cross while the child looked down at the adults debating an issue and seemingly distracted to the child's immediate plight ...
ReplyDeleteHappy feast of St. Nicholas, Terry.
ReplyDeleteThanks Father - for everything!
ReplyDeleteI love St. Nicholas.
ReplyDelete(Fun fact - his icon was one of the first brought aboard the International Space Station.)
And Terry, may he pray also for those children who are raised in ignorance, and taught prejudice and hatred.
ReplyDeleteO kto, kto Nikolaja l'ubit,
O kto, kto Nikolaju Sluzit,
Tomu svjatyj Nikolaj
Na vsjakij cas pomahaj
Nikolaj, Nikolaj!