The theme of the 2021 World Day of the Poor is ‘The Poor you will always have with you’, and that of the 2021 World Youth Day is “Arise! I appoint you as a witness of what you have seen.” This initiative will combine these two themes by guiding you through short reflections about how you see the poor in our world and in your life, and simple yet profound ideas to turn your reflections and prayers into action and ‘be a witness of what you have seen’ like St. Paul.
The 5 themes for each weekday in this calendar are also the 5 themes that the 2019 Caritas General Assembly decided should be the priorities of all Caritas Member Organizations for the 2019-2023 period.
Sat 13 Nov
World day of the poor
@ Fecebook Premier
10pm Rome time (Facebook)
@ Vigil Video
starting from 8am Rome time (YouTube)
Join us as we prepare for the World Day of the Poor on Sunday 14 November. View the Vigil Video, which was filmed in Caritas Internationalis’ chapel, here on the calendar at any time starting from 8am (Rome time), or watch it together with people from all over the world in our Facebook premiere at 8pm (Rome time). You may also hold your own vigil in person (download our Vigil guide here). Make sure to tell us where you are joining from on social media by tagging @CaritasYouth @iamCARITAS, and using the hashtag #CaritasYouth!
Sun 14 Nov
World day of the poor
@ Fecebook Premier
10am Rome time (Facebook)
Join us as we celebrate Mass to mark the 4th World Day of the Poor. This Mass will be celebrated by Fr Mark Walker (Diocesan Youth Chaplain, Diocese of Westminster) and will feature contributions from Caritas Youth all over the world and a homily by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. Feel free to show it in your parish or community! Join us on Caritas Internationalis’ Facebook page at 10am (Rome time), to watch with others around the world.
PRAYER Loving Father, You have bestowed upon each of us unique gifts and placed in our hearts a deep desire to serve. Inspired by your goodness, we prepare ourselves to offer our hands and feet, hearts and minds, to you. From bustling cities to rural farmland,
From sandy beaches to snow-covered mountains,
You have called us from every corner of the world.
Help us to use our unique gifts to listen, accompany and serve others, wherever we may be led. Amen.
(Written by Erin Shuler, Catholic Relief Services)
Mon 15 Nov
Caritas at the heart of the church
Prayer
Jesus, brother and friend:
We are young people who walk in your footsteps in Latin America and the Caribbean.
We give thanks for being your disciples,
missionaries together with many who want to transform reality.
Today we ask you to strengthen us with your Spirit to be bold, joyful and creative.
Help us to live, walk and observe reality together with the poorest:
to let ourselves be evangelised by them,
to be inspired by their faith and to build a simple, joyful and fraternal Church.
May we – like Mary – proclaim the Magnificat today,
go forward together as brothers and sisters and build the Kingdom of God and his justice.
Amen
(Written by Caritas Latin America and Caribbean Youth Groups)
Tues 16 Nov
Reduce risk, save lives, rebuild communities
Prayer
Dear God, You who overflows Heaven and Earth with Your kindness
Grant us to be kind with our brothers and sisters in your image.
So our hands open with warmth and love for everyone in need… who is suffering and struggling to survive in this world.
Open our eyes, O Lord, that we may see poverty,
The apparent one in the lives of others and the hidden one in our own personal lives.
And strengthen us so we are determined to conquer emotional poverty, and to interact positively with your creation.
Make us realize the real meaning of poverty and who the poor is.
Is s/he the hungry – the refugee – the isolated and marginalized
Is s/he the ignorant – is s/he the oppressor or the oppressed?
Help us today to renew our mission in granting freedom and free dignity to all human beings.
As you have freed us, O God, by the crucifixion and resurrection of your beloved Son.
Awaken a youthful soul in us…
So we put our hands on the plow and look forward
Carrying a flame of hope for a better society.
Bless us with an alive and renewed faith
Day after day… and generation after generation.
Amen
(Written by Caritas Alexandria Youth Group)
Judge
In his 2021 World Day of the Poor message, Pope Francis says that we do not find Jesus when and where we want, but see him in the sufferings and needs of the poor. He says that the poor know the suffering of Christ through their own suffering. How can the poor who we see suffering in humanitarian disasters can bring us closer to God?
Act
Do you know someone who has been affected by a humanitarian crisis? Maybe someone in your own family or community, or a migrant who had to flee their home. Have a conversation with this person and ask them about their experience. Make space in your heart to truly listen to their story, and let them teach you about what it means to experience suffering.
Wed 17 Nov
Promote sustainable Integral Human Development and care for creation
Prayer
Creator of all goodness
As a symbol of greatness, you created a beautiful Blue Moana to be our home.
As an expression of your beauty, a greenery lush of islands and continent emerged.
As a reminder of peace, you enriched it with fertile tropical uniqueness full of life.
As a sign of hope for creation, you bestowed a rainbow of cultures and peoples as your stewards.
God of love
Enlighten us of the sacredness of your creation.
Inspire us to be able to clearly see your goodness.
Renew us, the youth of today, so that we may have the courage to stand up as Your witnesses, to help sustain and care for all of your creation.
Amen
(Written by Caritas Oceania Youth Alliance)
Act
Integral Ecology tells us to build strong relationships with God, with our sisters and brothers, and with nature. Go for a walk in nature and find 3 things that you admire. Reflect on how these things are gifts from God. How might people living in poverty value these items differently than you do?
- LEARNING & SHARING WEBINAR
Thurs 18 Nov
Build global solidarity
Prayer
Lord God (our Father and Mother),
We thank and praise you for the wonder of our being fashioned in your image and likeness, and for your love of every human being and creature upon this earth.
We unite to You our prayer and love for the poor and needy, for those beyond our reach to help except in generosity of love and prayer and offerings and whom we shall never meet or touch or speak to.
and for the poor whose name we know and where they live and to whom we can speak. May even one person that we help in whatever poverty they live represent the whole of humanity.
You are a God within and among us in this world with so much need and suffering, please keep us strong that we may never waver in our faith, our love and hope, our trust in you, and reaching out to others.
Please accept this prayer though Christ Our Lord. Amen
(Written by Shandu Nduduzo, Caritas South Africa )
Fri 19 Nov
Increase the effectiveness of the Caritas confederation
Prayer
Dear Lord,
In this time of extraordinary crisis, we beseech you.
Open our eyes so we may see that Jesus, the first of the poor, is present especially among them.
Transfigure our hearts so we may let the poor evangelise us into young disciples of Christ.
Grant us the courage to rise and bear witness to the joy of the gospel through service to our poor sisters and brothers.
And bless us, O Lord, that the work we do as one Caritas family may be fruitful and pleasing to you.
Amen
(Written by Edwin Susanto, Caritas Singapore)
- LEARNING & SHARING WEBINAR
LEARNING &
SHARING WEBINAR
‘Caritas Youth Serving, Accompanying, and Defending the Poor’
In this webinar, three Caritas Youth will share their work with us, and will describe the ‘See, Judge, Act’ process that they went through to arrive at either serving, accompanying, or defending the poor – three concepts that are at the heart of Caritas’ work.
Sat 20 Nov
World youth day
Jesus said to Paul on the road to Damascus, ‘Stand up, I appoint you as a witness of what you have seen.’ Now, it’s time for you to stand up and be a witness of what you have seen this week! On this Feast of Christ the King, go out and put your love of Christ and love of the poor into action, inspired by your new insights on poverty. Do something today to serve the poor – but in a different way than you would have before. For example, instead of serving to them, engage in dialogue and have a true encounter with them; instead of speaking for them, help them to speak for themselves. Encourage people to join you, and share your initiative with us on social media!
Sun 21 Nov
World youth day
@ WYD ONLINE LITURGY
10am Rome time (Facebook)
Join us here for a liturgical reflection on Pope Francis’ messages for this year’s World Day of the Poor and World Youth Day. This event will feature reflections and testimonies from Caritas Youth all over the world, who are witnesses to what it means to truly put oneself at the service of the poor in our world today. Join us on Caritas Internationalis’ Facebook page at 10am (Rome time), to watch with others around the world.
PRAYER Dear Lord, We pray for all young people that answer Your call to serve the Poor within Caritas. May they find your Son in people in challenging life situations
as they accompany them in dealing with difficulties.
May youth bring hope to our societies as they bring Your Heavenly Kingdom to Earth by their acts of mercy and compassion. Amen.
(Written by Agnieszka Zarzyńska, Caritas Europa)
Resources
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