Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase

- MLK Jr

Malnutrition in Gaza

Malnutrition continues to take a toll on Gazan children despite a ceasefire declared two months ago as more than 9,000 children were hospitalized for malnutrition in October, according to UN figures. While famine for most of the 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza has receded, the UN and other aid agencies report Israel has continued to restrict humanitarian aid shipments. 

Tess Ingram, a spokesperson for the UN child protection agency UNICEF, said: “In Gaza’s hospitals I have met several newborns who weighed less than one kilogramme, their tiny chests heaving with the effort of staying alive.” According to the organization’s figures, 9,300 children were treated for severe acute malnutrition in October. While this is significantly less than the peak of 14,000 children in August, it is much more than the rate during the previous ceasefire this past spring.

Lord, we pray for the children of Gazan who continue to live without the food and medicines they need. For healthcare workers, aid providers, cooks, and peace officers, we pray for their strength to provide all that is needed. Lord, bring food. Bring aid. 

Funds Sought For Survivors

The Roman Catholic archdiocese of New York – the largest in the  US – is seeking to raise $300 million fund as it pursues settling with 1,300 survivors of clergy sexual abuse. New York archdiocese intends to raise some of the funds by cutting costs and selling off assets. The archdiocese has already laid off employees and reduced its operating budget by 10% to redirect funds to cover settlements. 

With civil litigation against the archdiocese of New York due to come to trial in 2026, the archdiocese has agreed to negotiate settlements over the next two months, said attorney Jeff Anderson. Anderson, who represents about a quarter of the 1,311 survivors in New York with claims dating from 1952 to 2020, said settlements would have to be accompanied by full disclosure of wrongdoing and measures to prevent future abuse. “The time for reckoning is now, and it’s long past due,” Anderson said.

God, for the survivors of this abuse, we pray for their healing, for their day in court, for justice, for accountability. Our hearts are shattered, and we pray that victims receive true justice. Guide our leaders, our courts, and the victims, O Lord.

Tax Plan Saves Little

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s campaign promise to implement a tax cut to “deliver real change” will amount to working Canadians in the lowest tax bracket saving about $11 annually, according to an economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). Despite the $5.8 billion cost of the tax cut, Canada’s low-income citizens will benefit the least from it of any tax bracket, despite promises that Bill C-4, An Act Respecting Certain Affordability Measures, would save ordinary Canadians money. 

Senior economist at CCPA David Macdonald noted that for those living in poverty, the lowest bracket shift only provides them with an average annual benefit of $11. “The lowest income tax filers already have enough credits to reduce their taxable income to zero, so you can change the tax rate, but it won’t matter as they do not pay income taxes to begin with,” he said.

Tax policy that benefits the wealthy over the poorest among us is a policy that needs to be restructured. God, encourage our leaders to go back to the drawing board and construct policy that ensures the poorest among us keep more in their pockets to pay bills, buy their kids a new pair of shoes for school, purchase groceries in their community, and provide for their livelihood. 

Hostilities Flare Along Thai-Cambodia Border

Amidst the latest outbreak of hostilities between Thailand and Cambodia, both countries have blamed each other for their violence that has ensued in recent days. On Tuesday, Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence said that nine civilians had been killed and 20 injured. Since fighting has resumed, the Thai military reported that four soldiers had been killed and 68 wounded on its side. Fighting broke out on Sunday night, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes and shattering a peace that had held since five days of clashes this July. The clashes during the summer resulted in at least 48 deaths on both sides and the temporary evacuation of more than 300,000 civilians before a ceasefire. 

God, we pray that hostilities might cease at once and that the people of Thailand and Cambodia might live in peace. We pray for a world in which civilians can return to their homes, a world where soldiers put down their weapons, and borders are places of peace, not of war.

Becoming (part of) the Answer to our Own Prayers

World Renew Gift Catalogue 

The Gift Catalog gives you the opportunity to choose how you want to support families around the world to achieve sustainable, healthy lives. Whether it be a goat, a chicken, a hand-washing station, or agriculture training, your gift could be just what someone needs to move forward with hope.