The Daily Prayer
for MONDAY, September 9, 2019
Peter Claver (1580 – 1654)
The patron saint of slaves and African-Americans, Peter Claver was a Jesuit priest who served the church in seventeenth-century Cartagena, Colombia. During his ministry, as many as ten thousand African slaves came through the port of Cartagena each year. Recognizing the blasphemy of human slavery, Claver worked tirelessly in ministry among the slaves, baptizing and preaching to as many as three hundred thousand in his lifetime. After welcoming them into the church in a society that considered itself Christian, Claver advocated for slaves’ legal rights as fellow Christians.
Peter Claver liked to say, “Deeds come first, then the words.”
Lord, open our eyes to see that the fruit of life comes when we plant seeds of hope among those whom the world rejects. Amen.
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