AP Language and Composition 1: The Feast of All Saints

Saturday, October 31, 2020

The Feast of All Saints

Choose a current issue that our world is facing. Explain the issue, and then find a saint to whose intercession would be the most helpful and argue why that saint is the best choice.

So, two jobs, one is to find and articulate a current world problem about which we need to pray. Your second job is to research a saint whom you think would be helpful to us in regards to this problem.

Finally, on the Feast of All Saints, which is Sunday, November 1, say a prayer to that saint about the issue you have listed. After every classmates blog, respond, AMEN.

185 comments:

AnonymousOctober 31, 2020 at 10:48 AM
America, and the entire world, are facing some serious challenges towards a wide range of subjects. These subjects include everything from agriculture to children to climate change to human rights. The education system is another one of these subjects. A very prevalent issue is that colleges are becoming more and more expensive.
With colleges raising their tuition, it is becoming harder for students to attend college, and if they do, they come out with thousands of dollars in debt. In fact, the average debt, after college, for students who have an average of four years of schooling is between twenty-seven thousand and thirty-three thousand dollars. The average time it takes for people to pay off their student debt is about twenty-one and a half years. This means people are paying off college debt alone for about one fourth of the average lifetime. More than fifty-six percent of students say they can’t afford their college tuition once they have already started classes. Some of these students go on to drop out, but others stay in because they already have the loan or they feel that they already have so much debt that they might as well just keep going. So many people are denied the chance to go to college and get a good degree because they can’t afford it.
If there are people struggling with affording college or figuring out how to form their debt payoff plan, they should pray to St. Matthew the Apostle. He was one of the twelve Apostles with Jesus, and he is one of the four evangelists. St. Matthew was the tax collector in the temple that Jesus called to come with Him. He is also the patron saint of finances and managing them, which is why it would be good to pray to him if one is struggling with money. We believe that patron saints can intercede for us, specifically for whatever we are praying for, which is typically something they are the patron of. There have been many cases of patron saints interceding for people and then little miracles happening for these people. There was a story where a woman had lost her wedding rings in Wisconsin. She was searching everywhere for them. One night she stumbled upon a blog about St. Anthony and she started praying to him. The next day, she got a call that someone had found her rings buried in ice under eight inches of snow! There are countless stories of patron saints delivering little miracles all around the world. If one prays to St. Matthew they might find an answer they weren’t expecting. It most likely won’t be a wad of cash on their doorstep the next morning, but it could be something like an idea for a more effective financial plan.
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AnonymousOctober 31, 2020 at 3:19 PM
The Earth that God gave us is slowly becoming less and less sustainable. The environment is struggling because humans have taken the gift of the planet for granted. One of the biggest problems the world faces today is environmental pollution. Pollution can only be stopped by humans making a change in the way they live on this irreplaceable planet. It is an important world issue that needs to gain the attention of all humans.
Pollution has taken many forms in the water, the air, and the soil. It is taking the homes from wildlife and plants. It has even caused a large amount of human sickness, or even death. Air pollution is caused by factories burning resources and toxic gases entering the atmosphere. All living things on Earth require clean air to continue to live and grow. Water is one of earth's most threatened necessary resources. Runoff from factories is full of waste which enters into large bodies of water and contaminates them. Humans are getting sick from drinking polluted water. Polluted water accounts for half of the world's hospital bed because of the human intake of contaminated water. Animals and plants are also unable to utilize the water to live. Runoff from factories can also be absorbed into the soil. Plant growth can be stunted causing large ecosystems to lose all vegetation. Agricultural fertilizers and pesticides also contaminate the soil, putting the humans and animals who consume the crop at risk of intaking toxic substances. Pollution is causing the environment to fail and the earth to crumble. All life on earth is at risk of being lost forever if pollution does not diminish.
Saint Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of the environment. He expressed his love for God through the care and admiration of God's creation, the earth. He took care of the earth and expressed the importance of creation. He especially loved the animals on the planet and even preached his sermons to them. Once he found a large group of all different species of birds. He greeted them as one would greet a human, although the animals could not respond. He touched the birds and they did not fly away. He preached to them and told them that God had given them all of their magnificent abilities and features. He said, “My brother birds, you should greatly praise your Creator and love Him always. He clothed you with feathers and gave you wings for flying. Among all His creatures, He made you free and gave you the purity of the air. You neither sow nor reap, He nevertheless governs you without your least care.” Saint Francis would be a great force in the movement behind saving the environment today. He would be unhappy with the pollution we have let over take God's creation.
The environment is in need of being saved and reconstructed. It is necessary that we join together with fellow humans and God to help save the earth. Saint Francis of Assisi is an excellent saint to pray to when worrying about the environment. As humans, we should follow in the footsteps of Saint Francis by caring for God's creation and the world he has made for us. Afterall, there is only one earth.
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AnonymousNovember 1, 2020 at 10:38 AM
26 million refugees across the globe are currently traveling to a foreign land to attempt to find a better future. Immigrant families leave their homes in hopes of escaping political corruption, violence, persecution, war, terrorism, hunger, and many more in humane factors of poorly led countries. Half of the 26 million immigrants are mere children whose lives are clouded with fear. In 2019, .5% of the world’s refugees relocated. The other 99.5% were required to return to their corrupt country. Where people are born is a matter of chance, not choice. This issue is a result of wealthy countries refusing to compromise. Countries that have been built on the idea of freedom and justice reject to fund immigrants. Immigration is seen as an economic crisis, instead of a moral crisis. There is no moral justification for compelling refugees to return to a country that is not safe. When did leaders begin thinking about political and economical gain when the lives of families are at risk? Is this the world that God envisioned? I think St. Frances Xavier Cabrini wound care to disagree. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was a sister who traveled to the United States due to the pope’s request. In 1887, the U.S. was then receiving many immigrants from Italy. Children from poor homes that suffered with hunger flooded the slums of New York. With six other sisters, Mother Cabrini built an international network of institutions giving aid to immigrants. This granted Frances the title of patron saint of immigrants. Despite being physically weak from childhood diseases, St. Frances Cabrini used all of her strength to build better lives for immigrant children. It is necessary for countries today to see the inhumanity within corrupt countries and help make our world a safer place, just as St. Frances Cabrini had. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, pray for us!
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Elena CerroniNovember 1, 2020 at 12:12 PM
There are many problems in the world today and many in America. These problems can range from something simple as shoplifting to major tragedies such as abortion. Children going hungry is another one of these problems. Many children in America don’t have the luxury of having a simple meal.
With more people losing their jobs, especially in the pandemic, it’s hard to provide food for their children. Since the pandemic, the 11 million children that don’t have food to eat increased to 13 million. Even before the pandemic millions of children didn’t know where their next meal was coming from. Not only that, but the children in abusive households face hunger as well. This is a huge problem in the United States and will continue to be a problem. Schools that provided breakfast and lunch were sometimes the only food that a child would get, and now that schools are shutting down, that opportunity is lost.
People struggling to provide meals to their kids, and the kids that need meals should pray to St. Nicholas. This saint has a reputation for being Santa Claus, but he also has been helping the hungry. When St Nicholas was in his hometown during a famine, he went up to a couple of ships asking for wheat. They refused because they don’t own the products. St. Nicholas promised that they wouldn’t get into trouble for giving the people the wheat. The shippers agreed, and St. Nicholas took enough wheat for the town. When the shippers checked their supply, they noticed that, even though they saw St. Nicholas took the wheat, there was nothing missing. The saint was able to feed his entire town for two years. This is just one example of how St Nicholas intercedes for the hungry.
Children are precious and should be cared for with food to eat. St. Nicholas can help us with this problem if we only pray to him for help. If children and their parents pray to him, world hunger may not be solved but they will be helped to find their next meal.
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UnknownNovember 1, 2020 at 12:19 PM
Amen
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AnonymousNovember 1, 2020 at 2:03 PM
Thousands of Muslims are facing persecution, a second holocaust, and the world is none the wiser. Buried deep within the Chinese out skirts are “conversion camps.” They house millions of Muslims who are living in poor conditions and who are being forced to convert from their religion. Women and children are raped daily, people are forced to eat meat which is against the Muslim culture, along with being told to denounce Allah. It’s an order day Holocaust that no one is paying attention to. One saint people can pray for to help aid the Ugier Muslims is Saint Lawerence. Saint Lawrence was declared a martyr after his murder in Rome. He serves as an example for never giving up on your faith, regardless of what religion you participate in. Prayers must be offered for the Uhgure Muslims.
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UnknownNovember 1, 2020 at 2:25 PM
Many Americans and people in 1st world countries are ignorant towards the ongoing problems around the world today. Most of us think inwards looking after ourselves first instead of others because we think we have the biggest problems when people around the world are suffering and starving. The Best person to emulate in our current world would be Saint Nicholas. St. Nicholas was raised as a Christian and when he was a young boy his parents died during the Plague of Cyprian. His parents were very wealthy and St. Nicholas inherited their fortune while he was still a young boy. Instead of thinking of himself first he took all of his inheritance and gave it to the sick, needy, and people who were suffering. Most people in today's world take their inheritance and use it all on themselves and their own wants instead of other people's needs. Most of the things that St. Nicholas did for people was done in secret for he did not want anyone to give him anything in return, for his reward would be great in Heaven. One of the miracles that St. Nicholas performed in the town of Myra when a boat came to port and St. Nicholas and the poor were all there and St. Nicholas asked the sailors if they could spare some wheat for the hungry and the sailors said that they would get in trouble for giving some away, but St. Nicholas said they would not get in trouble for sparing some. The sailors did as St. Nicholas asked and when they delivered their goods to the Emperor in Constantinople there was no change in the weight or amount of the wheat even though the sailors saw that there was a significant amount taken out and given to the people in need.

St. Nicholas help those in their time of need and help us think of others first instead of thinking of ourselves. Help those people realize that there are many people that are more needy and helpless than us. And pray that our reward will be great in heaven. St. Nicholas Pray for us. Amen.
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AnonymousNovember 1, 2020 at 2:41 PM
America is currently feeling a lot of stress and anxiety. From the pandemic to the election, America has a lot to think about. People all across the country are suffering from many different things, because of that, this country needs lots of healing. The best saint to heal us is Saint Raphael the Archangel, the patron saint of healing. Raphael heals physical, mental, and spiritual ailments. America looks like it is about to explode, so we need the one saint who can fix it all.
Saint Raphael is perfect for healing this country. Saint Raphael can heal physical ailments, and there is no better time to pray for his intersection than now. The coronavirus makes people sick, which physically hurts those with the disease. Saint Raphael’s intersection would heal anyone who is sick, but also those who are worried for the sick person. Saint Raphael can also heal people mentally, which is perfect for this time. People whose family members have gotten the virus would fear for the sick person’s life. If we pray for Saint Raphael to intercede for those who have to watch their loved ones suffer, he can calm their minds. Essentially, if a worried person prays for a sick person, Saint Raphael would intercede for the sick person’s health, and the mind of the person worrying for the sick person. It’s like a two for one deal! Saint Raphael also has the ability to heal others spiritually as well. One big problem in America is the issue of corruption, from small crime to high ranking politicians, corruption runs rampant in America. If we pray for Saint Rapahel’s intercession, he can heal those who are tempted to crime, or those who have a drug or porn addiction. Perhaps, if we all pray for his intercession, America’s crime rate will lower, and a happier society will form. Saint Raphael will set us, and others, on the right path as long as we pray for his help.
Saint Raphael the Archangel is the perfect saint to heal the America that is currently suffering. If only one person can heal America, there is no better person to do it then the person who can heal all problems. Saint Raphael the Archangel, pray for us!
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AnonymousNovember 1, 2020 at 2:44 PM
One crisis that our world is facing today is the there is a steep decline in practicing Catholics. In 1955, 75% of Catholics went to weekly mass. But as of 2017, only 39% of Catholics went to weekly mass. This isn’t a problem in all Christian faiths, however. In 1955, 42% of Protestants went to weekly mass. In 2017, 45% of Protestants. Clearly the belief of the true presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is slipping. Protestants don’t believe in the true presence, and their numbers are consistent. But the Catholic numbers are falling dramatically.
Blessed Imelda, although she isn’t yet a saint, she is a fantastic representation of the belief in the True Presence. As a young child, she really wanted to receive the Eucharist but was too young, however one day after mass, as she was praying, the Eucharist was hovering over her, so the priest gave her the Eucharist. After receiving the Eucharist, she died of joy. Her incorrupt body can still be seen today after thousands of years.
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AnonymousNovember 1, 2020 at 3:17 PM
As technology becomes more prevalent in society, the way that people, as a whole, express themselves has changed drastically. This world is facing many struggles, but one problem that is extremely noticeable is individuals not being able to have civilized conversations or even regular conversations due to technology.
As time progressed, online communication has changed the way individuals
communicate. People continue to use the internet and social media as a way to talk to each other, but it is used in the wrong way many times. As technology continues to advance, cyber bullying and terrible conversations have been taking place. In fact, thirty-seven percent of pupils attending middle or high school have experienced some form of this online bullying. This is even the one issue that most teachers are worried about when it comes to the health of their students. The inventors of technology definitely did not have this in mind when they were creating. They probably thought that they were doing people a favor and allowing a form of expression that otherwise would be impossible. Therefore, people have decided to use social media and technology to communicate, which brings people closer together if done correctly, but it actually caused division due to incorrect usage.
In-person conversation has become hard for people due to technology. Individuals have
become so used to expressing their feelings online that it is harder for them to say it face-to-face. It is so interesting to think about how people communicated with each other awhile ago and how easily it changed. Many people decide to just simply send a quick text over having a true dialogue. Not being able to express how you feel can cause a bottling up of emotions, which can then lead to hateful actions if an individual does try to have a conversation with someone. Moreover, technology has affected direct conversation, a true art that should never be lost.
Saint Isidore of Seville is the patron saint of technology. The power of prayer is nearly
indescribable, so anytime one is having trouble with communicating in a kind manner through technology or it is affecting the way they act around others, they can pray to this saint. He was abused by his brother when he was younger as a way to teach and make him learn. He left home due to this, but later returned and forgave his brother for past actions. He was an extremely intelligent man, and he even made an encyclopedia, which played a huge role in him being named the patron saint of technology. He was also designated this because of the many other advancements he made in various areas of learning.
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AnonymousNovember 1, 2020 at 8:11 PM
While not only America, but the entire world faces many challenges each and every day, the one that sticks out the most is the current COVID-19 pandemic we are going through. Back on January 9th, the World Health Organization announced a new coronavirus in Wuhan, China, that would soon because what we know as the COVID-19 pandemic. There was not much concern about it until January 21, which is when the first confirmed case showed up in the United States. Cases slowly began to grow more each day until March 11, when the World Health Organization declared this a pandemic. Shortly after, on March 13, President Trump declared COVID-19 to be a National Emergency as well. This resulted in many states declaring stay-at-home orders and the closure of schools, causing many students and parents to struggle with remote learning. Most schools stayed closed through the end of the school year, causing all spring activities to be cancelled. Another landmark date was May 28th, which is when the United States hit over 100,000 COVID-19 deaths. Cases began to climb, and on June 10, the United States reached over 2 million confirmed cases. These cases began to climb throughout the summer, however, in the fall, many schools decided to open. Some schools had to re-close within the first week but some are continuing to stay open, with limited sports and activities. This pandemic isn’t going away anytime soon, especially with some not masking up and social distancing, so we must continue to pray to God and the saints, especially one in particular. This saint that I am speaking about is ironically, St. Corona, the patron saint of pandemics. St. Corona has the feast day of May 14 and she is who many people are turning to in this pandemic. Until this pandemic hit, she was not well-known at all. This sudden rise to fame is not only due to not only her name, rather it was the fact that she grew up in Italy, a country that was hit extremely hard by coronavirus. So hence, St. Corona would be the best choice for us to continue to pray to because of the simple fact that she is the patron saint of pandemics, which is what we are experiencing in our world today. St. Corona, pray for us!
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AnonymousNovember 1, 2020 at 8:28 PM
While the world is losing its mind over Covid-19, many others have been facing a national pandemic for years before this: addiction. Over the past twenty years, the number of deaths by overdose have increased astronomically. If things don’t change soon, coronavirus will be the least of America’s problems.
Ever since the prescription of opioid drugs began, the percentage of overdoses resulting in death is four times higher in the U.S.. As that number rises, tragedy sweeps the nation. The issue is not just opioids, though. It concerns any type of drug or alcohol.
One of the biggest reasons why addiction plagues users, even when it doesn’t result in death, is that it ruins relationships. Children suffer most, but when someone becomes so dependent on something, they no longer care about anyone or anything else. This can result in loss of jobs, marriages, and custody of their kids. Ultimately, worsening the situation.
Addiction is also considered an illness. Mainly because it is destructive of physical health as well as mental. Drugs deteriorate mental being and can lead to serious illnesses or disorders. They also destroy physical appearance. Depending which kind is used, they can rot teeth, create scabs and wounds, and even cause mass weight loss.
A saint whose mission correlates to ending addiction is Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe. He gave up his own life for someone else while being held in by Nazis. They tried to starve him, but he survived by the power of prayer, so they injected him with acid. He is the patron saint of addiction and drug addicts.
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AnonymousNovember 1, 2020 at 8:40 PM
A big problem in our world today is poverty. In big cities, there are many
people sitting in the streets asking for help, money, or food. Soup kitchens are filled with people trying to get some food. Many people go on mission trips to help people that need their help. They make food for them, they build houses, and they also are there to just talk to them. These people are very happy when others come and help them. They feel some relief. We can all help out in some way. Even doing something small can go a very long way to help these people.
Since we are living in a pandemic, so many people have lost their jobs.
People now have to worry about feeding themselves and their families. They have to find a way to pay their bills on time. We need to pray for these people and ask God to help them figure out how to figure out the situation that they are in. We need to ask God to be with them through their struggles. We also need to pray for God to help us all during this terrible pandemic. It has had a terrible effect on so many people.
Another person that we can pray to for help with this matter is Saint
Francis of Assisi. Saint Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of the poor. He helped the poor, and he even lived with them. He was not afraid to help them, and he was happy to help. This is who we should look up too. We should ask him to help all of those in poverty. We can also pray to him and ask what we can do to help these people in need. We all need to pray to try and end poverty.
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AnonymousNovember 1, 2020 at 9:30 PM
One of the main problems that the world is facing today is education. There are kids all around the world who don’t get good education, or education at all. The world needs to be educated even the kids in poor countries around the world. Even in the poor countries when the kids get education it is both bad education and it is nearly impossible for children to learn to their full potential when they are starving. Most poor countries don’t have money or technology to get enough food for its people. The saint I chose is St. Joseph of Cupertino, he is the patron saint of education and studying. He would be a good saint because he struggled as a kid to learn. He had to work really hard to be smart. He is a good saint because he is the saint of education. Lack of Education is a problem today all around the world and will remain to be a problem throughout the years we need to pray to st. Joseph to help get people and kids all around the world educated.
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AnonymousNovember 1, 2020 at 10:22 PM
AMEN
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AnonymousNovember 1, 2020 at 11:08 PM
One issue in today’s world that we are experiencing, especially in America, is a decrease in funding in creative programs such as art and music. These programs are crucial for a sound cultural background, as well as an important way for students to express themselves and share their talents. They also teach students how to use their talents and make their visions come to life. Art and music are hobbies that are common, and this is partially in response to the awareness and accessibility to them in schools. Many people seek refuge in art, and for some people it helps them deal with mental, physical, and emotional issues, hardships, and obstacles. Saint Cathrine de’Vigri is the Patron Saint of artists against temptations. Through her intercession, I think that our nation’s art and music programs will be able to be strengthened by the power of God, and the participants of these programs will grow in fortitude against temptations and other things that threaten their medium and vision. Saint Catherine de’Vigri, pray for us.
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AnonymousNovember 1, 2020 at 11:58 PM
As Americans, we tend to overlook how privileged we are to be able to go to school. One of the most serious issues in the world is the divide of education. In many countries, children are unable to receive a substantial education. This is morally unacceptable, and should not be brushed off to the side as if it is an unimportant issue. Every human being should have the right to receive a basic education, so they can understand the concepts of everyday life. It is hard to argue that education should not be equally distributed around the world. If one were to take this stance, they would have to come to terms with the fact that they are not providing every human with an equal opportunity to be the best they can be. If someone has the potential to change the world, they need to be supplied with the tools necessary to help them succeed. It should be a crime to deprive human beings of basic knowledge. It is our job as Catholics to pray to St. Joseph of Cupertino, to help aid in the issue of educational divide. Joseph of Cupertino is the patron saint of studying and education. He was named the patron saint of studying due to learning disabilities he possessed throughout his life. Once he entered the monastery, his mind became more attentive, careful, and at peace. We should pray to St. Joseph of Cupertino because we can relate to his disabilities or setbacks in the education field. He found peace of mind through God, and was able to more efficiently gain knowledge about life and the world around him. By praying to Saint Joseph of Cupertino, we are enabling God to work just as he did with Joseph. God aided Joseph with the tools necessary to overcome his disability, and that’s what we are asking of him now. By praying to a Saint in a time of need, it allows us to feel more connected with God, knowing that our prayers are intercessed by someone we can understand and relate to. St. Joseph is the perfect model of a Saint to pray to, to help close the gap of the educational divide.
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AnonymousNovember 2, 2020 at 7:28 AM
There are many problems going on across the nation, especially America, through this unpredictable time. One of those problems is the killing of innocent babies. This process is most known as abortion. Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy. In 2016, 623,471 legal induced abortions were reported to the CDC. Another point of view is that the ratio of abortions was 186 abortions per 1,000 live births. The abortion of the baby is most often done within the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. Now this is just an awful thing to do for multiple reasons. God created that baby in his likeness and image. That baby was given life from God for a reason, but instead, that life is taken away because someone didn’t want the baby. What did that baby do to deserve such wrongness? Nothing, thats right, the baby was innocent as soon as it was given life inside the mother’s fetus. Another reason why this is act is so terrible and treacherous is because maybe that baby was going to be the next leader in this nation or a priest, or maybe even someone who designs something that no one has ever dreamed or thought of making that changes the world. None of us know what our future looks like, but God does. The ability to have life, or a reason to have life in this world is getting taken for granted as if sometimes we aren’t happy to be in this world. We all have to take in consideration that life is precious.
St Philomena is the patron saint of infants, babies, and youth. She was killed at a very young age. Her commitment to life and care for unborn children inspires the work of the creation of Gods children. Her name is also known as “the daughter of life.” Saint Philomena was killed at a very young age. By praying to Saint Philomena, hopefully these innocent human beings that are being killed with out any reason decreases throughout the years. Every human deserves to not just enjoy life, but to enjoy it with other people and create memories that will last a lifetime. Abortion is a crime and it should be treated as one. St Philomena, please guide us in the right direction.
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AnonymousNovember 2, 2020 at 8:07 AM
Amen
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