Secretary Kerry asks Iran to release American pastor

News Excerpt from Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Washington D.C., - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has renewed calls for the Iranian government to release American citizen Saeed Abedini, a Christian pastor serving an eight-year sentence on religion-related charges.

“The United States respectfully asks the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to work cooperatively with us in our efforts to help U.S. citizens,” Secretary Kerry asked in an Aug. 29 press release, to “return to their families after lengthy detentions.”

“These men belong at home with those who love them and miss them.”

In his statement, Kerry also asked for the release and location of Amir Hekmati and Robert Levinson, who are detained and missing in the country as well.

The secretary of state explained that as of September 26, “Mr. Abedini will have spent a year in detention in Iran. He was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges related to his religious beliefs.”
Born in Iran, Abedini converted to Christianity in 2000 and obtained U.S. citizenship after marrying a U.S. citizen. The pastor lived with his wife and their two children in Idaho. He was arrested in 2012 during a visit to Iran to work with non-religious orphanages in the country.

Following his arrest, Abedini was charged with posing a threat to national security for his earlier work with the churches. He is now serving an eight-year sentence in Iran’s Evin Prison, and has reportedly been faced with brutal beatings, attempts to make him renounce his faith, and insufficient medical attention.

On Aug. 26, it was announced that Abedini’s appeal for a reduction in his sentence’s length was denied.

Kerry noted that Hassan Rouhani, the newly-elected Iranian president who took office Aug. 3, “has shared in his speeches and interviews over the past few months his hope and vision to improve the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s relationship with the world.”

Kerry asked that in light of this wish, Rouhani urge the government to release the prisoners “so that they may be reunited with their families as safely and as soon as possible.”

Naghmeh Abedini, Saeed’s wife, said in a statement that she is “very thankful for the statement that Secretary of State John Kerry made to Iran regarding Saeed's immediate return to our family.”

Read More: Release American Pastor

Are You Ready to Receive God's Blessing and Grace? If so, Take a Leap of Faith

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

 

Christian-Miracles.com is growing and helping to lead the way in evangelization by reaching a global community with visitors coming from the USA, Canada, United Kingdom (UK), India, Australia, Philippines, Singapore, Germany, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Ireland, and many other countries.

Please consider answering the call by taking a leap of faith and opening the door for God to enter your life, and witness His divine love and mercy through news of life-changing miracles.

In a world which appears to be out of synchronization with gospel teachings, let Jesus change your life and make it better by attending Holy Mass or weekly church services. Make a personal effort and return to the sacraments of the church.

Regardless of your religious denomination, start reading the gospels and let Our Lord bless you, and set you free with His divine favor and peace!

If you're ready to step forward -- than allow Our Lord to guide you with words of wisdom:  "Do not conform to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

 

For timely updates, please follow "Christian-Miracles.com" on Facebook. 

 

With over 1.5 million visitors on Christian-Miracles.com, we are happy to announce that the website is approaching 20,000 likes on Facebook. 

▶ Modern Art by Stephen B. Whatley at Westminster Cathedral

August 2013 - YouTube

Exhibition of 'Paintings From Prayer' - including a new portrait tribute of Pope Francis by British expressionist painter Stephen B. Whatley, uniquely on show in the Chapels of St. Andrew and St. Patrick in Westminster Cathedral, London, UK, ( August 8- 22, 2013)

Whatley's work is in collections worldwide and public collections including BBC Heritage, the London Transport Museum and the Royal Collection. There is a permanent walkway of his 30 paintings for the Tower of London just outside Tower Hill Station, leading to The Tower.

▶Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - I Have a Dream

August 28, 1963 [FULL SPEECH] - YouTube

Fifty years later, and still the most famous speech (I Have a Dream) of the 20th century by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Wednesday, August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

PRAYER FOR HEALING YOUR FAMILY TREE

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

PRAYERS - Claretian Ministry

By Fr. John H. Hampsch, C.M.F 
 
Heavenly Father, I come before you as your child, in great need of your help; I have physical health needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs, and interpersonal needs. Many of my problems have been caused by my own failures, neglects, and sinfulness, for which I humbly beg your forgiveness, Lord. But I also ask you to forgive the... sins of my ancestors whose failures have left their effects on me in the form of unwanted tendencies, behavior patterns and defects in body, mind and spirit. Heal me, Lord, of all these disorders.

With your help I sincerely forgive everyone, especially livings or dead members of my family tree, who have directly offended me or my loved ones in any way, or those whose sins have resulted in our present sufferings and disorders. In the name of your divine Son, Jesus, and in the power of his Holy Spirit, I ask you, Father, to deliver me and my entire family tree from the influence of the evil one. Free all living or dead members of my family tree, including those in adoptive relationships, and those in extended family relationships, from every contaminating form of bondage. By your loving concern for us, heavenly Father, and by the shed blood of your precious Son, Jesus, I beg you to extend your blessings to me and to all my living and deceased relatives. Heal every negative effect transmitted through all past generations, and prevent such negative effects in future generations of my family tree.

I symbolically place the cross of Jesus over the head of each person in my family tree, and between each generation; I ask you to let the cleansing blood of Jesus purify the bloodlines in my family lineage. Set your protective angels to encamp around us, and permit Archangel Raphael, the patron of healing, to administer your divine healing power to all of us, even in the area of genetic disability. Give special power to our family members’ guardian angels to heal, protect, guide and encourage each of us in all our needs. Let your healing power be released at this very moment, and let it continue as long as your sovereignty permits.

In our family tree, Lord, replace all bondage with a holy bonding in family love. And let there be an ever-deeper bonding with you, Lord, by the Holy Spirit, to your Son, Jesus. Let the family of the Holy Trinity pervade our family with its tender, warm, loving presence, so that our family may recognize and manifest that love in all our relationships. All of our unknown needs we include with this petition that we pray in Jesus’ precious name.

Amen

St. Joseph, Patron of family life, pray for us.

The above prayer is posted on the website of Claretian Teaching Ministry: http://catholicbooks.net/

Our Lady's Monthly Message to Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti

The Medjugorje Web - Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Medjugorje

Message of August 25, 2013 from Our Lady to Visionary Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti

"Dear children! Also today, the Most High is giving me the grace to be with you and to lead you towards conversion. Every day I am sowing and am calling you to conversion, that you may be prayer, peace, love - the grain that by dying will give birth a hundredfold. I do not desire for you, dear children, to have to repent for everything that you could have done but did not want to. Therefore, little children, again, with enthusiasm say: 'I want to be a sign to others.' Thank you for having responded to my call."

The image of Our Lady is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia