The Intentions of Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, for December 2008

General Prayer Intention:

"That, faced with the expansion of the culture of violence and death, the Church may courageously promote the culture of life through all her apostolic and missionary activities."

Missionary Prayer Intention:

"That, especially in mission countries, Christians may show through gestures of kindness that the Child born in Bethlehem is the Hope of the world."

REFLECTIONS ON POPE BENEDICT XVI'S
MONTHLY INTENTIONS

December 2008

The Apostleship of Prayer receives monthly prayer intentions from Pope Benedict XVI and urges Christians throughout the world to unite in prayer for those intentions. The reflections below seek to illuminate the Holy Father's concerns.


General Intention:

Culture of Life. That, faced with the expansion of the culture of violence and death, the Church may courageously promote the culture of life through all her apostolic and missionary activities.

Pope Benedict XVI asks us to pray for the culture of life - specifically, that the Church may effectively promote life through its activities. Prayer for the culture of life is urgent because the culture of violence and death is growing.

The culture of death is based on the idea that humans are something less than beings in the image of God, unique creatures so loved by their Creator that he took flesh and died to restore us to friendship with himself. When a society loses this belief in the inestimable value of each person, the culture of death creeps in.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church in its discussion of the fifth commandment, "You shall not kill," specifically condemns murder, abortion, euthanasia, genocide, wars that are not necessary for defense, slavery, racism, sexism, torture, abuse, suicide, and all other acts that degrade or victimize people (2258-2317).

Although its moral vision has sharpened throughout history, the Church has always condemned the practices of the culture of death. The truth we uphold is that God is Love and Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Jesus both affirmed and reversed the negative "thou shalt not" of the fifth commandment by giving us the positive commandment to love others and do good to them, even to the least of them, even to our enemies. We are to love, protect, and serve all who are vulnerable, including the unborn, young, old, ill, handicapped, weak, hurting, outcast, and oppressed.

This month we pray that the whole Church may promote the culture of life and be a true light to our darkening world.

Reflection:
Because we are sinners, we all have done things or have attitudes that are opposed to the culture of life. How do you think God wants to change you?.

Reading:
Matthew 5:21-22 - You have heard that it was said to the men of old, "You shall not kill: and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment." But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment."


Mission Intention:

Fraternal Witness. That, especially in mission countries, Christians may show through gestures of kindness that the Child born in Bethlehem is the Hope of the world.

This month the Pope offers us a Christmas intention that emphasizes again that Christians ought to be doers and not just hearers of the Word of God. We are to pray that all Christians will show by actions as well as words that the Child born in Bethlehem is the true Hope of the world.

What actions? "Gestures of kindness," says the Holy Father. What is the message? That God became a human being, a fragile child born into a world torn by sin and strife. God was never indifferent to our plight, but chose in one person at one time and in one place to manifest his Love. Previously God spoke through the prophets; this time he spoke through a gesture, his own appearance in the flesh.

In so doing, he unites himself with every person. Jesus was like us in all things, except sin. He walked among us and spoke God's own words. But then in another incomprehensible gesture of kindness toward us, he offered himself as an innocent sacrifice for our eternal life. Now "each one of us can say with the Apostle: The Son of God 'loved me and gave himself up for me' (Galatians 2:20)" (Gaudiem et Spes, 26).

Gaudiem et Spes (Joy and Hope) was approved by the bishops at the end of the great Church council of the 1960s. The document speaks eloquently about the Hope that extends from Bethlehem to our own world today. "By suffering for us he not only provided us with an example for our imitation, he blazed a trail, and if we follow it, life and death are made holy and take on new meaning" (27).

"Through Christ and in Christ, the riddles of sorrow and death grow meaningful. Apart from his gospel, they overwhelm us. Christ has risen, destroying death by his death; he lavished life upon us so that, as sons in the Son, we can cry out in the Spirit: Abba, Father" (33, 34).

By the power of that same Spirit of Christ, may Christians everywhere reflect their great Hope by "gestures of kindness," gestures small and large, expressing genuine love for others, forgetful of ourselves.

Reflection:
Through what gesture of kindness will you express your faith that the Child born in Bethlehem is the Hope of the world?

Reading:
Mark 9:36-37 - Taking a child he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it he said to them, "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the one who sent me."


Prayer of the Month

O Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause of life.
Look down, O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life
with honesty and love to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build,
together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life.

--concluding prayer of Pope John Paul II's encyclical Evangelium vitae (The Gospel of Life)

The Intentions of Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, for November 2008

General Prayer Intention:

"That the testimony of love offered by the saints may fortify Christians in their devotion to God and their neighbor, imitating Christ who came to serve and not to be served."

Missionary Prayer Intention:

"That the Christian communities of Asia, contemplating the face of Christ, may know how to find the most suitable ways to announce Him, in full faithfulness to the Gospel, to the people of that vast continent so rich in culture and ancient forms of spirituality."

REFLECTIONS ON POPE BENEDICT XVI'S
MONTHLY INTENTIONS

November 2008

The Apostleship of Prayer receives monthly prayer intentions from Pope Benedict XVI and urges Christians throughout the world to unite in prayer for those intentions. The reflections below seek to illuminate the Holy Father's concerns.


General Intention:

Love of God and Neighbor. That the testimony of love offered by the saints may fortify Christians in their devotion to God and neighbor, imitating Christ who came to serve and not to be served.

This month Pope Benedict XVI points us to the saints of the Church, that all Christians may imitate them in their imitation of Christ. For this is the love of God and neighbor, to serve and not to be served.

Scripture is very clear on this: "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us" (1 John 4: 11-12).

We pray that all Christians may be fortified in love that serves others, because any love that does not serve others isn't really love at all. The saints have shown us that there are thousands of ways to serve others, but it's the serving of others that is essential. As we faithfully serve others, we are living out the love of God, even in those times we don't feel the love.

The Feast of All Saints on November 1 puts us in mind of one we claim as our own, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. A member of the Apostleship of Prayer, Frassati was devoted to both prayer and action. He used to say, "Charity is not enough; we need social reform." He also said, "We need constant prayer to obtain from God that grace without which all our prayers are useless; organization and discipline to be ready for action at the right time; and finally, the sacrifice of our passion and of ourselves, because without that we cannot achieve our aim."

Blessed Frassati died in 1925 of polio. Many of the sick people he helped came to his funeral. May all Christians be inspired to a love that expresses itself in prayer and service.

Reflection:
In what ways has your love for God led you to serve others? Thank God for the privilege of extending his love.

Reading:
James 2:26 - Just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.


Mission Intention:

Church in Asia. That the Christian communities of Asia, contemplating the face of Christ, may find the most suitable ways to announce Him, in full faithfulness to the Gospel.

Last December Pope Benedict XVI addressed a group of Korean prelates, exclaiming: "The Church in your countries has made remarkable progress since the arrival of missionaries in the region over four hundred years ago, and their return to Mongolia just fifteen years ago."

The Holy Father attributed this growth to the "outstanding witness of the Korean Martyrs and others throughout Asia who remained steadfastly faithful to Christ and his Church."

This month he asks us to pray for the many and diverse Christian communities throughout Asia. These communities include the Philippines, Asia's most populous Catholic country; India, where Catholicism goes back to St. Thomas the Apostle; South Korea and Vietnam, where Catholics make up a surprisingly large percentage of the population; China where there are new hopes that persecution is slowly easing; Indonesia, where there are conflicts with Muslims; India, where there are conflicts with Hindus; the Middle East, where many conflicts continue; and Iraq, from which Christians are fleeing.

After visiting Asia, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe reported on Vatican Radio that the Christian minority there often lives the faith "with great enthusiasm," comparing themselves to the first Christians who set out to evangelize the world.

We are praying this month that Asian Christians may find the most suitable ways to announce Christ. We in the West must respect the ancient cultures of the East and let the Church in Asia find the best ways to spread the Gospel. After all, Christianity is a religion that transcends, rather than imposes, culture. Cultures are transformed and elevated by Christ living among the people, for the Church is his Body.

May the Holy Spirit guide those who preach and teach the faith in Asia. May this be, as Popes John Paul II and Benedict have said, the millennium for the evangelization of the East.

Reflection:
People come to know Jesus Christ in a tremendous variety of ways. How did you come to Christ? Who helped?

Reading:
Acts 20: 17-24 - I consider this life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of God's grace.


Prayer of the Month

Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. You are glorified in your saints, for their glory is the crowning of your gifts. In their lives on earth, you give us an example. In our communion with them, you give us their friendship. In their prayer for the Church you give us strength and protection. This great company of witnesses spurs us on to victory, to share their prize of everlasting glory. May we imitate their lives of service and daily give you all honor and glory. Amen.

The Intentions of Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, for October 2008:

General Prayer Intention:

"That the Synod of Bishops may help all those engaged in the service of the Word of God to transmit the truth of faith courageously in communion with the entire Church."

Missionary Prayer Intention:

"That, faithful to the sacrament of matrimony, every Christian family may cultivate the values of love and communion in order to be a small evangelizing community, sensitive and open to the material and spiritual needs of its brothers."

REFLECTIONS ON POPE BENEDICT XVI'S
MONTHLY INTENTIONS

October 2008

The Apostleship of Prayer receives monthly prayer intentions from Pope Benedict XVI and urges Christians throughout the world to unite in prayer for those intentions. The reflections below seek to illuminate the Holy Father's concerns.


General Intention:

Pope Benedict XVI asks us to pray for this month's Synod of Bishops as they discuss how we can use the Bible to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. The goal is that Catholics will spend time reading the Bible and, by doing so, grow in knowledge and love of God in unity with the whole Church. Strong in the Word of God, we may become courageous witnesses to the world.

Jesus promised the Apostles that the Holy Spirit would lead the Church into all truth (John 15:26). The Church sees the Word of God and the Tradition of the Church as the two great sources of this truth, and it is the Church's ultimate responsibility to codify the truths of our faith. Otherwise the meaning found in the Bible becomes subjective, with readers or groups of readers interpreting the Word of God in any way they wish.

Most Protestant denominations were born of such independent readings of the scriptures. As a result most Protestants have no authority to establish the true meaning of the Bible, and their churches split and splintered thousands of times, each group claiming to have the true interpretation but with no authority to do so. Meanwhile, the Catholic Church has upheld one faith.

The doctrines of the Church actually illuminate scripture. Take the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. Although a triune God is clearly implied by the scriptures as a whole, especially in light of the New Testament, the doctrine of the Trinity was not proclaimed by the Church until the fourth century. That proclamation was based on scripture, at least two centuries of tradition in the Church Fathers, and the need to counter the Arian heresy denying the divinity of Jesus.

Thus, safeguarded from error, we Catholics benefit a great deal from reading the scriptures, whether we do it publicly at Mass or privately. If we hear or read the Word in a prayerful manner, we receive faith, hope, and love, grow in unity with the Church, and find new courage to proclaim the Gospel.

Reflection:
How has the bible enriched your faith? Can you think ways to increase your time reading and praying the scriptures?

Reading:
Psalm 119:97-105 - How I love your teaching, Lord! I study it all day long. Your command makes me wiser than my foes, for it is always with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, because I ponder your decrees. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.


Mission Intention

October is the month of the Rosary and the Missions. Pope Benedict asks us to pray this month that every Christian community may participate in missions through prayer, sacrifice, and concrete help. The Pope wants us to take missions seriously because he is aware of several grave threats to evangelization.

Some Christians have decided that evangelization must be modernized. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith calls it a "growing confusion" which misinterprets the "missionary command of the Lord" as a suggestion merely to present Christian ideas rather than preach repentance and Baptism into Christ. Some say that it is enough to try to help people act according to their own consciences without attempting to convert them to Christ, that it is enough to help people become more faithful to their own religions without attempting to convert them to the Catholic faith ("Doctrinal Note on Some Aspects of Evangelization," Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, December 2007).

But the Pope strongly contradicts these errors. In the same document cited above, we are reminded of the words of Jesus, who said, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (Jn 20:21). By his Church, Christ wants to be present in every time and place on earth in order to reach every person so there may be "one flock and one shepherd" (Jn 10:16). "The Apostles, therefore, prompted by the Spirit, invited all to change their lives, to be converted and to be baptized. It is the same Lord Jesus Christ who, present in his Church, goes before the work of evangelizers, accompanies it, follows it, and makes their labors bear fruit: what took place at the origins of Christian history continues throughout its entire course."

The Pope calls the Church to recommit ourselves to evangelization. How shall we proceed? Let us do what the Apostles of Prayer have always done. Like St. Therese of Lisieux, who never set foot in a mission field, we direct our prayers to God on behalf of missionaries and those they seek to reach. We sacrifice our time and our money to support them. We speak to others about the importance of evangelization. We look for concrete ways to build up a missionary culture. We deeply respect the Pope's wisdom in making these requests of us.

Reflection:
The Pope stresses the word "concrete" in this intention. How have you acted in concrete ways to support the missions? What might you do this month?

Reading:
Luke 5:10 - Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."

The Intentions of Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, for September 2008:

General Prayer Intention:

"That those who, because of wars or oppressive regimes, are forced to leave their homes and country may be supported by Christians in the defence and protection of their rights."

Missionary Prayer Intention:

"That, faithful to the sacrament of matrimony, every Christian family may cultivate the values of love and communion in order to be a small evangelizing community, sensitive and open to the material and spiritual needs of its brothers."