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Pope Francis’s Prayer Intentions for May, 2023

Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of May is for ecclesial movements and groups.

“Ecclesial movements are a gift; they are a treasure in the Church,” the Holy Father said in a video released by the Vatican on May 2.

“These movements renew the Church with their capacity for dialogue at the service of her evangelizing mission,” he said. “Each day, they rediscover in their charism new ways of showing the attractiveness and the newness of the Gospel.”

“How do they do this? Speaking different languages, they seem different, but it is their creativity that creates these differences. But always understanding themselves and making themselves understood.”

He added: “Always be on the move, responding to the impulse of the Holy Spirit to the challenges, to the changes in today’s world.”

Pope Francis encouraged members of ecclesial groups to “remain in harmony with the Church, since harmony is a gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The pope concluded his message with a prayer: “Let us pray that ecclesial movements and groups may daily rediscover their mission, an evangelizing mission, and that they place their own charisms at the service of the world’s needs.” Pope Francis’ prayer video is promoted by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, which raises awareness of monthly papal prayer intentions.

Pope’s April prayer intention: ‘For a nonviolent culture’

Pope Francis releases his prayer intention for the month of April, and urges everyone to pray and work for a nonviolent culture which promotes peace.

By Devin Watkins

As the Church marks 60 years since Pope St. John XXIII published his encyclical Pacem in Terris, Pope Francis is calling on Christians to pray for a nonviolent culture.

The Pope released a video accompanying his prayer intention for April 2023, produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.

He recalled that “war is madness” which is “beyond reason”.

“Any war, any armed confrontation, always ends in defeat for all,” he recalled.

Culture of nonviolence

Pope Francis contrasted a conflictual mentality with one based on nonviolence.

“Living, speaking, and acting without violence is not surrendering, losing or giving up anything, but aspiring to everything,” he said.

Everyone, added the Pope, is called to “develop a culture of peace.”

Nonviolence, he said, can offer a guide for our actions, “both in daily life and in international relations.”

“Let us remember that, even in cases of self-defense, peace is the ultimate goal, and that a lasting peace can exist only without weapons,” he said.

Pope Francis wrapped up his intention video with the heart of his prayer appeal.

“And let us pray for a more widespread culture of nonviolence,” he said, “which will progress when countries and citizens alike resort less and less to the use of arms.”

Peace in our hearts

A press release accompanying the video recalled the many people who have promoted the cause of peace and nonviolence, including Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and St. Teresa of Calcutta.

Besides Pope Francis speaking, the video features scenes of destruction from various wars currently marring the world, along with the black-and-white portraits of advocates of peace.

In his Pacem in Terris, John XXIII lamented the extremely negative effects of violence, which “sows no seeds but those of hatred and violence.”

Fr. Frédéric Fornos SJ, International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, said peace among peoples begins “in the most concrete and intimate part of our hearts”, just as war and conflict have their roots there.

“The Gospel shows us that the life of Jesus reveals the true way of peace and invites us to follow Him, said Fr. Fornos. “It is in this spirit that we are called to ‘disarm’ ourselves, in the sense of ‘disarming’ our words, our actions, our hatred.”

Pope’s October prayer intention: A Church that walks together

Pope Francis releases his prayer intention for the month of October, in which he asks that the Church be one of synodality, which means walking together, along the same road.

By Francesca Merlo

As is customary at the beginning of every month, Pope Francis has released his prayer intention for the month of October: “A Church that is open to everyone”.

In The Pope Video, produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, the Holy Father begins by asking “What does it mean ‘to synod’?”, before answering himself, that it means walking together: syn-od. He explains that in Greek, the word synod means to walk together, and to walk on the same road.

This, continued the Pope, “is what God expects of the Church of the third millennium – that it regain its awareness of being a people on the road and of having to travel together”.

He adds that a Church with this synodal style is one that listens, aware that listening is more than just hearing.

“It means listening to each other in our diversity and opening doors to those outside the Church. It’s not about gathering opinions, nor holding a parliament. The synod isn’t a survey; it’s about listening to the protagonist, the Holy Spirit. It’s about praying. Without prayer, there will be no Synod”, says the Pope.

His two-minute-long video, which shows images of people walking, praying and attending classes together, ends with the Holy Father asking that we “take advantage of this opportunity to be a Church of closeness, which is God’s style –closeness”, as well as asking that we “give thanks to all the people of God who, with their attentive listening, are walking the synodal way”. Finally, the Pope says, “let us pray that the Church, ever faithful to the Gospel and courageous in preaching it, may live in an increasing atmosphere of synodality and be a community of solidarity, fraternity, and welcome”.

Laiko Season of Creation Preparation

September 5, 2022

To: All Laiko Members: National Lay Organizations

Dear Brethren in Christ:

The peace & love of the Lord…

We are all, in one way or another affected by the adverse consequence of climate change brought about by our negligence and indifference towards the care of our environment. The intensity of destruction now is unfathomable – that’s why Pope Francis has called it now a “CLIMATE EMERGENCY”!

Thus, the call for all of us to take an active part in caring for our common home is now a moral imperative. We must act now while we are still blessed with capabilities and precious time, moreso as persons of influence in our respective organizations, communities, parishes and even in our families.

In response to this very clear & present danger, at the top of LAIKO’s priority is the “care for our common home”. LAIKO actively works with other environmental groups in pursuing activities that would mitigate the negative effects of climate change and promote care and love for God’s gift of creation. To intensify our effort and work cohesively and effectively in LAIKO, may we ask from you the following information/materials:

• Initiatives done or being done related to environmental protection

• If you have an Ecological Desk/ Office/Ministry in your organization.

• Ads or promotional materials that can be uploaded at our website & facebook page to help you promote.

We hope to have a common response to address effectively the climate emergency that threatens all of us and we will send to you a proposal for a joint Season of Creation activity on October 1, 2022.

We look forward to your active collaboration and pray for your preferential attention to this concern.

Thank you & God bless!

Sincerely yours,

REPARATION ROSARY for NATIONAL HEALING

Feb 25, 2022

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we prepare for the 2022 National Elections, the CBCP will release a Circular encouraging all of us to cover our actions and endeavors with prayers. We are sending to you in advance the letter of Archbishop Socrates V. Villegas, saying: “I am appealing for a Lenten season of REPARATION ROSARY for NATIONAL HEALING starting on Ash Wednesday March 2 until Holy Wednesday, April 13.

  1. For every day of the Lenten season, we will pray together for all the civil provinces all over the Philippines according to the enclosed schedule.
  2. As the rosary is prayed publicly in all churches at a time when most people can join, we also plead that the family rosary at home be restored as a devout family practice even in our work places.”

Another proposal will be sent to you soon, coming from Bp. Guillermo Afable, which will be a continuation of this spiritual wave of intercession.

With the support of the Marian Solidarity, the Family Rosary Crusade, the Legion of Mary and many other Marian Devotion groups, we encourage all our Diocesan Councils of the Laity and National Lays Organizations to call on their members to enter into the spirit of the 40 Days and faithfully intercede for the country through this Reparation Rosary for National Healing.

For those who wish to come together virtually and pray the Reparation Rosary for National Healing, the Family Rosary Crusade will be streaming their daily recitations at 11:30 am. We can all join them through the FB link below.

Lastly, for those who can, let us accompany our prayers with fasting. “Fasting is a grace that significantly increases our receptivity to the voice of the Lord.”  (CTTO).

Let us appropriate the many graces from Prayers, Fasting and Good Works (Alms-giving) this Lenten season. Let us pray for the entire Filipino nation.

Sincerely in the service of the Lord,

(Sgd)RAYMOND DANIEL H. CRUZ, JR.
President

Family Rosary Crusade Philippines