Pope’s Mission Prayer Intention for September

(September 01, 2012) And now before the news, here’s a brief comment on the Mission Intention of Pope Benedict XVI during this month of September - that Christian communities may have a growing willingness to send missionaries, priests and lay people, along with concrete resources, to the poorest Churches. An outstanding feature of the early Christian communities was that members used to bring their goods to be shared by all regardless of social or economic status, rich or poor, noble or common. This is true even today, where in the spirit of the same faith Churches that are well-off personnel-wise or economically, share their resources with the less fortunate ones. The Pope asks us to join him in praying for the "poorest Churches." But where are the poorest Christian Churches and communities today? Of the world's 20 poorest nations, 18 are in Africa, which is Catholicism's fastest growing continent. There are also poor churches elsewhere, such as in Asia and South America. And within a nations there are regions, dioceses, and parishes that are poorer than the rest of the country. These poorest Churches need personnel - missionary priests, sisters, brothers, and lay people - and concrete resources, such as finance, schools, healthcare, housing, development etc. First of all, in the spirit of faith, our service to these needy communities begins with prayer, and other spiritual acts of support such as fasting, donation of a skipped meal, acts of charity, good works, self-denial, joys and sufferings. As Pope Benedict wrote: "May prayer be intensified ever more in the Christian people, the essential spiritual means for spreading among all peoples the light of Christ." Hence action is needed as faith without good works is dead. We cannot pray for something and then ignore opportunities to meet the needs for which we are praying. In 2010 he had said, “I renew to everyone the invitation to pray and, despite financial difficulties, to offer fraternal and concrete help to support the young Churches." Let us therefore join the Holy Father this month in praying for Christian communities that they may have a growing willingness to send missionaries, priests and lay people, along with concrete resources, to the poorest Churches.