Pope's general prayer intention for September

August 31, 2013 - The General Prayer Intention of the Pope for the month of September is for the grace of silence - that people today, often overwhelmed by noise, may rediscover the value of silence and listen to the voice of God and their brothers and sisters. On his first public appearance immediately after his election on March 13, Pope Francis invited the people gathered in Rome’s St. Peter’s Square in a moment of silence to pray for him. And immediately, the enthusiastic crowd joined him in pin-drop silence as he bowed his head in prayer. Like all people of faith, Pope Francis, knows how essential silence is for prayer in the noisy world we live today. Music, radio, television, the internet, advertisements, news, opinions, visuals etc. all vie with one another to grab our attention and purse. But retired Pope, Benedict XVI said that inward and outward silence are necessary if we are to be able to engage in conversation with God and listen to His word. God speaks in silence, but we must know how to listen. Rather than isolating us, silent prayer actually increases our loving service to others. Pope Benedict said: “Silent contemplation immerses us in the source of that Love who directs us towards our neighbors so that we may feel their suffering and offer them the light of Christ.” Let us therefore join Pope Francis in the month of September that people may rediscover the value of silence and listen to the voice of God and their brothers and sisters.