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.