Pope Francis Prayer Intentions
The Pope’s Intention for Month of April
For the role of women. We pray that the dignity and immense value of women be recognized in every culture, and for the end of discrimination that they experience in different parts of the world.
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Jesus was not risen only for Himself, but for all of us. He redeemed all the happiness which has remained unfulfilled in our lives. Faith casts out fear, and Christ’s resurrection removes sadness, just as the stone was removed from the tomb.
God loved us first. He waited for us. He keeps loving us. This is our identity and our strength: we are God’s beloved.
When the voices and experiences of women are heard, all of society is truly enriched. Let us pray together that, through the encounter and dialogue, “the genius of woman” may be allowed to flourish in today’s world.
The Lord has warned us that we should not waste words when we pray, deluding ourselves that we will be heard because of it. Rather, He taught us to trust the Father, who knows what we need even before we ask Him. (Mt. 6:7-8)
War is always a defeat. Wherever fighting occurs, people are exhausted. Let us pray together tirelessly, because prayer is effective. May we ask the Lord for the gift of minds and hearts dedicated concretely to peace.
Loneliness is the bitter lot in life of many elderly persons, who are victims of the throwaway culture. We must not forget them! So, I have chosen the theme for the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly: “Do not cast me off in my old age” (Psalm 71:9)
Saint Bakhita encourages us to open our eyes and ears to see those who go unseen and to hear those who have no voice, to acknowledge the dignity of each person and to fight trafficking and all forms of exploitation.
“Through the Desert God Leads us to Freedom” is the theme of the message for the upcoming season of Lent. Let us make room for God, who delivers us from all forms of slavery. May we welcome Lent as an opportunity for conversion.
Over 360 million Christians around the world experience persecution and discrimination because of their
faith. More and more of them are being forced to flee their homelands. Peace also requires the protection of religious freedom.
Observe the hiddenness and littleness of Jesus in the grotto. Look to the simplicity of the Nativity Scene, and
know that goodness, even when hidden and invisible, grows in silence, multiplies in unexpected ways, and spreads the fragrance of joy.
God so greatly desire to embrace our lives that, infinite hour he is, he becomes finite for our sake. In his greatness, he chooses to become small. This is the wonder of Christmas: the unprecedented tenderness of God who saves the world by becoming incarnate.
May we not forget people suffering the evils of war. Let us think about children in war and the things they
see. May we draw near to the Nativity Scene to ask Jesus for peace. He is the Prince of Peace.
May Participants in COP28 be strategists who focus on the common good and the future of their children, rather than the vested interests of certain countries or businesses. May they demonstrate the nobility of politics and not its shame.
Everyone is our neighbor, regardless of the color of their skin, their social standing, where they come from. We are called to encounter every poor person and every form of poverty, abandoning our indifference and the banal excuses we make to protect our illusory well-being.
God alone is Lord. Our lives, the Church’s pilgrim way, and the ultimate outcome of history all depend on the tenderness of His love. He gives meaning to our lives. He is the foundation of our joy, the reason for our hope, the guarantor of our freedom.
Today, thinking of the dead, let us ask the Lord for peace so that people are no longer killed in war. War is a defeat, always. Let us pray to the Lord for our deceased, for everyone - that the Lord might welcome them all.
The proclamation of Christ is one of hope. He knows the anguish and hope we bear in our hearts, the joys and struggles that mark our lives, the darkness that assails us, and the faith that we raise to Heaven like a song in the night.
The Lord does not look for the center stage, but for the simple heart of those who desire him and love him without ostentation, without wanting to tower above others.
Faith deserves respect and honor: it has changed our lives, it has purified our minds, it has taught us the worship of God and the love of our neighbor. It is a blessing for all!
Those who love do not stand around doing nothing. Those who love serve. They hurry to reach others to serve in the name of Jesus. We love through our deeds and love makes us happy!
Let us pray together that the World Youth Day in Lisbon 2023will help young people to set out on the journey, witnessing to the Gospel with their own lives.
Let us imagine a seed: it is tiny, barely visible, but it makes plants grow that bear fruit. The Word of God is thus: think of the Gospel, a small book, simple and within reach of all, that produces new life in those who receive it. (Mt 13:1-23).
To sow goodness is good for us. It brings a breath of gratuitousness into our lives and makes us more and more like God.
The elderly entrusts the past to the present in order to construct the future. Let us honour them, neither depriving ourselves of their company nor depriving them of ours. May we never allow the elderly to be cast aside!
Faith was passed down from generation to generation through life, through witnesses who brought the flame of the Gospel, the joy of the saving love of Jesus, and the hope of his promise. Faith grows through witness.
Let us pray together for a more widespread culture of non-violence, that will progress when countries and citizens alike resort less and less to the use of arms.
Every human person is sacred and inviolable. To ensure that a society has a future, it is necessary that a sense of respect be matured for the dignity of every person, no matter in what condition they find themselves.
Is your faith tired? Do you want to reinvigorate it? Look for God’s gaze: sit in adoration, allow yourself to be forgiven in Confession, stand before the Crucified One. In short, let him love you.
Let us not forget those suffering from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Let us continue to pray for the victims and their loved ones and make a concrete commitment to help the survivors. May the Lord give consolation to the people affected by this terrible tragedy.
On the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Francis De Sales as the patron of journalists, let us pray together that journalists might be inspired by this saint toward tenderness, toward the search and narration of truth with courage and freedom.
We don't have to wait til we are perfect to bear witness to Jesus; our proclamation begins today, right where we live. And it does not begin by trying to convince others, but by witnessing every day to the beauty of the Love that has looked upon us and lifted us up.
I urge everyone to persevere in demonstrating through closeness and solidarity to the battered people of Ukraine who are suffering very much, asking for the gift of the peace for them.
God loves us so much that He shares our humanity and our lives. He never leaves us alone either in joy or in sorrow because He is the Emmanuel, the God with us, the light that illuminates the darkness and the tender presence that accompanies us on our journey.
Let us entrust to the intercession of the Mother of God the universal desire for peace, in particular for tormented Ukraine, which suffers greatly. With God’s help, peace is possible; disarmament is possible. May Our Lady help us to convert ourselves towards God’s plans.
God conceals Himself in the most ordinary situations of our lives. He does not come in extraordinary events, but in everyday things: our daily work, a chance encounter, someone in need...that's where the Lord is, who calls to us and inspires our actions.
Let us read the lives of the saints which narrate in a comprehensible way the style God uses in the lives of people not that different from us since the saints were made of flesh and blood like us. Their deeds dialogue with our own actions, and help us understand what they mean.
In the garden of humanity, we are playing with fire, missiles and bombs, with weapons that bring sorrow and death, covering our common home with ashes and hatred. I extend my heartfelt appeal to everyone that the war in Ukraine be ended and that serious peace negotiations begin.
Women must be entrusted with greater positions and responsibilities. Many calamitous decisions might have been avoided, had woman been directly involved in decision-making! We are committed to ensuring women are increasingly respected, acknowledged and involved!
Let us pray together for all those who have lost their lives due to the violent flooding that has hit Nigeria, and for all those affected by this devastating calamity. May our solidarity, and the support of the international community, not be lacking.
It is important to know the passwords of our heart, what we are most sensitive to, to protect ourselves from those who present themselves with persuasive words to manipulate us, but also to recognize what is truly important for us.
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