Since the nineteenth century, popes have asked the Apostleship of Prayer to pray for specific intentions. Two prayer intentions are requested each month from the Holy Father, a general intention and a mission intention. Let us join the Apostleship of Prayer’s dedication to pray for these intentions each day. Pope Benedict XVI’s September prayer intentions are:
General Intention – Teachers: That all teachers may know how to communicate the love of truth and instill authentic moral and spiritual values.
“Some years ago a professor at the University of Nebraska studied great teachers to find out what made them great. Was it their mastery of their subject matter? Their ability to keep their students’ interest? Their organizational or disciplinary skills? No. The great teachers he studied all had one thing in common – they experienced pleasure in seeing the growth of their students.â€
Last February, the Holy Father said: “Educating is an act of love, an exercise of ‘intellectual charity’ which calls for responsibility, dedication, and a consistent life.”
Mission Intention – Church in Asia: That the Christian communities of Asia may proclaim the Gospel with fervor, witnessing to its beauty with the joy of faith.
“We’re praying once more for the Church in the least Christian yet most populous continent in the world – Asia. There the Church faces several challenges. Christianity is a minority religion that exists in the midst of two older religions – Hinduism and Buddhism – and a more recent but vigorous religion – Islam. In Asia, the forces of nationalism, atheistic communism, and religious intolerance have often led to persecution.â€
Visit Apostleship of Prayer for deeper reflection and resources on these monthly intentions.