Christ shed his blood for the salvation of the whole world. In the words of the 853 Council of Quiercy quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church #605: “There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer.” His heart, the Sacred Heart honored on this first Friday of the month in a special way, was pierced for all and is open for all. A feast in honor of the Precious Blood of Jesus used to be celebrated on July 1 and this entire month was dedicated to it. As we thank Jesus for his self-sacrificing love today, let us ask that his Precious Blood may fall upon everyone so that they may know the love of God. We ask this as we pray for the Holy Father’s monthly intentions and reflect on words of Blessed Pope John XXIII’s 1960 encyclical about the Precious Blood.

Unlimited is the effectiveness of the God-Man's Blood -- just as unlimited as the love that impelled him to pour it out for us, first at his circumcision eight days after birth, and more profusely later on in his agony in the garden, in his scourging and crowning with thorns, in his climb to Calvary and crucifixion, and finally from out that great wide wound in his side which symbolizes the divine Blood cascading down into all the Church's sacraments. Such surpassing love suggests, nay demands, that everyone reborn in the torrents of that Blood adore it with grateful love.

The Blood of the new and eternal covenant especially deserves this worship of latria when it is elevated during the sacrifice of the Mass. But such worship achieves its normal fulfillment in sacramental communion with the same Blood, indissolubly united with Christ's Eucharistic Body. … Nourished by his Body and Blood, sharing the divine strength that has sustained countless martyrs, they will stand up to the slings and arrows of each day's fortunes -- even if need be to martyrdom itself for the sake of Christian virtue and the kingdom of God. Theirs will be the experience of that burning love which made St. John Chrysostom cry out:

Let us, then, come back from that table like lions breathing out fire, thus becoming terrifying to the Devil, and remaining mindful of our Head and of the love he has shown for us. . . This Blood, when worthily received, drives away demons and puts them at a distance from us, and even summons to us angels and the Lord of angels. . . This Blood, poured out in abundance, has washed the whole world clean. . . This is the price of the world; by it Christ purchased the Church... This thought will check in us unruly passions. How long, in truth, shall we be attached to present things? How long shall we remain asleep? How long shall we not take thought for our own salvation? Let us remember what privileges God has bestowed on us, let us give thanks, let us glorify him, not only by faith, but also by our very works.

According to the Gospel of John, St. Thomas was missing from the Upper Room on the first Easter Sunday evening when Jesus appeared to the apostles. When they told Thomas that they had seen the Risen Lord, he declared that he would not believe unless he actually touched the wounds of Jesus. Why was Thomas missing that first Easter evening? Perhaps he was the bravest of the apostles, the only one willing to leave the locked room and venture forth to get food for the others. Maybe it was his courage and charity that resulted in his being gone when Jesus appeared. At any rate, through the centuries Thomas is known now not for these virtues but for his unbelief. Let us pray with St. Thomas today for the Church and for the Holy Father’s monthly intentions. We stay close to Jesus by sharing in the prayer intentions of the Holy Father. Our reflection is from Pope Benedict’s General Audience of September 27, 2006.

Thomas said to his fellow disciples: "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (Jn 11: 16). His determination to follow his Master is truly exemplary and offers us a valuable lesson: it reveals his total readiness to stand by Jesus, to the point of identifying his own destiny with that of Jesus and of desiring to share with him the supreme trial of death. In fact, the most important thing is never to distance oneself from Jesus.

Moreover, when the Gospels use the verb "to follow", it means that where he goes, his disciple must also go. Thus, Christian life is defined as a life with Jesus Christ, a life to spend together with him. St Paul writes something similar when he assures the Christians of Corinth: "You are in our hearts, to die together and to live together" (II Cor 7: 3). What takes place between the Apostle and his Christians must obviously apply first of all to the relationship between Christians and Jesus himself: dying together, living together, being in his Heart as he is in ours.

Today’s Gospel is the story of how Jesus sent out 72 disciples to carry on his work. They were to proclaim the Kingdom of God in word and deed, bringing healing and comfort and sharing with others the peace of Christ. This is the role that all the baptized are called to perform today. On this birthday of our nation, the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we acknowledge our dependence upon God and ask that we may be responsible citizens who take seriously our civic duties. Only in this way will we keep our nation strong and safeguard democracy. Our reflection is from Pope John Paul II’s 1991 encyclical “Centesimus Annus”.

The Church values the democratic system inasmuch as it ensures the participation of citizens in making political choices, guarantees to the governed the possibility both of electing and holding accountable those who govern them, and of replacing them through peaceful means when appropriate. …

Authentic democracy is possible only in a State ruled by law, and on the basis of a correct conception of the human person. It requires that the necessary conditions be present for the advancement both of the individual through education and formation in true ideals, and of the "subjectivity" of society through the creation of structures of participation and shared responsibility. Nowadays there is a tendency to claim that agnosticism and sceptical relativism are the philosophy and the basic attitude which correspond to democratic forms of political life. Those who are convinced that they know the truth and firmly adhere to it are considered unreliable from a democratic point of view, since they do not accept that truth is determined by the majority, or that it is subject to variation according to different political trends. It must be observed in this regard that if there is no ultimate truth to guide and direct political activity, then ideas and convictions can easily be manipulated for reasons of power. As history demonstrates, a democracy without values easily turns into open or thinly disguised totalitarianism. …

In a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation and man is exposed to the violence of passion and to manipulation, both open and hidden. The Christian upholds freedom and serves it, constantly offering to others the truth which he has known (cf. Jn 8:31-32), in accordance with the missionary nature of his vocation. While paying heed to every fragment of truth which he encounters in the life experience and in the culture of individuals and of nations, he will not fail to affirm in dialogue with others all that his faith and the correct use of reason have enabled him to understand.

Today’s saint studied medicine but instead of caring for the physical needs of suffering humanity, he was drawn by God to care for their spiritual needs. He taught catechism of children and began studying for the priesthood. After his ordination he and two of his friends founded a new congregation, the Clerks Regular of St. Paul, also known as the Barnabites after one of St. Paul’s closest co-workers. Their goal was to reform society by means of preaching, penance, and parish missions. On the fifth centenary of his birth, Pope John Paul II spoke to the Barnabites and encouraged them to follow the example and advice of their founder, striving to be great, not small saints. May we share that desire as we offer ourselves today for the salvation of souls and the Holy Father’s intentions. The following is from Pope John Paul’s message to the Barnabites in 2002.

St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria … brought countless souls to the “knowledge of the love of Jesus Christ….” He constantly pointed out the goal of holiness, not only to his religious who had set out on the path of spiritual “reform” or “renewal,” but to all the faithful, whom he reminded of their call to become “not small … but great saints.” I am sure that reflection on his burning love for Jesus, “exalted on the Cross and concealed beneath the veils of the Eucharist,” and his unflagging zeal for souls will impel all to devote themselves with renewed enthusiasm to the human and Christian education of the young generations, who represent the future of the Church and of society as a whole. … Do not be afraid, dear brothers and sisters, to openly combat mediocrity, compromise and every kind of apathy, which the holy founder described as “a plague and the greatest enemy of the crucified Christ, which is so widespread in modern times.” May each one take pains to make fruitful the gifts he has received and to persevere in prayer and in works of love, keeping confidence in divine Providence alive in all circumstances.

Maria was a poor Italian peasant girl who died rather than submit to the sexual advances of a neighbor named Alessandro who was accustomed to feeding his imagination with suggestive pictures and stories. These were mild when compared to the pornography which is become more and more prevalent today. As we pray for just and free elections and for a good environment for our cities, let us reflect on part of a column that Archbishop Charles Chaput wrote in the March 21, 2007 Denver archdiocesan newspaper.

Our sexual behavior is never merely a “private” matter. Human sexuality is deeply linked to issues of identity, fertility and new life. Our sexual behavior always has social implications because it directly or indirectly impacts others. Therefore it helps shape the wider culture. This is not a uniquely Christian point of view. … Sexually transmitted disease, child sexual abuse, adult Internet predators, divorce, cohabitation and nearly every other indicator of a dysfunctional society stand at epidemic levels. But very few people want to name the biggest single environmental crisis we face: a multi-billion dollar pornography industry that pours garbage into our homes every day through the Web and other media.

Forty years ago, when steel mills pumped hundreds of tons of toxic waste each week into the Great Lakes — literally “killing” Lake Erie and damaging the health of tens of thousands of families — citizens got organized. They forced the mills to clean up or shut down. We need to do the same today. Citizens need to stop the pornography industry now — not out of some kind of Victorian prudery, but because pornography poisons the human heart, imagination and soul just as those steel mills once poisoned our air and water, only worse.

Pornography is never “innocent entertainment,” no matter how private it might seem. It turns human beings into objects. It coarsens our appetites. It darkens our ability to see real human beauty. It creates impossible expectations about sexual intimacy. It kills enduring romance and friendship between the sexes. And ultimately it’s a lie and a cheat. Pornography is a cheap, quick, empty copy of the real thing — the real joy of sexual intimacy shared by a man and woman who have joined their lives in a loving marriage. …

We can’t do much to fix the sexual confusion at the top of our society, beyond writing to our elected officials and demanding candidates who will advance our convictions when the time comes to vote. But we can do a lot about the poison in our homes and local communities. Pornography is poison. It should be controlled like any other toxic waste. And don’t be fooled. This isn’t “censorship.” It’s a matter of public health and common sense.

When he visited the U.S. in 2008 Pope Benedict had some challenging words for all Americans. Let us reflect on these words as we pray with him for free and just elections throughout the world.

Freedom is not only a gift, but also a summons to personal responsibility. Americans know this from experience – almost every town in this country has its monuments honoring those who sacrificed their lives in defense of freedom, both at home and abroad. The preservation of freedom calls for the cultivation of virtue, self-discipline, sacrifice for the common good and a sense of responsibility towards the less fortunate. It also demands the courage to engage in civic life and to bring one’s deepest beliefs and values to reasoned public debate. In a word, freedom is ever new. It is a challenge held out to each generation, and it must constantly be won over for the cause of good. Few have understood this as clearly as the late Pope John Paul II. In reflecting on the spiritual victory of freedom over totalitarianism in his native Poland and in eastern Europe, he reminded us that history shows, time and again, that “in a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation”, and a democracy without values can lose its very soul (Centesimus Annus, 46). Those prophetic words in some sense echo the conviction of President Washington, expressed in his Farewell Address, that religion and morality represent “indispensable supports” of political prosperity.

The Church, for her part, wishes to contribute to building a world ever more worthy of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26-27). She is convinced that faith sheds new light on all things, and that the Gospel reveals the noble vocation and sublime destiny of every man and woman. Faith also gives us the strength to respond to our high calling, and the hope that inspires us to work for an ever more just and fraternal society. Democracy can only flourish, as your founding fathers realized, when political leaders and those whom they represent are guided by truth and bring the wisdom born of firm moral principle to decisions affecting the life and future of the nation.

Last May, when he met with the Pontifical Council for the Laity, Pope Benedict addressed the subject “Witnesses to Christ in the Political Community.” As we reflect on his words, let us pray for his General Intention—just elections throughout the world—and that we may take seriously our responsibility to be informed and to vote during this election year.

It is up to the lay faithful to demonstrate concretely in their personal and family life, in social, cultural and political life that the faith enables them to see reality in a new and profound way, and to transform it; that Christian hope broadens the limited horizon of mankind, expanding it towards the true loftiness of his being, towards God; that charity in truth is the most effective force that is capable of changing the world; that the Gospel gives a guarantee of freedom and a message of liberation; that the fundamental principles of the social doctrine of the Church such as the dignity of the human person, subsidiarity and solidarity are extremely relevant and valuable in order to support new paths of development in service to the whole person and to all humanity. It is also the duty of the laity to participate actively in political life, in a manner consistently in accordance with the Church's teaching, bringing their well-founded reasons and high ideals into the democratic debate, and into the search for a broad consensus among all those who care about the defence of life and freedom, the safeguarding of truth and the good of the family, solidarity with the needy and the crucial search for the common good. ...

In taking up the words of my Predecessors, I too can affirm that politics is a very important field in which to exercise charity. It calls Christians to a strong commitment to citizenship, to building a good life in one's country, and likewise to an effective presence among the international community's institutions and programmes. There is a need for authentically Christian politicians but, even more so, for lay faithful who witness to Christ and the Gospel in the civil and political community. ... This is a demanding challenge. The times in which we live confront us with large and complex problems.... The spread of a confused cultural relativism and of a utilitarian and hedonistic individualism weakens democracy and favours the dominance of strong powers.

Today we honor 120 lay people, priests, and religious who were martyred in China between the years 1648 and 1930. Eighty-seven of them were native Chinese and they ranged in age from nine to seventy-two. Pope John Paul II canonized them in 2000. As we read his words at that time, let us pray for this month’s Mission Intention—that Christians may strive to promote everywhere, but especially in our cities, education, justice, solidarity, and peace.

"The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart". These words of the Responsorial Psalm clearly reflect the experience of Augustine Zhao Rong and his 119 companions, martyrs in China. The testimonies which have come down to us allow us to glimpse in them a state of mind marked by deep serenity and joy.

Today the Church is grateful to her Lord, who blesses her and bathes her in light with the radiant holiness of these sons and daughters of China. … Young Ann Wang, a 14-year-old, withstood the threats of the torturers who invited her to apostatize. Ready for her beheading, she declared with a radiant face: "The door of heaven is open to all", three times murmuring: "Jesus". And 18-year-old Chi Zhuzi, cried out fearlessly to those who had just cut off his right arm and were preparing to flay him alive: "Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian".

The other 85 Chinese men and women of every age and state, priests, religious and lay people, showed the same conviction and joy, sealing their unfailing fidelity to Christ and the Church with the gift of their lives. This occurred over the course of several centuries and in a complex and difficult era of China's history. Today's celebration is not the appropriate time to pass judgment on those historical periods: this can and should be done elsewhere. Today, with this solemn proclamation of holiness, the Church intends merely to recognize that those martyrs are an example of courage and consistency to us all, and that they honor the noble Chinese people.

We are praying this month for free and just elections around the world and for Christians to promote everywhere, but especially in cities, education, justice, solidarity, and peace. These two intentions go together if we consider them in light of a principle in Catholic Social Ethics known as the common good. The “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” quoting Vatican II’s “Gaudium et Spes,” defines the common good as “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and easily.” [#1906] Let us pray for this as we reflect upon #7 of Pope Benedict’s encyclical “Caritas in Veritate.”

To love someone is to desire that person's good and to take effective steps to secure it. Besides the good of the individual, there is a good that is linked to living in society: the common good. It is the good of “all of us”, made up of individuals, families and intermediate groups who together constitute society. It is a good that is sought not for its own sake, but for the people who belong to the social community and who can only really and effectively pursue their good within it. To desire the common good and strive towards it is a requirement of justice and charity. To take a stand for the common good is on the one hand to be solicitous for, and on the other hand to avail oneself of, that complex of institutions that give structure to the life of society, juridically, civilly, politically and culturally, making it the pólis, or “city”. The more we strive to secure a common good corresponding to the real needs of our neighbors, the more effectively we love them. Every Christian is called to practice this charity, in a manner corresponding to his vocation and according to the degree of influence he wields in the pólis. This is the institutional path — we might also call it the political path — of charity, no less excellent and effective than the kind of charity which encounters the neighbor directly, outside the institutional mediation of the pólis. When animated by charity, commitment to the common good has greater worth than a merely secular and political stand would have. Like all commitment to justice, it has a place within the testimony of divine charity that paves the way for eternity through temporal action. Man's earthly activity, when inspired and sustained by charity, contributes to the building of the universal city of God, which is the goal of the history of the human family. In an increasingly globalized society, the common good and the effort to obtain it cannot fail to assume the dimensions of the whole human family, that is to say, the community of peoples and nations, in such a way as to shape the earthly city in unity and peace, rendering it to some degree an anticipation and a prefiguration of the undivided city of God.

In today’s Gospel Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. As we reflect on something that Pope Benedict said when he met with a group of volunteers last March, let us pray that we may be inspired to give of ourselves freely and to promote education, justice, solidarity, and peace.

As I wrote in my Encyclical Deus Caritas Est: "Love caritas will always prove necessary, even in the most just society. There is no ordering of the State so just that it can eliminate the need for a service of love. Whoever wants to eliminate love is preparing to eliminate man as such. There will always be suffering which cries out for consolation and help. There will always be loneliness. There will always be situations of material need where help in the form of concrete love of neighbor is indispensable" (n. 28, b). This always requires and always will require personal and voluntary commitment. For this very reason volunteers are not "stopgaps" in the social network but people who truly contribute to tracing society's human and Christian features. Without voluntary service the common good and society could not last long, for their progress and dignity depend to a large extent precisely on those people who do more than their duty strictly demands of them.

Dear friends, your commitment is a service to the dignity of the human beings founded on their having been created in God's image and likeness (cf. Gn 1: 26). As the episode of the Good Samaritan has shown us, sometimes seeing can turn to emptiness or even contempt, but a gaze can also express love. In addition to being custodians of the territory, you are, increasingly, living icons of the Good Samaritan, attentive to your neighbor, remembering human dignity and inspiring hope. When a person does not limit himself to doing no more than his professional or family duties require but seeks to help others, his heart expands. Those who love and freely serve others as their neighbor live and act in accordance with the Gospel and take part in the mission of the Church that always looks at the whole person and wants him to feel God's love.

Dear volunteers, the Church and the Pope support your invaluable service. May the Virgin Mary who went "with haste" to her kinswoman Elizabeth to help her (cf. Lk 1: 39), be your model. As I entrust you to the intercession of your Patron, St Pius of Pietrelcina, I assure you of my remembrance in prayer and with affection impart the Apostolic Blessing to you and to your dear ones.

Tomorrow is the 152nd wedding anniversary of the parents of St. Therese of the Child Jesus who is the second patron saint of the Apostleship of Prayer. United in the sacrament of matrimony, they were united in holiness and were beatified together on October 19, 2008. They are good reminders to us that everyone is called to holiness and that every vocation is a path to sainthood. Their influence on their daughter Therese helped form her into the great saint that she became. Let us pray today that Christians may strive to promote everywhere, but especially in cities, education, justice, solidarity, and peace. Our reflection is from Pope Benedict’s Angelus Message on the day this couple was beatified.

On this very day Louis Martin and Zélie Guérin, the parents of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus whom Pius XI declared Patroness of Missions, are being beatified at Lisieux. These new Blesseds, accompanied and shared, with their prayers and their Gospel witness, the journey of their daughter, called by the Lord to consecrate herself to him without reserve within the walls of Carmel. It was there, in the concealment of the cloister, that the little St Thérèse fulfilled her vocation: "In the heart of the Church, my mother, I will be love" (Manuscripts autobiographiques, Lisieux, 1957, p. 229). In thinking of the beatification of the Martin couple, I am keen to recall another intention very dear to my heart: the family, whose role in teaching children a universal outlook that is both responsible and open to the world and its problems is fundamental, as it also is in the formation of vocations to missionary life.

Today’s saint was born in Bavaria, Germany (the birthplace as well of Pope Benedict) and was crowned the Holy Roman Emperor by the pope in 1014. He worked hard for the renewal of the Church and for peace within his kingdom. For centuries he was considered a model for Christian leaders. Let us pray that the elections that will be held throughout the world this year may result in the election of leaders like St. Henry who are concerned with promoting the common good rather than their own self-interest. Our reflection is from the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People #4.

Since Christ, sent by the Father, is the source and origin of the whole apostolate of the Church, the success of the lay apostolate depends upon the laity's living union with Christ, in keeping with the Lord's words, "He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). This life of intimate union with Christ in the Church is nourished by spiritual aids which are common to all the faithful, especially active participation in the sacred liturgy. These are to be used by the laity in such a way that while correctly fulfilling their secular duties in the ordinary conditions of life, they do not separate union with Christ from their life but rather performing their work according to God's will they grow in that union. In this way the laity must make progress in holiness in a happy and ready spirit, trying prudently and patiently to overcome difficulties. Neither family concerns nor other secular affairs should be irrelevant to their spiritual life, in keeping with the words of the Apostle, "What-ever you do in word or work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Such a life requires a continual exercise of faith, hope, and charity. Only by the light of faith and by meditation on the word of God can one always and everywhere recognize God in Whom "we live, and move, and have our being" ( Acts 17:28), seek His will in every event, see Christ in everyone whether he be a relative or a stranger, and make correct judgments about the true meaning and value of temporal things both in themselves and in their relation to man's final goal.

Today we celebrate another lay person who found holiness in the midst of her daily life. Blessed Kateri was a Native American who held on to the faith in the midst of many difficulties, especially the opposition of the family that raised her after her own parents died. Let us pray for this month’s Mission Intention, that Christians may strive to promote education, justice, solidarity, and peace. Our reflection is from Pope John Paul II’s homily when he beatified Kateri in 1980.

This wonderful crown of new blesseds, God's bountiful gift to his Church, is completed by the sweet, frail yet strong figure of a young woman who died when she was only twenty-four years old: Kateri Tekakwitha, the "Lily of the Mohawks", the Iroquois maiden, who in seventeenth century North America was the first to renew the marvels of sanctity of St. Scholastica, Saint Gertrude, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Angela Merici and Saint Rose of Lima, preceding, along the path of Love, her great spiritual sister, Therese of Child Jesus.

She spent her short life partly in what is now the State of New York and partly in Canada. She is a kind, gentle and hardworking person, spending her time working, praying, and meditating. At the age of twenty she receives Baptism. Even when following her tribe in the hunting seasons, she continues her devotions, before a rough cross carved by herself in the forest. When her family urges her to marry, she replies very serenely and calmly that she has Jesus as her only spouse. This decision, in view of the social conditions of women in the Indian Tribes at the time, exposes Kateri to the risk of living as outcast and in poverty. It is a bold, unusual and prophetic gesture: on 25 March, 1679, at the age of twenty-three, with the consent of her spiritual director, Kateri takes a vow of perpetual virginity - as far as we know the first time that this was done among the North American Indians.

The last months of her life are an ever clearer manifestation of her solid faith, straight-forward humility, calm resignation and radiant joy, even in the midst of terrible sufferings. Her last words, simple and sublime, whispered at the moment of her death, sum up, like a noble hymn, a life of purest charity: "Jesus, I love you....".

According to tradition, St. Francis of Assisi prayed over a boy named Giovanni when he was stricken with a childhood illness and he recovered. When he entered the Franciscan order, St. Francis changed Giovanni’s name to “Bonaventure” or “Good Fortune.” He served his order as a teacher and superior general and he served the Church as an archbishop and a cardinal. Following the example of St. Francis, he had a profound love for the wounds and the Heart of Jesus, and for the Holy Eucharist. In the Apostleship of Prayer we share this same devotion, knowing that if we enter into the Heart of Jesus we will be filled with Its love and pray and work with the Holy Father for the salvation of all souls. Our prayer is from St. Bonaventure’s “The Mystical Vine.”

When once we have come to this Heart of our Lord, of our most dear Jesus, we shall not be easily drawn away from It, since “it is good for us to abide in It.” Oh, how good and how pleasant it is to dwell in this Heart! How great a treasure, how precious a pearl is Your Heart, O good Jesus! It is a pearl found in the dug field of Your Sacred Body. Who is there who would not desire this pearl? Rather would I give up all my jewels, exchange all my thoughts and affections for it, and cast all my cares into the Heart of my good Jesus, which will nourish me without fail…. I have found the Heart of the Lord, my King, my Brother, my Friend, my good Jesus. And this Heart is mine. Having then found this Heart, therefore, which is both Yours and mine, most kind Jesus, I will pray to You as my God; place this prayer of mine among those that You will answer, and draw me totally into Your Heart. … Who will not cherish this Heart so wounded for us? Who will not love One so loving, embrace One so pure? As for us who are still dwelling in the flesh, let us do all we can to make a return of love to Him who has loved us; let us embrace Him who was pierced for us, whose hands and feet, side and Heart, were dug. And let us pray that the Heart of Christ may wound our heart, still so hard, still so impenitent, and bind it with the bonds of His love.

In the fourteenth century the Carmelite order instituted this feast to celebrate the official recognition of their order in 1226 by Pope Honorius III. This date was chosen because it was the day when the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in a vision to St. Simon Stock in 1251 and gave to him the brown scapular. She told him to share the scapular with all people, promising that whoever wore it would enjoy her special protection. Pope Benedict XIII extended this feast to the entire Church in 1726.

As he hung on the cross, Jesus gave his mother to John, telling him, “Behold, your mother.” The Church has seen in this gesture a gift that is meant for the entire Church. Mary is our mother and as she nurtured and cared for Jesus, so does she care for us, members of the Body of Christ, brothers and sisters of Jesus through our Baptism. With this in mind, let us turn to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and pray for the Holy Father and the entire Church.

O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, who brought forth the Son of God, still remaining a Virgin: assist us in this our necessity. O Star of the Sea, help us, and show us that you are our Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of heaven and earth, we humbly ask you from the bottom of our hearts to help us in this necessity. There are none who can withstand your power. O show us that you are our Mother. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you. Sweet Mother, we place this cause in your hands.

In his Mission Intention this month, Pope Benedict asks us to join him in praying that Christians may promote solidarity. We’re all familiar with the Polish trade union “Solidarity” and how it led to the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, but what does the Holy Father want us to strive to promote this month? The following is an explanation of solidarity from the “Catechism of the Catholic Church #1939-41. The principle of solidarity, also articulated in terms of "friendship" or "social charity," is a direct demand of human and Christian brotherhood. An error, "today abundantly widespread, is disregard for the law of human solidarity and charity, dictated and imposed both by our common origin and by the equality in rational nature of all men, whatever nation they belong to. This law is sealed by the sacrifice of redemption offered by Jesus Christ on the altar of the Cross to his heavenly Father, on behalf of sinful humanity." [quote from Pope Pius XII 1939 encyclical “Summi Pontificatus”]

Solidarity is manifested in the first place by the distribution of goods and remuneration for work. It also presupposes the effort for a more just social order where tensions are better able to be reduced and conflicts more readily settled by negotiation.

Socio-economic problems can be resolved only with the help of all the forms of solidarity: solidarity of the poor among themselves, between rich and poor, of workers among themselves, between employers and employees in a business, solidarity among nations and peoples. International solidarity is a requirement of the moral order; world peace depends in part upon this.

In today’s Gospel we hear the story of the visit of Jesus with Martha and Mary in which Jesus reminds us that action without prayer is useless. Our action must be inspired by prayer otherwise it could end up hurting rather than helping. We Apostles of Prayer are convinced of this and so we make a prayerful offering of our day and then try, throughout the day, to remind ourselves of this offering so that everything we do will be according to God’s will and not ours. In 2004 Pope John Paul II spoke about this Gospel passage:

On this Sunday, the liturgy once again proposes for our meditation the Gospel episode of Jesus' visit to the house of Martha and Mary (cf. Lk 10: 38-42). While Martha is totally taken up with household tasks, Mary is seated at the Master's feet listening to his word. Christ affirms that Mary "has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her" (Lk 10: 42). Listening to the Word of God is the most important thing in our lives.

Christ is always in our midst and desires to speak to our hearts. We can listen to him by meditating with faith on Sacred Scripture, by recollection in private and communal prayer, by silent meditation before the Tabernacle, from which he speaks to us of his love.

Christians, especially on Sundays, are called to meet and listen to the Lord. This happens most completely through participation in Holy Mass, during which Christ prepares the banquet of the Word and of the Bread of Life for the faithful. But other moments of prayer and reflection, of rest and brotherhood, can also be profitably combined to make the Lord's Day holy.

When, through the action of the Holy Spirit, God takes up his dwelling in the heart of the believer, it becomes easier for him/her to serve the brethren. This is what happened in a unique and perfect way in Mary Most Holy. To her we entrust this vacation period, to make the most of it as a favorable time to rediscover the primacy of the interior life.

In the first reading at Mass today, from Chapter 6 of the Book of the Prophet Micah, we hear these words: “You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Another translation, the New Revised Standard, goes like this: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” These are certainly good words to live by and they remind us of this month’s Mission Intention in which we are praying that Christians may everywhere promote education, justice, solidarity, and peace. If the world followed God’s word as revealed to Micah, there would be peace. Let us pray for the promotion of justice today as we reflect on part of Pope Benedict’s third encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” #6-7.

Charity goes beyond justice, because to love is to give, to offer what is “mine” to the other; but it never lacks justice, which prompts us to give the other what is “his”, what is due to him by reason of his being or his acting. I cannot “give” what is mine to the other, without first giving him what pertains to him in justice. If we love others with charity, then first of all we are just towards them. Not only is justice not extraneous to charity, not only is it not an alternative or parallel path to charity: justice is inseparable from charity and intrinsic to it. Justice is the primary way of charity or, in Paul VI's words, “the minimum measure” of it, an integral part of the love “in deed and in truth” (1 Jn 3:18), to which Saint John exhorts us. On the one hand, charity demands justice: recognition and respect for the legitimate rights of individuals and peoples. It strives to build the earthly city according to law and justice. On the other hand, charity transcends justice and completes it in the logic of giving and forgiving. The earthly city is promoted not merely by relationships of rights and duties, but to an even greater and more fundamental extent by relationships of gratuitousness, mercy and communion. Charity always manifests God's love in human relationships as well, it gives theological and salvific value to all commitment for justice in the world.

Another important consideration is the common good. To love someone is to desire that person's good and to take effective steps to secure it. Besides the good of the individual, there is a good that is linked to living in society: the common good. It is the good of “all of us”, made up of individuals, families and intermediate groups who together constitute society. It is a good that is sought not for its own sake, but for the people who belong to the social community and who can only really and effectively pursue their good within it. To desire the common good and strive towards it is a requirement of justice and charity.

Today’s saint was a disciple of St. Peter who sent him to Ravenna to be its bishop. He became famous for healing people in the Name of Jesus which led many to become Christian. This infuriated the Emperor who had him arrested, tortured, and finally killed. Let us ask St. Apollinaris to intercede for us today as we pray that Christians may strive to promote education, justice, solidarity, and peace, especially in our cities. Our reflection is from the 2007 concluding document of the Fifth General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean held in Brazil #513-14.

The Church originally took shape in the large cities of its time, and made use of them to spread. Hence, we can joyfully and boldly carry out the evangelization of the contemporary city. In response to the new reality of the city, new experiences are taking place in the church, such as renewal of parishes, breaking it down into sectors, new ministries, new associations, groups, communities and movements. But attitudes of fear of urban ministry can be seen: tendencies to remain entrenched in the old methods and to take a defensive stance toward the new culture, and feelings of impotence vis-à-vis the great difficulties of cities.

Faith teaches us that God lives in the city in the midst of its joys, yearnings and hopes, and likewise in its pains and suffering. The shadows that mark everyday life, such as violence, poverty, individualism and exclusion cannot prevent us from seeking and contemplating the God of life also in urban environments. Cities are places of freedom and opportunity. In them people seek the possibility of knowing more people, and interacting and coexisting with them. Bonds of fraternity, solidarity, and universality can be experienced in cities. In them the human being is constantly called to ever journey toward meeting the other, coexisting with those who are different, accepting them, and being accepted by them.

Today’s saint joined the Capuchin branch of the Franciscans when he was just sixteen and went on to become one of the greatest preachers of his time. This was not only because he was fluent in at least half a dozen languages, but because of the inspired content of his sermons. The pope himself sent Lawrence as a personal emissary to convince some Christians who were at war to seek peace. Let us pray today that Christians everywhere may promote education, justice, solidarity, and peace. Our reflection is from Pope Benedict’s address to the young people of St. Lawrence’s home town, Brindisi, when he visited there in 2008.

I am aware, in particular, of the burden that weighs upon many of you and upon your future because of the dramatic phenomenon of unemployment…. Likewise, I know that your youth is threatened by the demand for easy earnings, by the temptation to seek refuge in artificial paradises or to let yourselves be attracted by distorted forms of material satisfaction. Do not let yourselves be caught in the snares of evil! Rather, seek an existence rich in values in order to give life to a society that is more just and more open to the future. Bring to fruition the gifts with which God has endowed your youth: strength, intelligence, courage, enthusiasm and determination to live. On the basis of these attributes, relying always on divine support, you will be able to nourish hope within you and around you. It is up to you and to your hearts to ensure that progress is transformed into a greater good for all. And the way of good - as you know - has a name: it is called love.

The key to every hope is found in love, solely in authentic love, because love is rooted in God. We read in the Bible: "We know and believe the love God has for us. God is love" (1 Jn 4: 16). And God's love has the sweet and compassionate Face of Jesus Christ. Here then we have reached the heart of the Christian message: Christ is the response to your questions and problems; in him every honest aspiration of the human being is strengthened. Christ, however, is demanding and shuns half measures. He knows he can count on your generosity and coherence; for this reason he expects a lot of you. Follow him faithfully and, in order to encounter him love his Church, feel responsible, do not avoid being courageous protagonists, each in his own context. Here is a point to which I would like to call your attention: seek to know the Church, to understand and love her, paying attention to the voice of her Pastors. She is made up of human beings, but Christ is her Head and his Spirit firmly guides her. You are the youthful face of the Church so do not fail to make your contribution in order that the Gospel she proclaims may spread everywhere.

Obviously Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus’ personal friends and disciples, was not one of the twelve apostles. Yet St. Thomas Aquinas called her the “Apostle of the Apostles.” Why? Because, according to John’s Gospel (20: 1-18), she was the first to see the Risen Jesus and to tell the apostles “I have seen the Lord.” May St. Mary Magdalene join us today in praying for the Holy Father and the Church, that we may take seriously our responsibility to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to everyone we meet. He is the hope of our world and we will only be able to promote education, justice, solidarity, and peace if we are strong in hope. Our reflection is from part of a homily of Pope John Paul II given on this day in the Jubilee Year 2000.

We are celebrating the feast of St Mary Magdalene and the liturgy today is marked by a kind of movement, a "race" of the heart and the spirit, motivated by the love of Christ. The words of St Paul, "caritas Christi urget nos" (2 Cor 5: 14), which we will shortly hear in the first reading, can and must inspire the life of every priest, as they characterized that of Mary of Magdala.

Mary Magdalene followed to Calvary the One who had healed her. She was present at Jesus' crucifixion, death and burial. Together with Mary Most Holy and the beloved disciple, she witnessed his last breath and the silent testimony of his pierced side: she understood that her salvation lay in that death, in that sacrifice. And the Risen One, as today's Gospel recounts, wished to manifest his glorious body first to the one who had wept profusely at his death. To her he "first entrusted ... the joyful news of his resurrection" (Opening Prayer), as if to remind us that the shining glory of his resurrection is revealed precisely to those who look with faith and love on the mystery of the Lord's passion and death.

Mary Magdalene thus teaches us that our vocation as apostles is rooted in the personal experience of Christ. Encountering him leads to a new way of living no longer for ourselves, but for him who died and rose for us (cf. 2 Cor 5: 15), by leaving behind the old man to be conformed ever more completely to Christ, the new Man.

Today’s saint married at the early age of fourteen and had eight children. After her husband’s death she started a monastery for both men and women who lived in separate buildings and came together in the church for Mass and prayers. She moved from Sweden to Rome where she worked hard for the return of the pope from Avignon, France to Rome. After a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, she returned to Rome and died there on this day. St. Bridget was very devoted to the Passion of Jesus as the following prayer illustrates. As we pray it, let us ask that the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus may pour down upon the entire world so that it may be built up in solidarity, justice, and peace.

Blessed are you, my Lord Jesus Christ. You foretold your death and at the Last Supper you marvelously consecrated bread which became your precious body. And then you gave it to your apostles out of love as a memorial of your most holy passion. By washing their feet with your holy hands, you gave them a supreme example of your deep humility.

Eternal praise be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ, for the time you endured on the cross the greatest torments and sufferings for us sinners. The sharp pain of your wounds fiercely penetrated even to your blessed soul and cruelly pierced your most sacred heart till finally you sent forth your spirit in peace, bowed your head, and humbly commended yourself into the hands of God your Father, and your whole body remained cold in death.

Blessed may you be, my Lord Jesus Christ. For our salvation you allowed your side and heart to be pierced with a lance; and from that side water and your precious blood flowed out abundantly for our redemption.

Unending honor be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ. On the third day you rose from the dead and appeared to those you had chosen. And after forty days you ascended into heaven before the eyes of many witnesses, and there in heaven you gathered together in glory those you love, whom you had freed from hell.

Today’s saint was born into a Maronite Catholic family in Lebanon. He left home when he was twenty-three in order to enter a monastery and imitate the desert fathers of the early Church. He became a hermit and dedicated himself to prayer and fasting in solitude. A series of miraculous events followed his death. For over forty days after his burial a bright light shone around his grave and when his body was exhumed it was found to be incorrupt. People flocked to his grave asking for his intercession and hundreds were healed, including many Muslims. According to Bishop Francis M. Zayek, from April 22 to July 14, 1950, there were 350 documented cures, including 31 who were blind, 37 who were deaf, 163 who were paralyzed, and 119 who had incurable diseases. Pope Paul VI beatified him a few days before the closing ceremonies of the Second Vatican Council and later, in 1977, canonized him. Let us pray the following prayer which is from Claire M. Benedict’s books “Saint Sharbel: Mystic of the East.”

O Merciful Father, through the Holy Spirit, You chose St. Sharbel as a voice crying in the wilderness. His monastic life is an example to Your Church. In the Scriptures he discovered Your Holiness as Word Made Flesh, and darkness gave way to light. In the Eucharist he encountered Your Divinity as Bread of Life, and the poverty of this world gave way to the treasures of Your Kingdom. In prayer he experienced Your Silence as Mystery Present, and loneliness gave way to communion. Through the Virgin Mother he embraced Your Son as Lover of Mankind, and hostility gave way to hospitality. We now beseech You, through his intercession, to change our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh and to grant our special request. Amen.

In today’s Gospel we have Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father. It is briefer than Matthew’s but still contains words that we live by—“your kingdom come.” As Apostles of Prayer we offer ourselves every day, asking that Christ may reign over all our thoughts, words, and deeds, all our prayers and works. In that way we will claim part of creation for Christ until the day that he will reign over all. The following reflection is from the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” #2818-20.

In the Lord's Prayer, "thy kingdom come" refers primarily to the final coming of the reign of God through Christ's return. But, far from distracting the Church from her mission in this present world, this desire commits her to it all the more strongly. Since Pentecost, the coming of that Reign is the work of the Spirit of the Lord who "complete(s) his work on earth and brings us the fullness of grace." [Eucharist Prayer IV]

"The kingdom of God (is) righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." [Romans 14: 17] The end-time in which we live is the age of the outpouring of the Spirit. Ever since Pentecost, a decisive battle has been joined between "the flesh" and the Spirit. [See Galatians 5: 16-25] Only a pure soul can boldly say: "Thy kingdom come." One who has heard Paul say, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies," and has purified himself in action, thought and word will say to God: "Thy kingdom come!"

By a discernment according to the Spirit, Christians have to distinguish between the growth of the Reign of God and the progress of the culture and society in which they are involved. This distinction is not a separation. Man's vocation to eternal life does not suppress, but actually reinforces, his duty to put into action in this world the energies and means received from the Creator to serve justice and peace.

Though they do not appear in the Bible, a tradition going back to the second century recognizes today’s saints as the parents of Mary and thus the grandparents of Jesus. Let us pray for all grandparents today. They are important in passing on the truths of the faith and in educating new generations of Christians. As we pray that Christians may strive to promote education, justice, solidarity, and peace, let us reflect on part of a speech that Pope Benedict gave in 2005 to a diocesan conference in Rome.

We know well that for an authentic educational endeavor, communicating a correct theory or doctrine does not suffice. Something far greater and more human is needed: the daily experienced closeness that is proper to love, whose most propitious place is above all the family community, but also in a parish, movement or ecclesial association, in which there are people who care for their brothers and sisters because they love them in Christ, particularly children and young people, but also adults, the elderly, the sick and families themselves. The great Patron of educators, St John Bosco, reminded his spiritual sons that "education is something of the heart and that God alone is its master."

The central figure in the work of educating, and especially in education in the faith, which is the summit of the person's formation and is his or her most appropriate horizon, is specifically the form of witness. This witness becomes a proper reference point to the extent that the person can account for the hope that nourishes his life (cf. I Pt 3: 15) and is personally involved in the truth that he proposes.

On the other hand, the witness never refers to himself but to something, or rather, to Someone greater than he, whom he has encountered and whose dependable goodness he has sampled. Thus, every educator and witness finds an unequalled model in Jesus Christ, the Father's great witness, who said nothing about himself but spoke as the Father had taught him (cf. Jn 8: 28).

This is the reason why prayer, which is personal friendship with Christ and contemplation in him of the face of the Father, is indispensably at the root of the formation of the Christian and of the transmission of the faith. The same is, of course, also true for all our missionary commitment, and particularly for the pastoral care of families: therefore, may the Family of Nazareth be for our families and our communities the object of constant and confident prayer as well as their life model.

Last December Pope Benedict talked about the Blessed Virgin Mary and the city. As we pray that urban cultures may be transformed through the efforts of Christians who promote education, justice, solidarity, and peace, let us reflect on his words.

In the heart of Christian cities, Mary is a sweet and reassuring presence. In her discreet style, she gives everyone peace and hope, both in the happy and sad moments of life. In churches, chapels or on the walls of buildings there is a painting, mosaic or a statue as a reminder of the presence of the Mother, constantly watching over her children. …

What does Mary tell the city? Of what does her presence remind us? It reminds us that "where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Rom 5: 20), as the Apostle Paul wrote. She is the Immaculate Mother who tells people in our day too: Do not be afraid, Jesus has defeated evil, he has uprooted it, delivering us from its rule.

How great is our need of this good news! Every day, in fact, in the newspapers, on television and on the radio bad news is broadcast, repeated, amplified, so that we become used to the most terrible things and inured to them, and in a certain way poisoned, since the negative effect is never completely eliminated but accumulates day after day. The heart hardens and thoughts grow gloomy. For this reason, the city needs Mary whose presence speaks of God, reminds us of the victory of Grace over sin and leads us to hope, even in the most difficult human situations.

In the city invisible people live or survive who every now and then hit the front page headlines or television news and are exploited to the very last, as long as the news and images are newsworthy. This is a perverse mechanism which unfortunately few are able to resist. The city first hides them and then exposes them to public scrutiny, pitilessly or with false pity. Instead, there is in every person the desire to be accepted as a person and considered a sacred reality, for every human history is a sacred history and demands the utmost respect.

We continue our prayer for Pope Benedict’s Mission Intention—the transformation of urban culture—by reflecting on part of a talk he gave last December in the city of Rome.

The city, dear brothers and sisters, is all of us! Each one of us contributes with his life to its moral atmosphere, for better or for worse. The border between good and evil runs through every heart and none of us should feel entitled to judge others. Rather, each one must feel duty bound to improve him or herself. The mass media always tends to make us feel like "spectators", as if evil concerned only others and certain things could never happen to us. Instead, we are all "actors" and, for better or for worse, our behavior has an influence on others.

We often complain of the pollution of the atmosphere that in some parts of the city is unbreathable. It is true. Everyone must do his or her part to make the city a cleaner place. Yet, there is another kind of contamination, less perceptible to the senses, but equally dangerous. It is the pollution of the spirit; it makes us smile less, makes our faces gloomier, less likely to greet each other or look each other in the eye.... The city has many faces but unfortunately collective dynamics can make us lose our in-depth perception of them. We perceive everything superficially. People become bodies and these bodies lose their soul, they become things, faceless objects that can be exchanged and consumed.

Mary Immaculate helps us to rediscover and defend what lies within people, for in her is a perfect transparency of the soul in the body. She is purity in person, in the sense that spirit, soul and body are fully consistent with one another and with God's will. Our Lady teaches us to be open to God's action and to see others as he sees them: starting with the heart. And to look at them with compassion, with love, with infinite tenderness, especially those who are lonely, despised, or exploited. "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more".

I want to pay homage publicly to all those who in silence, not with words but with deeds, strive to practice this evangelical law of love that propels the world forward. There are so many of them even here in Rome and they rarely hit the headlines. They are men and women of all ages, who have realized that it is not worth condemning, complaining or accusing; that it is better to respond to evil by doing good. This changes things; or rather it changes people, and hence improves society. …

While we are busy in our daily routine, let us listen to Mary's voice. Let us hear her silent but pressing appeal. She tells each one of us that wherever sin increases, grace may abound all the more, starting in your our own heart and in your life! And the city will be more beautiful, more Christian and more human.

St. Martha, along with her sister Mary and brother Lazarus, was one of the closest friends that Jesus had when he walked this earth. He often visited their home in Bethany and it was there that he went a few days before his betrayal and suffering (see John 12: 1-7). No doubt he went there to find comfort and strength from their friendship. May St. Martha intercede with us today as we offer ourselves for the Holy Father’s monthly intentions. May women around the world be able to participate in their nations’ elections and may their dignity be recognized so that they may fully participate in making the world, especially our cities, more human. Our reflection is from Pope John Paul II’s apostolic letter “On the Dignity and Vocation of Women.”

The sisters of Lazarus also deserve special mention: "Jesus loved Martha and her sister (Mary) and Lazarus" (cf. Jn 11:5). Mary "listened to the teaching" of Jesus: when he pays them a visit, he calls Mary's behavior "the good portion" in contrast to Martha's preoccupation with domestic matters (cf. Lk 10: 3842). On another occasion - after the death of Lazarus - Martha is the one who talks to Christ, and the conversation concerns the most profound truths of revelation and faith: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died". "Your brother will rise again". "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day". Jesus said to her: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world" (Jn 11:21-27). After this profession of faith Jesus raises Lazarus. This conversation with Martha is one of the most important in the Gospel. [#15]

The moral and spiritual strength of a woman is joined to her awareness that God entrusts the human being to her in a special way. Of course, God entrusts every human being to each and every other human being. But this entrusting concerns women in a special way - precisely by reason of their femininity - and this in a particular way determines their vocation. …

A woman is strong because of her awareness of this entrusting, strong because of the fact that God "entrusts the human being to her", always and in every way, even in the situations of social discrimination in which she may find herself. This awareness and this fundamental vocation speak to women of the dignity which they receive from God himself, and this makes them "strong" and strengthens their vocation. Thus the "perfect woman" (cf. Prov 31:10) becomes an irreplaceable support and source of spiritual strength for other people, who perceive the great energies of her spirit. These "perfect women" are owed much by their families, and sometimes by whole nations. [#30]

Today’s saint was born in Italy and became the bishop of Ravenna. He was such an eloquent preacher that he was given the name “Chrysologus” or “Golden-worded.” In 1729 he was proclaimed a doctor of the Church. As we reflect on the following excerpt from one of his sermons, let us pray for peace in our cities and throughout the world.

Peace among brethren is the will of God, the joy of Christ, the completion of holiness, the rule of justice, the teacher of truth, the guardian of morals and a praiseworthy discipline in every regard. Peace lends strength to our prayers; it is the way our petitions can reach God easily and be credited; it is the plenitude which fulfills our desires. Peace is the mother of love, the bond of concord and the manifest sign of a pure soul, one which seeks to please God, which seeks to be fulfilled and has its desire rewarded. Peace must be preserved according to the Lord’s precepts, as Christ said: I leave you peace, my peace I give you, that is, as I left you in peace, in peace shall I find you. As Christ left the world, he wished to leave the gift he wanted to find when he returned. …

Let us therefore keep the commandments, which are life for us; let us carry on together the obligations of our brotherhood in profound peace; let us bind one another with the ties of salvific charity in this mutual love which covers a multitude of sins. … We must keep peace before all other virtues, since God is always in peace. Love peace, and all the world will be tranquil and quiet. By doing so you store up rewards for me, and joy for yourselves, that the Church of God may be founded on the bond of peace and may cling to perfect observance in Christ.

Today’s saint is the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), the religious order to which the care and direction of the Apostleship of Prayer has been given. Our commitment to praying for the monthly intentions of the pope comes right out of the spirituality of St. Ignatius who sought “the greater glory of God” by placing himself at the service of the pope whose position gave him knowledge of the needs of the Church and the world. St. Ignatius is the patron saint of retreats because his retreat manual, “The Spiritual Exercises,” has been a blessing for those making retreats since he first wrote it and directed others through it. The “Exercises” conclude with an offering prayer that is a response to the love of God in which the retreatant has grown over the course of the retreat. As we renew our daily offering, we will pray that prayer now, as well as a Prayer for Generosity that St. Ignatius composed.

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. You have given all to me; to you, O Lord, I now return it; all is yours, dispose of me wholly according to your will. All that I ask is for your grace and your love; with these I am rich enough and want for nothing more.

Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous. Teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for reward, save that of knowing that I am doing your will. Amen.