Papal Intentions For October

As the month of October begins and things settle down after Pope Francis’s visit to the U.S., let us remember the Holy Father’s intentions in our prayers.

His universal intention is that “human trafficking, the modern form of slavery, may be eradicated.”

Pope Francis also asks us to pray that, “with a missionary spirit the Christian communities of Asia may announce the Gospel to those who are still awaiting it.”

So let us join Pope Francis this month, in praying for an end to human trafficking and the mission in Asia. Let us also pray for him and all involved in this year’s Synod on the Family, which began yesterday.

Saint John Paul II, Pope of the Family, Pray for Us!  

Servitium Caritatis

Welcome to part four of the Vita Consecrata Series! Thank you for joining us as we walk through Saint John Paul II’s reflection on what the consecrated life is and what role it plays in the Church and in the world.

After exploring the nature of consecrated life in previous chapters, the late Holy Father spends the third chapter of the exhortation reflecting on how consecrated religious serve as a “Manifestation of God’s Love in the World.” He writes:

In the image of Jesus, the beloved Son “whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world” (Jn 10:36), those whom God calls to follow him are also consecrated and sent into the world to imitate his example and to continue his mission. Fundamentally, this is true of every disciple. In a special way, however, it is true of those who, in the manner that characterizes the consecrated life, are called to follow Christ “more closely,” and to make him the “all” of their lives.

Consecrated persons are on mission “by virtue of their very consecration,” John Paul II writes, and they have the “prophetic task of recalling and serving the divine plan for humanity.” This is made possible through an intimate relationship with God, a solid experience with dialogue in fraternal life, and a deep understanding of the challenges of their time. In other words, there must be a close union between contemplation and action in their lives. 

The Mission In The Ascension

The Ascension, Giotto, 1305

At the Ascension the Risen Christ speaks to the Apostles one last time about the coming of the Holy Spirit. He says: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth” (Act. 1, 8).

…The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost marks the beginning of the Church’s mission. The Apostles received this mission from Christ. The Holy Spirit gave them the power to fulfill it by word and deed even to the shedding of their blood. Martyrdom is the ultimate testimony to the truth about Christ crucified and risen. Following in the footsteps of the Apostles the Church has inherited the same mission, and she fulfills it in the midst of all the nations.

-Saint John Paul II, 1989