Pope Benedict's Prayer Intentions for January 2009

Each month, Pope Benedict XVI announces his special prayer intentions--particular things that he wishes all Catholics to pray for that month. (When, for instance, we pray the rosary and say the prayers at the end for the intentions of the Holy Father, these are the intentions for which we're praying.)

Pope Benedict offers two intentions every month, one general, and one for a particular Catholic missionary activity. His general prayer intention for January 2009 is "That the family may become more and more a place of training in charity, personal growth and transmission of the faith." As we attempt to reach these goals in our own families, there is no better example than the Holy Family itself, and what better way to join ourselves to the Holy Father's prayer intention than to incorporate prayers to the Holy Family into our daily prayers?

Pope Benedict's mission intention is "That the different Christian confessions, aware of the need for a new evangelization in this period of profound transformations, may be committed to announcing the Good News and moving towards the full unity of all Christians in order to offer a more credible testimony of the Gospel." The desire for Christian unity is particularly strong in the Holy Father, and we could join our voice to his through such prayers as A Devout Exercise for the Unity of the Church and a prayer To Obtain the Reunion of the Christians of the East.

(Photo by Maurizio Brambatti-Pool/Getty Images)