Pope Benedict's Prayer Intentions for November 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. Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for November 2009 is "That all the men and women in the world, especially those who have responsibilities in the field of politics and economics, may never fail in their commitment to safeguard creation." It's an interesting intention for the month of November, as here in the Northern Hemisphere our thoughts turn to the coming winter. "Creation," of course, implies something more than simply "nature," which we tend to regard as something extraneous to us. We are a part of creation—indeed, the pinnacle of it—and we have a duty to care for it, not simply to use it.

The Holy Father's mission intention for November 2009 is "That believers in the different religions, through the testimony of their lives and fraternal dialogue, may clearly demonstrate that the name of God is a bearer of peace." When Pope Benedict uses the term "different religions," he means not Christian denominations but religions outside of Christianity. By referring to the "name of God," he clearly has in mind the great monotheistic religions of Judaism and Islam. It's an important intention as tensions rise every November and December in the Holy Land, as Christians prepare for Christmas in a land all too often torn apart by violence between those who profess their faith in the God of Abraham.

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