Pope: Prayer Network is a mission
of compassion for the world
 |
| Pope Francis during audience with Worldwide Prayer Network (Vatican Media) |
Six thousand people from the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network
gather in the Paul VI Hall to celebrate the Apostolate’s 175th anniversary.
The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, or the Apostolate of
Prayer, looks at the challenges facing humanity and assists the mission of the
Church.
The network prays and works to meet the challenges of the
world identified by the Pope in his monthly intentions, while walking a
spiritual path known as the “Way of the Heart.”
To mark its 175th anniversary, the Pope
presided over an event in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Friday, thanking all
those present for their commitment to prayer.
He also heard testimonies from a number of people from
around the world who are working in prayer ministry.
Prayer transforms lives
One of those was Bettina Raed a wife and mother from Mendoza
in Argentina.
She is the Director of the Worldwide Prayer Network for
Argentina and Uruguay.
Speaking about the “Way of the Heart” initiative,
Bettina told Pope Francis that it was a “true school of the Heart that helps us
to put our own heart in harmony with that of Jesus.”
She also spoke about how, in Argentina and Uruguay, the
project is strongly promoted and supported in communities, in colleges, and in
parishes with an emphasis placed on digital platforms.
Recalling Bettina’s words, the Pope commented that it was
good, “on this day of the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to remember
the foundation of our mission”, as she did.
“It is a mission of compassion for the world”, he said, “a
prayerful itinerary that transforms people's lives”.
Prayer on digital platforms
Jesuit Father Matthew Hsu, is the director of the Pope’s
Worldwide Prayer Network in Taiwan. He told the Pope that he was happy to be at
this event and talk about the success of the Click to Pray app and website in
Chinese, in Taiwan. He described that through this app, people open their
hearts to God and dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ.
To pray on the Internet, he remarked, makes people feel
“they are no longer alone on the road to faith.”
For young people in particular, he said, this support system
and their own faith helps them “to live the values of the Gospel and to be
witnesses in the world of God's love and compassion.”
After hearing Fr Matthew’s testimony, the Pope said, prayer
“always arouses feelings of brotherhood, breaks down barriers, crosses borders,
creates invisible but real and effective bridges, opens horizons of hope.”
Being brotherly, Pope Francis, pointed out during his
remarks, means speaking well of the other. Gossiping and speaking badly of
another, he said, did not come from Jesus and was a bad thing.
Another testimony came from Sister Selam from Ethiopia who
works with young people in the Eucharistic Youth Movement.
Reflecting on her testimony, Pope Francis stressed the
importance of helping “new generations to grow in friendship with Jesus through
the intimate encounter with Him in prayer, in listening to His Word, and
approaching the Eucharist as a gift of love to one's neighbour.”
In off the cuff remarks, the Pope underlined how important
it was to teach children to pray. “It pains me”, he said, “when I see children
who don’t even know how to make the Sign of the Cross”. “Teach them because
they go directly to the heart of Jesus.”
The Pontiff also noted that while using digital technology
to proclaim God's mercy and goodness was necessary, he urged people to pay
attention, especially with regard to the Internet. “We must avoid
becoming hostages of a net that takes us in, instead of "fishing for
fish", that is, attracting souls to bring to the Lord.”
Before a moment of silent prayer, and remembering the prayer
intentions for the month of July, the Pope expressed his thanks for the
“precious activity” of the Worldwide Prayer Network.
He concluded by saying, “You help people to have a spiritual
gaze, a gaze of faith, on the reality that surrounds them, to recognize what
God Himself works in them; it is a gaze of
hope.”
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét