Praying with the Pope in July
Published on 30 Jun 2017
Intention: That our brothers and sisters who have strayed from the faith, through our prayer and witness to the Gospel, may rediscover the merciful closeness of the Lord and the beauty of the Christian life.
Pope Francis, July 2017
Prayer
God our Father, you call us to know and to follow your Son Jesus as a model for our lives.
Help us to give a coherent testimony of our faith in Jesus,
which encounters the people around us.
The Gospel has an enormous force of transformation,
when it is lived in its radicality and beauty.
On the contrary, a faith disconnected from life,
without mercy, can cause scandal and isolation.
We ask for your forgiveness for our lack of consistency,
that lead so many brothers and sisters not to find in the Church a place full of life.
We pray for all who have strayed away from the faith,
that, with our prayer and witness,
they will be able to rediscover the joy of believing and living in Christ.
Challenges for the month
To pray for those who have turned away from the faith, so that their heart may open to the appeals of the Father of Mercy.
Reflect in person if we are giving a coherent witness of life according to the Gospel, marked by mercy and joy.
Provide a moment of reflection in the parish about concrete ways of speaking of the faith to those who are far from the Church.