Prayer for the Holy Father on His Visit to Turkey

Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name, we humbly ask that you sustain, inspire, & protect your servant, Pope Benedict XVI, as he goes on pilgrimage to Turkey – a land to which St. Paul brought the Gospel of your Son; a land where once the Mother of your Son, the Seat of Wisdom, dwelt; a land where faith in your Son’s true divinity was definitively professed. Bless our Holy Father, who comes as a messenger of truth & love to all people of faith & good will dwelling in this land so rich in history. In the power of the Holy Spirit, may this visit of the Holy Father bring about deeper ties of understanding, cooperation, & peace among Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, & those who profess Islam. May the prayers and events of these historic days greatly contribute both to greater accord among those who worship you, the living & true God, & also to peace in our world so often torn apart by war & sectarian violence.
We also ask, O Heavenly Father, that you watch over & protect Pope Benedict & entrust him to the loving care of Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Fatima, a title cherished both by Catholics & Muslims. Through her prayers & maternal love, may Pope Benedict be kept safe from all harm as he prays, bears witness to the Gospel, & invites all peoples to a dialogue of faith, reason, and love. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
--Composed by Bishop William E. Lori

“Human life is a relationship. It is only in a relationship, and not closed in on ourselves, that we can have life. And the fundamental relationship is the relationship with the Creator, or else other relations are fragile. Hence, it is essential to choose God. A world empty of God, a world that has forgotten God, loses life and relapses into a culture of death.
Choosing life, taking the option for life, therefore, means first and foremost choosing the option of a relationship with God. However, the question immediately arises: with which God? Here, once again, the Gospel helps us: with the God who showed us his face in Christ, the God who overcame hatred on the Cross, that is, in love to the very end. Thus, by choosing this God, we choose life.”
—Pope Benedict XVI, March 2006

Happy Feast of St. Therese!

Therese Martin, a discalced Carmelite of Lisieux, ardently desired to be a missionary. She was one, to the point that she could be proclaimed patroness of the missions. Jesus himself showed her how she could live this vocation: By fully practicing the commandment of love, she would be immersed in the very heart of the church's mission, supporting those who proclaim the Gospel with the mysterious power of prayer and communion. Thus she achieved what Vatican Council 11 emphasized in teaching that the church is missionary by nature (cf. Ad Gentes, No. 2). Not only those who choose the missionary life, but all the baptized are in some way sent ad gentes.

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Everyone thus realizes that today something surprising is happening. St. Therese of Lisieux was unable to attend a university or engage in systematic study. She died young. Nevertheless, from this day forward she will be honored as a doctor of the church, an outstanding recognition which raises her in the esteem of the entire Christian community far beyond any academic title.

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Therese of Lisieux did not only grasp and describe the profound truth of love as the center and heart of the church, but in her short life she lived it intensely. It is precisely this convergence of doctrine and concrete experience, of truth and life, of teaching and practice, which shines with particular brightness in this saint and which makes her an attractive model especially for young people and for those who are seeking true meaning for their life.
Before the emptiness of so many words, Therese offers another solution, the one Word of salvation which, understood and lived in silence, becomes a source of renewed life. She counters a rational culture, so often overcome by practical materialism, with the disarming simplicity of the "little way" which, by returning to the essentials, leads to the secret of all life: the divine love that surrounds and penetrates every human venture. In a time like ours, so frequently marked by an ephemeral and hedonistic culture, this new doctor of the church proves to be remarkably effective in enlightening the minds and hearts of those who hunger and thirst for truth and love.

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Yes, 0 Father, we bless you, together with Jesus (cf. Mt. 11:25), because you have "hidden your secrets from the wise and understanding" and have revealed them to this "little one" whom today you hold up again for our attention and imitation.
Thank you for the wisdom you gave her, making her an exceptional witness and teacher of life for the whole church! Thank you for the love you poured out upon her and which continues to illumine and warm hearts, spurring them to holiness. The desire Therese expressed to "spend her heaven doing good on earth," continues to be fulfilled in a marvelous way. Thank you Father, for making her close to us today with a new title, to the praise and glory of your name forever and ever. Amen!
--Pope John Paul II, October 1997, Homily at Mass Proclaiming St. Therese a Doctor of the Church

"Let all, therefore, try to approach with greater trust the throne of grace and mercy of our Queen and Mother, and beg for strength in adversity, light in darkness, consolation in sorrow; above all let them strive to free themselves from the slavery of sin and offer an unceasing homage, filled with filial loyalty, to their Queenly Mother. Let her churches be thronged by the faithful, her feast-days honored; may the beads of the Rosary be in the hands of all; may Christians gather, in small numbers and large, to sing her praises in churches, in homes, in hospitals, in prisons. May Mary's name be held in highest reverence, a name sweeter than honey and more precious than jewels; may none utter blasphemous words, the sign of a defiled soul, against that name graced with such dignity and revered for its motherly goodness; let no one be so bold as to speak a syllable which lacks the respect due to her name.

All, according to their state, should strive to bring alive the wondrous virtues of our heavenly Queen and most loving Mother through constant effort of mind and manner. Thus will it come about that all Christians, in honoring and imitating their sublime Queen and Mother, will realize they are truly brothers, and with all envy and avarice thrust aside, will promote love among classes, respect the rights of the weak, cherish peace. No one should think himself a son of Mary, worthy of being received under her powerful protection, unless, like her, he is just, gentle and pure, and shows a sincere desire for true brotherhood, not harming or injuring but rather helping and comforting others."

--Pope Pius XII, Ad Caeli Reginam, Oct. 11, 1954