Given the recent problems for the Church in Germany, not to mention the USA, Netherlands, England and Ireland, I think we should offer a daily prayer for the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. Confidently we can say that the current events weigh heavy on his heart; accusations and verifiable incidents of sexual and physical abuse by clergy is a dreadful experience to live through, especially if the problems are rampant in the Church, particularly with a brother being in the middle of controversy. Plus, Benedict turns 83 on April 16 and begins his 5th year as Pontiff on April 19. The prayer below use Psalm 40:3 for its content; there is a partial indulgence* attached the prayers.
Have you ever thought of Pope Benedict XVI's liturgical "style"? Or have you asked yourself, "What does Pope Benedict think about the sacred Liturgy?" Or have you asked yourself, "Do I know what the meaning of Catholic Liturgy is for the Church? Good. I want you to ask these questions because I want to encourage you to read some good things on the Liturgy and not the crap you generally find in the NCR or America Magazine. You can read longer works of Ratzinger's like A New Song for the Lord, The Feast of Faith, The Spirit of the Liturgy, Looking Again at the Question of the Liturgy with Cardinal Ratzinger, God and the World (Ch. 17), among others.
United in prayer to God the Father, we ask Him to hear the pope's prayers for this month, especially,
The general intention
That the world economy may be managed according to the principles of justice and equity, taking account of the real needs of peoples, especially the poorest.
The missionary intention
That the Churches in
