Pope Francis is undoubtedly one of the biggest global figures with the whole world watching to see what he will do next. Catholics and non-Catholics alike are curious as to the direction he will lead the Catholic Church. Have you ever wondered what is he thinking about? What does he pray for?
Since mind readers are a thing for comic books and movies, we will have to content ourselves that we will never know all the intimate details of Pope Francis. However, if one pays attention to what he is saying and preaching and doing, one might very well come to some solid conclusions. (Naturally, this is dependent on if your source relays a reliable account or a biased interpretation.) One little insight comes straight from the Vatican News concerning Pope Francis’ prayer intentions for the month of May.
The first is his universal prayer intention: “That, rejecting the culture of indifference, we may care for our neighbors who suffer, especially the sick and the poor.” The second is his intention for evangelization: “That Mary’s intercession may help Christians in secularized cultures be open to proclaiming Jesus.”
Before May has even started, recently, many are answering his first intention, to love and serve the poor. There is the organization Caritas Internationalis whose mission is dedicated to sharing in the Catholic Church’s call “to serve the poor and to promote charity and justice throughout the world.” They have raised 3 million euros in a matter of a few days in response to the earthquake that devastated Nepal on April 25, 2015. As of yesterday, over 5,800 are dead, over 10,000 are injured, and many more are homeless. Today, the death toll is reported to have increased a great deal and will continue to do so as damage is further investigated. Caritas’ immediate response is something to take note as the month of May begins.
The Pope’s May intentions are more then just intentions; they show us something about Pope Francis. They show us he is a man that cares deeply about those in need as well as a man who sees closed hearts around him and wants those hearts to be open. He wants hearts to be open so they may love others including the poor and the sick.
His intentions are ones that we should all pray for; however, we should not stop there. While not all of us will be called to be on the frontlines in the wake of natural disasters, many of us though will encounter those who are poor and sick. Whether the poverty is spiritual or material or whether the sickness is serious or slight, we will encounter those suffering. As we meet those in need, we should remember Caritas’ response to Nepal’s earthquake victims, it was immediate. We should fight our own indifference in our hearts and be quick to respond to those in need. In a small way, we can help answer a Pope’s prayers.
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