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The Holy Father's September prayer intention highlights witness of St Francis

The Holy Father's September prayer intention highlights witness of St Francis

McKenna Snow
McKenna Snow
· 2 min read
The Holy Father's September prayer intention highlights witness of St Francis

In a message referencing the patron saint of ecology, the Holy Father shared that his prayer intention for September is “for our relationship with all of creation,” according to the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network. 

“Let us pray that, inspired by Saint Francis, we might experience our Interdependence with all creatures, who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect,” Pope Leo XIV says in a video created by the network. The Pope’s X account posted the video, which contains the intention prayer, Sept. 2. 

In the video, Pope Leo leads the full prayer:

“Lord, You love everything You have created, and nothing exists outside the mystery of Your tenderness. Every creature, no matter how small, is the fruit of Your love and has a place in this world. Even the simplest or shortest life is surrounded by Your care. Like Saint Francis of Assisi, today we too want to say ‘praise be You, my Lord!’ Through the beauty of creation You reveal Yourself as a source of goodness. 

We ask You: open our eyes to recognize You, learning from the mystery of Your closeness to all creation that the world is infinitely more than a problem to solve. It is a mystery to be contemplated with gratitude and hope. Help us to discover Your presence in all creation, so that in fully recognizing it, we may feel and know ourselves to be responsible to this common home, where You invite us to care for, respect, and protect life in all its forms and possibilities. Praised be You, Lord! Amen.” 

Pope Leo spoke about right relationship with creation in August as well. On Aug.18 he sent a telegram to the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon addressing the importance of proclaiming the Gospel, being good stewards of the environment, and not worshipping nature. 

According to the Network’s website, the Pope’s August intention was “that societies where coexistence seems more difficult might not succumb to the temptation of confrontation for ethnic, political, religious or ideological reasons.” 

>> Pope Leo’s July prayer intention is about learning how to discern <<