Prayer Articles
by Andy Hamilton SJ
Fr Andy Hamilton SJ is editorial consultant at Jesuit Communications

The importance of the Sacrament of Reconciliation
For Pope Francis the sacrament of Reconciliation has a central place in Catholic life. He refers to it frequently as one of the pillars in...

Attitude change needed
Pope Francis, in his prayer intention for February, calls on us to walk with women who suffer violence and to encourage respect for women in...

The world is our family
Pope Francis speaks of fraternity in a variety of contexts. For him it is much richer in meaning than friendly relationships. It refers to a...

Waiting for God
In Latin, an advent is an arrival; in the Church year it is a time of waiting. In the early Church it was both. It...

Change of attitude needed
Poverty is not something ‘out there’ but something that brushes up against our families and in our states. It is easy to think about poverty...

The meaning of Baptism
Pope Francis’ prayer intention for October is for the laity’s mission in the Church – specifically we pray that by the virtue of baptism, the...

Praying for ourselves and our planet
Pope Francis’ September prayer intention, that the planet’s resources will not be plundered, but shared in a just and respectful manner, sums up his ongoing...

Growing better societies
When disaster threatens societies face a choice – withdraw into themselves or embrace humanitarism. Where there are disasters, disruption and conflict, people will always come...

Praying for those connected to the sea
Pope Francis’ Prayer Intentions for August is for The Maritime World. We are asked to pray for all those who work and live from the sea,...

Friendship and resilience
In future 2020 will be remembered by many different names. In Australia, one of them could well be the Year of Hard Times and Places....

Reflecting on this Refugee Week
This year Refugee Week has been swallowed by the disruption caused by COVID-19, and by the fracturing of society in the United States. In a...

Praying for freedom from addiction
Pope Francis’ Intention for April is Freedom from Addiction. This prayer encompasses all of us. When we hear of addicts we usually think of other...