Prayer is one of the most important things Christians can do. It is a time when they communicate with the Prince of Peace, Lord Jesus Christ, and experience the joy of being in the company of their Savior who cares for them, alleviates their suffering, and heals their diseases.

Praying is an opportunity to spend time with the Lord and to hold dialogue with Him using simple words that express the warmth of love, faith, closeness, and reliance on Him.

His Holiness Pope Francis paid a visit to the Dicastery for Communication on Monday, May 24, on his first-ever visit to the Holy See’s historic Radio station.

During the visit the Pope prayed saying, “Lord, teach us to come out of ourselves, and to set out in search of the truth. Teach us to go and see, teach us to listen, not to cultivate prejudices, not to draw hasty conclusions.…” 

Every time I discuss Independence Day, I get a rush of pride that stems from the many accomplishments of our nation, especially in aiding humanity in our region. It’s the kind of pride that does not reflect arrogance, but a passion that should not be limited and should be encouraged, since it has a positive effect and influence on the one nation.

Pope Francis significantly widened the scope of the next planned meeting of the world's Catholic bishops, postponing the event by one year to allow for periods of consultation in every local diocese and at the continental level before the opening of the usual Vatican gathering of prelates.

In an unexpected announcement May 21, the Vatican said the pontiff had chosen to take the move so that the next Synod of Bishops would better involve "listening to all of the baptized."

By Munir Bayouk/ en.abouna.org   :

The Vatican is currently presenting a series of webinars on food for all marking the “Laudato si’ Week” which is being celebrated on May 16-24. The series is intended to draw attention and to influence the UN Food Systems Pre-Summit, due to convene in Rome in July 2021, on the impending global food shortages.

One of the bright outcomes of His Holiness Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq is that Christians in Qaraqosh, who met with Pope Francis two months ago, celebrated  on  May  6 the first communion of 121 children at the city’s St. John the Baptist Church. Further 400 children will receive the sacrament shortly which stands as a stark sign of a living Christian community that restores its active and vibrant role.

His Holiness Pope Francis has instituted the new lay ministry of catechist through the issuance of the apostolic letter  "Antiquum Ministerium" (Ancient ministry) with the intention to respond to an urgent need for the evangelization of the modern world.

What draws attention about the newly instituted ministry of catechist is that it is designed for lay people who have a particular call to serve the Catholic Church as a teacher of the faith.

"... you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8), this is what Jesus Christ said to his disciples in the olive mountain - Jerusalem, promising them that they will receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit that brings them closer to the kingdom of God.

The Feast of Our Lady of Fatima is marked on May 13. It is the feast celebrating the apparition of Blessed Mary to three Portuguese shepherd children on this day in 1917.

This day reminds us that our merciful Mother, Blessed Mary, affirms to us that Her Son, Lord Jesus Christ, has already won for us an eternal victory. In 1917, near the end of World War I, a miraculous event happened in the quaint little city of Fatima, Portugal.

Since the outset of Pope Francis’ pontificate, he has been extending God's mercy worldwide while trying to extinguish violence flaring in various parts of the world. He focused all the time on giving a helping hand to all world countries that suffer from chronic problems and instabilities either by paying visits to these countries or by praying fervently seeking the Lord's help and  mercy.