Who Thinks of "Praying for Water"?

The Pope's Prayer Intention for the month of September 2026 is a simple one, but it is something that we in the rich nations of the world rarely think about, even though we bear great responsibility for many of the problems related to this fundamental human resource. 

We Christians say we want to "do the will of Christ" but when we are asked to have even a prayerful awareness of God's creation and the physical needs of billions of our brothers and sisters, some of us are tempted to think, "this is just ecological politics." No! The Gospel renews our whole humanity, and in Christ we begin to see everything in this world in a new way, and through the grace of the Holy Spirit we rediscover our vocation to be stewards of the created world, to be grateful for all of God's gifts - which are given to everyone and therefore must be shared with every person. 

The Pope's intention is no "Vatican foray" into the brutal game of power politics with all its ambitions, intrigue, and vanity. Rather, it proclaims our Gospel vocation to participate in the justice and mercy of Christ's redeeming love for the whole person and all of creation. The transforming love of the Heart of Jesus "already" penetrates the reality of the here-and-now, because every moment of time and space finds its true meaning in Him, and in the light of His promise to "make all things new."

Watch The Pope's Video every month. I find these YouTube videos useful for fostering a more conscious solidarity with Pope Leo in my daily prayer "for the intentions of our Holy Father recommended for this month." Open this link to see and hear his meditation for September: PopeVideo

Pope's Prayer Intention: "For the Care of Water"

Lord of Life,
You have given us the gift of water,
source of fruitfulness, freshness, and hope.
It quenches thirst, nourishes the earth, and heals wounds. 

We thank You,
because it is also a symbol of your grace and love
that renews us through Baptism. 

Today we ask You to teach us to safeguard it
with gratitude, justice, and responsibility.
Forgive us for turning it into a commodity,
forgetting that it is a universal gift,
a right without borders, meant for all your children. 

We see with pain so many brothers and sisters
who lack clean water,
who walk for miles to find it,
who become ill due to its scarcity. 

May your Spirit make us pilgrims of the essential,
able to live with simplicity,
denouncing waste and pollution,
defending the right of every brother and sister
to drink without fear and without inequality. 

May our care for water
be a sign of love for the Creator
and a commitment to the lives of the poor,
educating new generations to value
and protect the Earth’s resources. 

Amen.