less than daily – more than micro

Nine Days of Prayer for the Catholic Church in China

Recommended prayer:

Reflecting on Joseph’s example as a holy father

St. Joseph, adoptive holy father of the infant Jesus and spouse of the Blessed Virgin, we implore your intercession before the throne of grace for the Catholic Church in China.

In your humility, you accepted the call to protect and defend the Child Jesus and His Mother, Mary. The Chinese people have always been close to you in their suffering.

Now, in this time of great darkness and deception, we pray also for wisdom and courage for Pope Leo XIV, who must now in word and deed repent of the deep betrayal of long-suffering underground Catholic faithful that was accomplished through his predecessor’s secret agreement with Chinese atheists. Let not the Catholic faith in China become distorted and destroyed. Let not an earthly, atheistic, authoritarian dictator claim the worship due to Christ alone and usurp the power and authority of our Holy Father, the Roman Pontiff.

St. Joseph, we humbly ask you to intercede in prayer with us in defense of the Catholic faith in China. We pray that Jesus, through His Vicar on earth, may lead Chinese Catholics to an authentic expression of our faith and true union with our Holy Father in Rome, for the glory of God.

Amen.

All Catholics are also encouraged to pray the prayer Pope Benedict XVI wrote in honor of Our Lady of Sheshan, Help of Christians.

PRAYER OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
TO OUR LADY OF SHESHAN
ON THE OCCASION OF THE WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
FOR THE CHURCH IN CHINA (24 MAY 2008)

Virgin Most Holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word and our Mother,
venerated in the Shrine of Sheshan under the title “Help of Christians”,
the entire Church in China looks to you with devout affection.
We come before you today to implore your protection.
Look upon the People of God and, with a mother’s care, guide them
along the paths of truth and love, so that they may always be
a leaven of harmonious coexistence among all citizens.

When you obediently said “yes” in the house of Nazareth,
you allowed God’s eternal Son to take flesh in your virginal womb
and thus to begin in history the work of our redemption.
You willingly and generously cooperated in that work,
allowing the sword of pain to pierce your soul,
until the supreme hour of the Cross, when you kept watch on Calvary,
standing beside your Son, who died that we might live.

From that moment, you became, in a new way,
the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith
and choose to follow in his footsteps by taking up his Cross.
Mother of hope, in the darkness of Holy Saturday you journeyed
with unfailing trust towards the dawn of Easter.
Grant that your children may discern at all times,
even those that are darkest, the signs of God’s loving presence.

Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China,
who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, to love.
May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world,
and of the world to Jesus.
In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high,
offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love.
Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love,
ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built.
Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us, now and for ever. Amen!

Friday, May 16

For Strength and Endurance:

Pray that Chinese Catholic Christians will find their ultimate source of strength and hope in Jesus Christ, who endured suffering for their salvation.
Pray for resilience and courage in the face of persecution, surveillance, harassment, and severe restrictions on the practice of their faith.
Ask God to grant them the grace to forgive their persecutors and to love their neighbors, even those who may seek to harm them.

Saturday, May 17

For Freedom and Justice:

Pray for an end to the suppression of religious freedom in China, that all people may worship and practice their beliefs without fear or coercion.
Pray for the release of imprisoned Christians and for fair treatment within the legal system for those facing unjust charges.
Pray for Catholics in China that they may remain faithful to the doctrines of their faith and not lose faith while the Chinese Communist Party mandates clergy to preach the doctrines of atheistic Communism instead of the Gospel.

Sunday, May 18

For Spiritual Growth and Witness:

Pray that even amidst suffering, the faith of Chinese Christians will deepen and grow, becoming a beacon of hope for others.
Pray for the continued spread of the Gospel in China, that more people may come to know the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
Pray for Chinese Christians to be bold and courageous in sharing their faith, even when it is risky, and that their lives may be a testament to the transformative power of the Gospel.

Monday, May 19

For Families and Children:

Pray for an end to Chinese religious laws and regulations that ban children under 18 from taking part in religious activities of any kind.
Pray for Chinese Christian parents in China to be able to successfully transmit their faith to their children, even as they face being turned in by their own children for their faithfulness.
Pray that persecution under Communism leads to a revival of faith instead of extinction.

Tuesday, May 20

For the Faithful Underground Church:

Pray for the repose of the soul of Cardinal Ignatius Kung Pin-Mei, who suffered decades of torture and detainment rather than renounce the “foreign” influence of the Pope.
Pray for Catholic faithful who are caught between living their faith authentically and compromising with the government.
Pray for Catholics in China to be resilient and joyful in the midst of suffering for the Gospel of Christ.
Pray for Chinese Catholics to remain in communion with the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, the Vicar of Christ on earth and the head of the universal Catholic Church.

Wednesday, May 21

For Missing and Detained Clergy:

Pray for the 10 Catholic bishops who are missing or detained in China.
Pray for the beatification of Cardinal Ignatius Kung Pin-Mei.
Pray that Pope Leo XIV will rescind the secret Vatican deal with Chinese Communists and free these shepherds and servants to be true witnesses to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Thursday, May 22

For Pope Leo XIV:

Pray for Pope Leo XIV’s courage and discernment in all his dealings with representatives of the Chinese Communist Party.
Pray Pope Leo XIV will reaffirm the prophetic voice of the long-suffering Underground Catholic Church in China, that their Christ-like witness for the Gospel is not in vain.
Pray for Pope Leo XIV to renounce and repeal the Vatican’s secret deal with Chinese Communists.

Friday, May 23

For the Catholic Church in China:

Pray for unity and mutual support among believers, that they may encourage and strengthen one another in their faith.
Pray for the protection and guidance of church leaders and pastors, who are legally bound by the CCP to promulgate the ideology of Communism and idolize its leader, Xi Jinping.

Pray for the development of bold and faithful local churches, equipped to nurture and disciple believers in China.
Pray that Chinese authorities, who persecute Christians and people of other faiths, might come to recognize the error of their ways and resolve to end the persecution of all faiths and beliefs in China.

Saturday, May 24

Remembering Jesus’ Example:

Recall Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.
Reflect on the suffering of Jesus as a model for Christians, demonstrating how enduring trials with faith and grace can be a powerful witness.
Ask for the Holy Spirit to empower Chinese Christians so that they may bear a sacrificial witness to the love and hope found in Jesus Christ, even amid difficult circumstances.

In meditating on the suffering of Jesus and the long-suffering faith of Chinese Catholics, we can unite in solidarity with them as we seek God’s provision of strength, wisdom, and protection for believers in China. Ultimately, we believe prayer will lead to the transformation of hearts and circumstances in that country.

by Roscoe