{"id":113763,"date":"2025-07-04T11:57:40","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T09:57:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lasalle.org\/?p=113763"},"modified":"2025-07-04T11:57:40","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T09:57:40","slug":"popes-july-prayer-intention-for-formation-in-discernment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lasalle.org\/en\/popes-july-prayer-intention-for-formation-in-discernment\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope\u2019s July prayer intention: \u2018For formation in discernment\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pope Leo XIV releases his prayer intention for the month of July, and invites us to pray that we may know how to choose the right path for our life and reject anything that leads us away from Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet us pray that we might again learn how to discern, to know how to choose paths of life and reject everything that leads us away from Christ and the Gospel.\u201d Pope Leo XIV made that invitation in his prayer intention for July 2025, released in The Pope Video, which accompanies his monthly intention.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the video produced by the\u00a0<\/span>Pope\u2019s Worldwide Prayer Network<\/span><\/a>, the Holy Father offers a prayer to guide Christians in our discernment process.<\/span><\/p>\n

He prays that the Holy Spirit may inform our decisions and that we may learn to listen attentively to God\u2019s gentle voice.<\/span><\/p>\n

In listening, he says, we learn to \u201cdiscern the hidden paths of my heart\u201d and understand what truly matters to God.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI ask you for the grace to learn how to pause,\u201d he prays, \u201cto become aware of the way I act, of the feelings that dwell within me, and of the thoughts that overwhelm me, which, so often, I fail to notice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Pope Leo leads the viewer to pray that our choices may lead us \u201cto the joy of the Gospel,\u201d despite moments of doubt and fatigue, constantly seeking to begin anew.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause, at the end of the journey, your consolation is the fruit of the right decision,\u201d he affirms.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pope concludes his prayer asking God to help us understand better \u201cwhat moves me, so that I may reject what draws me away from Christ, and love him and serve him more fully.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

Discernment and rejecting temptation<\/b><\/h2><\/div>

A press release accompanying The Pope Video notes that each person faces \u201cinfinite possibilities in life\u201d that can leave us paralyzed or afraid.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pope\u2019s prayer for discernment, it says, invites the Holy Spirit to help us take the right path for our lives by listening deeply to His voice in our hearts.<\/span><\/p>\n

The video shows a young woman walking lost in a forest as she looks for the correct path. As she searches for the way to go, she frees herself from unnecessary burdens and finds a compass and map to guide her steps. After opening the Gospel, the woman comes to a grotto with an image of Mary, where she prays in silence for guidance.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Pope\u2019s original prayer echoes the famous prayer of St. Augustine in the\u00a0<\/span>Confessions<\/span><\/i>: \u201cOh God, let me know myself that I might know You!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn order to discern, it is necessary to place oneself in truth before God, to enter into oneself, to admit one\u2019s own weaknesses, and to ask the Lord for healing,\u201d explains the press release. \u201cThese are the steps to rebirth through an authentic relationship with God.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This process is known as discernment and helps Christians discover the path toward God\u2014lived in the actions of every day\u2014that already lies deep within our hearts.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the press release, Fr. Crist\u00f3bal Fones, SJ, International Director of the Pope\u2019s Worldwide Prayer Network, explains that each of us must learn and be guided in order to discern well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Formation in discernment, he says, \u201cincludes prayer, personal reflection, the study of Scripture and spiritual direction. Cultivating a deep relationship with Jesus is the most important aspect.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

Pope Leo XIV\u2019s prayer for discernment<\/b><\/h2><\/div>

Holy Spirit, you, light of our understanding,
\n<\/span><\/i>gentle breath that guides our decisions,
\n<\/span><\/i>grant me the grace to listen attentively to your voice
\n<\/span><\/i>and to discern the hidden paths of my heart,
\n<\/span><\/i>so that I may grasp what truly matters to you,
\n<\/span><\/i>and free my heart from its troubles.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I ask you for the grace to learn how to pause,
\n<\/span><\/i>to become aware of the way I act,
\n<\/span><\/i>of the feelings that dwell within me,
\n<\/span><\/i>and of the thoughts that overwhelm me
\n<\/span><\/i>which, so often, I fail to notice.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I long for my choices
\n<\/span><\/i>to lead me to the joy of the Gospel.
\n<\/span><\/i>Even if I must go through moments of doubt and fatigue,
\n<\/span><\/i>even if I must struggle, reflect, search, and begin again\u2026
\n<\/span><\/i>Because, at the end of the journey,
\n<\/span><\/i>your consolation is the fruit of the right decision.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Grant me a deeper understanding of what moves me,
\n<\/span><\/i>so that I may reject what draws me away from Christ,
\n<\/span><\/i>and love him and serve him more fully.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Amen.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>