Pope Benedict XVI departs Rome for Washington, DC, for his first apostolic visit to the United States.  He arrives in Washington, DC at 4:00pm Eastern Time, and is greeted by President and Mrs. Bush.

Prayer for each day
 
Lord our God,
we give thanks for this land of freedom:
may we use our freedom for the good of all.
We give thanks for this land of opportunity:
may we share our abundance with others,
so that all people may have their fill of your good gifts.
We give thanks for our peace and security:
may we work to establish peace in the world.
May our nation truly be
a land of liberty and justice,
a place where every human life is treasured,
and a beacon of hope to the world.
We ask this through Christ, our risen Lord.
 
Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI:  The Living Church

“The Church is alive. And the Church is young. She holds within herself the future of the world and therefore shows each of us the way towards the future. The Church is alive and we are seeing it: we are experiencing the joy that the Risen Lord promised his followers. The Church is alive – she is alive because Christ is alive, because he is truly risen.”  From Pope Benedict XVI’s first homily after his election as Pope, April 24, 2005.  Read the entire homily here. 
 
Prayer Intentions for Today

We pray for the Holy Father’s safe journey to the United States.  We pray for those who, for many months, have been preparing to welcome him to Washington and to New York.  And we pray for all who will make the pilgrimage to meet him, especially pilgrims from our own Archdiocese of Seattle.

We pray that this, Pope Benedict’s first apostolic visit to the United States, may be a time of joy not only for Catholics but for all Americans.  May it inspire us with new thankfulness for our freedom of worship.  And may we gain a deeper awareness of the needs of the rest of the world; a greater respect for all life; and a renewed sense of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our midst, leading us to the Christ who is our hope.