In the morning, Pope Benedict celebrates Mass at Nationals Stadium in Washington, DC, in the presence of a great assembly of the faithful.  In the afternoon, he meets with representatives of Catholic colleges and universities at Catholic University.  In the evening, he meets with representatives of other religions.

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:  Science and Love

Every generation has the task of engaging anew in the arduous search for the right way to order human affairs; this task is never simply completed. Yet every generation must also make its own contribution to establishing convincing structures of freedom and of good, which can help the following generation as a guideline for the proper use of human freedom; hence, always within human limits, they provide a certain guarantee also for the future. In other words: good structures help, but of themselves they are not enough. Man can never be redeemed simply from outside. Francis Bacon and those who followed in the intellectual current of modernity that he inspired were wrong to believe that man would be redeemed through science. Such an expectation asks too much of science; this kind of hope is deceptive. Science can contribute greatly to making the world and mankind more human. Yet it can also destroy mankind and the world unless it is steered by forces that lie outside it… It is not science that redeems man: man is redeemed by love.

Spe Salvi, 25-26.  Read the entire encyclical here.

Prayer Intentions for Today

Today, let us pray in a special way for all who are involved in Catholic education:  university professors, teachers, and students.  May our Catholic schools and universities be places where ideas are explored freely in the light of Christ and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  May Mary, Seat of Wisdom, guide those who teach and form children and young people in the ways of faith.