Praying For Our Holy Father

Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, should always be in our prayers, but perhaps now more than ever. He and our Catholic Church have many enemies and they have been quite vocal of late. One of the best ways we can help in the fight against these enemies is through prayer (a little fasting probably wouldn't hurt either).
St Paul tells us in his letter to the Ephesians: "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places." (Eph. 6:12)
This is true of what is going on in the attacks against our Holy Father and the Church.
The following novena  prayer was in my parish bulletin this week, it and variations of it are also around the Catholic blogosphere.
Please join me in praying for Our Holy Father now and always.


Novena For Pope Benedict XVI
Lord, source of eternal life and truth, give to your shepherd, Benedict, a spirit of courage and right judgement, a spirit of knowledge and love. By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care, may he as successor to the Apostle Peter and Vicar of Christ, build Your Church into a sacrament of unity, love and peace for all the world.
Amen.


V/ Let us pray for Benedict, the Pope.
R/ May the Lord preserve him, give him a long life, make him blessed upon the earth, and not hand him over to the power of his enemies.
V/ May your hand be upon your holy servant
R/ And upon your son whom you have anointed.


Our Father....  Hail Mary...  Glory Be...