Thirty one days zipped by and we are already entering into the halfway point of the year. In May, we paid particular attention to our Blessed Mother, in June we traditionally contemplate the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Last year, on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, Pope Benedict brought to a close the Year for Priests. In his homily, he said:

The liturgy interprets for us the language of Jesus’ heart, which tells us above all that God is the shepherd of mankind, and so it reveals to us Jesus’ priesthood, which is rooted deep within his heart; so too it shows us the perennial foundation and the effective criterion of all priestly ministry, which must always be anchored in the heart of Jesus and lived out from that starting-point.

With that in mind, it is not surprising that the Holy Father's general prayer intention focuses on priests:

That priests, united to the Heart of Christ, may always be true witnesses to the caring and merciful love of God.

His missionary intention follows along similar lines, highlighting vocations. Specifically missionary vocations:

That the Holy Spirit may bring forth from our communities many missionaries who are ready to be fully consecrated to spreading the Kingdom of God.

As always, Pope Benedict's monthly prayer intentions can be found on the Apostleship of Prayer site. - CNS photo/Paul Haring: Pope Benedict XVI greets priests as he arrives to celebrate Mass to conclude the Year for Priests in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican June 11, 2010. Some 15,000 priests concelebrated the Mass.