World News
At audience, pope says work should help, not hinder, family life
Published: May 16, 2012
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Work obligations should not harm a person's family relationships but should provide support, giving couples the resources to have and raise children and spend time together, Pope Benedict XVI said. At the end of his weekly general audience May 16, Pope Benedict noted how the United Nations chose "family and work" as the focus of the 2012 International Day of Families, which was celebrated May 15. Work should not be an obstacle to the family, he said, "but rather should support and unite it, help it to open itself to life" and interact with society and the church. Pope Benedict also expressed his hope that Sundays would be respected by employers as "a day of rest and an occasion to reinforce family ties." In his main audience talk, the pope looked at prayer in the biblical letters of St. Paul. The New Testament letters, he said, include prayers of thanksgiving, praise, petition and intercession, demonstrating how prayer is appropriate for every occasion in life. "Prayer should not be seen simply as a good work we do for God -- something we do -- but as a gift, the fruit of the living spirit of the Father and of Jesus Christ within us," the pope said. Pope Benedict said often "we do not know how to pray in the right way," but simply opening oneself up and setting aside a bit of time for God, the Holy Spirit will take over. "The absence of words, but the desire to enter into dialogue with God, is a prayer that the Holy Spirit not only understands, but carries to and interprets for God."
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