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The Pope has a prayer group, and it's called the Apostleship of Prayer. The  international Apostleship of Prayer website  has a map of the prayer group's offices around the world: Praying with the Pope around the world! These offices serve the Church by uniting people in prayer for the Pope's personal intentions. I love clicking on the links to Apostleship of Prayer sites from various countries. Just a few minutes on these sites helps me work on my foreign language skills and provides a glimpse into the vibrant prayer lives of our brothers and sisters around the globe. When Pope Francis visited the US last month, he asked at  every  stop for people to pray for him. The worldwide Apostleship of Prayer gives us a concrete way to do exactly that. Find out how to become a member of the prayer group St. Therese of Lisieux joined at Praying with Grace !

I am not crafty. When normal women set out glue guns, fabric, and paint, I see magic wands, mithril, and pixie dust. The mere thought of "craft time" with my children makes my palms sweat. Pope Francis, however, inspired me to overcome my fears. This is the Pope's  universal prayer intention for January 2015 : " Peace: That those from diverse religious traditions and all people of good will may work together for peace. " In honor of this prayer intention, I stepped out of my comfort zone. I adapted, published, AND EXECUTED the following Apostleship of Prayer "Sea Bottle" craft activity with my daughter Rose. A little whisper popped into my head just as Rose and I were delighting in our teamwork. Here I was, spending time with my daughter, relishing the moment, and joining our prayers to the Pope's universal intention for peace. And then, BAM! My heart grew restless; my mind became distracted. With one little whisper, peace vanished. In...