During
the 12 December 2012 general audience, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI renewed
his invitation to read the Bible more frequently and to pay closer attention to
the readings at Sunday Mass, to provide "valuable nourishment for our
faith".
The
Pope observed that "reading the Old Testament, we see how God's
interventions in the history of the chosen people with whom He established an
alliance were not passing events forgotten over time, but rather become living
'memory', together constituting the 'story of salvation' that resides in the
consciousness of the people of Israel through the celebration of salvific
events", such as Easter. "For all the people of Israel, to recall
God's work becomes a sort of constant imperative, in order that the passage of
time be marked by the living memory of past events which thus create history
anew, day by day, remaining ever present. ... Faith is nurtured by the
discovery and the memory of God who is always faithful, who guides history and
is the sound and stable foundation upon which life should be built".
The
Pope turned his attention to the liturgical time of Advent, which prepares us
for Christmas. "As we all know, the word 'Advent' means 'coming' or
'presence', and historically indicated the arrival of the king or the emperor
in a province. For us as Christians it has the wonderful and awe-inspiring
meaning that God Himself has crossed over from Heaven and inclined towards man;
he has made a covenant with man, entering into the history of His people. He is
the king who enters into the poor province of earth, offering us the gift of
His visit, taking on human flesh and becoming one of us. Advent invites us to
retrace this path and reminds us again the God has not left this world, He is
not absent and has not abandoned us to our own devices, but instead draws
towards us in various ways that we must learn to recognise. And we too, with
our faith, hope and charity, are called upon every day to perceive and witness
this presence, in a world so often superficial and led astray, and to make the
light that illuminated the stable in Bethlehem shine anew in our lives".
For
more information, please visit:
http://www.news.va/en/news/advent-reminds-us-of-gods-presence-in-the-world
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| Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City |
Litany of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God our Heavenly Father, Creator through whom we live,
have mercy on us.
God the Son, the One who owns what is near and beyond,
have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
have mercy of us.
Holy Mary of Guadalupe,
pray for us.*
Holy Mary, Mother of America,
Holy Mary, Star of the New Evangelization,
Holy Mary, Perfect and Ever Virgin,
Holy Mary, Mother of the True God,
Holy Mary, Mother worthy of honor and veneration,
Holy Mary, Mother most merciful,
Holy Mary, Mother of those who love you and have confidence in you,
Holy Mary, Mother of those who cry to you and search for you,
Holy Mary, Mother who cures all our pains, miseries, and sorrows,
Holy Mary, Mother who remedies and alleviates our sufferings,
Holy Mary, Mother who keeps us within her compassionate and merciful gaze,
Holy Mary, Mother who shows us her help, love and compassion,
Holy Mary, Mother who chooses those who are humble and simple,
Holy Mary, Mother who graciously repays all who serve her,
Holy Mary, Mother who has us under her shadow and protection,
Holy Mary, Mother who carries us in her embrace,
Holy Mary, Fountain of our joy,
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the
promises of Christ.
Let Us Pray
Almighty and Eternal God, your message of
mercy, entrusted to Our Lady of Guadalupe, invites all your children to place
all their trust in you. Through the intercession of the mother of your Son, may
your message of Merciful Love inflame our hearts that we may be faithful
heralds and instruments of this Divine Mercy to the world.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your
Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and
ever.
Amen.
Ecclesiastical
Approval for Private Use Only by Raymond
Leo Cardinal Burke
For
more information, please visit:
http://www.guadalupeshrine.org/
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During these days of Advent and always let us place our trust in Our Lady of Guadalupe, our loving Mother Mary, who always shows us the way to do God's will... with a serene smile.
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At the office of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations (WUCWO)
Piazza San Calisto, Rome, 2009 |
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