In 1997, Pope John Paul II made one of his nine visits to his beloved homeland, Poland. Of course he went to visit his cherished heavenly mother, Our Lady of Czestochowa.
Here is part of the prayer that he said to her, which sounds as if he could have voiced it today. In fact, undoubtedly from heaven, he IS still making this prayer for us, to his Queen of Jasna Góra.
Our Lady and Pope St. John Paul II, pray for us:
Faithful Daughter of the Eternal Father, Temple of the Love that embraces heaven and earth, I entrust to you the service of the Church in the world, a world which so needs love. Mother of God, Mother of the only-begotten Son who gave us as the principle of life, the new commandment of love, help us to become builders of a united world, in which peace triumphs over war, and the civilization of death is replaced by love for life…. May humanity stand firmly with God, to whom belongs the whole world. Mother of Unity and Peace, strengthen the bond of communion within the Church of your Son, enliven ecumenical efforts so that all Christians, by the power of the Holy Spirit, may become one family of sisters and brothers of Jesus Christ, the one Saviour of the world yesterday, today and for ever (cf. Heb. 13:8). … O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, accept our trust, strengthen it in our hearts and present it before the face of the one God in the Holy Trinity. Amen.
Help us to become builders of a united world, in which peace triumphs over war, and the civilization of death is replaced by love for life….
And today we celebrate...