Lourdes was a place that St. John Paul II loved and visited in many occasions. In one of his pilgriamges to Our Lady of Lourdes, St. John Paul II said:
“Kneeling here, before the grotto of Massabielle, I feel deeply that I have reached the goal of my pilgrimage. This cave, where Mary appeared, is the heart of Lourdes. It reminds us of the cave of Mount Horeb where Elijah met the Lord, who spoke to Him in `a still small voice' (1 Kg 19:12). Here the Blessed Virgin asked Bernadette to recite the Rosary, as She herself hold the beads. This grotto has thus become a unique school of prayer where Mary teaches everyone to gaze with burning love upon the face of Christ... As we turn to Mary Most Holy, let us pray together with Bernadette: `Good Mother, have mercy on me; I give myself entirely to You, that You may give me to Your dear Son, whom I wish to love with my whole heart. Good Mother, grant me a heart all aflame for Jesus'.”
“Kneeling here, before the grotto of Massabielle, I feel deeply that I have reached the goal of my pilgrimage. This cave, where Mary appeared, is the heart of Lourdes. It reminds us of the cave of Mount Horeb where Elijah met the Lord, who spoke to Him in `a still small voice' (1 Kg 19:12). Here the Blessed Virgin asked Bernadette to recite the Rosary, as She herself hold the beads. This grotto has thus become a unique school of prayer where Mary teaches everyone to gaze with burning love upon the face of Christ... As we turn to Mary Most Holy, let us pray together with Bernadette: `Good Mother, have mercy on me; I give myself entirely to You, that You may give me to Your dear Son, whom I wish to love with my whole heart. Good Mother, grant me a heart all aflame for Jesus'.”
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Later during one of the daily Rosary Procession, St. John Paul II said:
“When the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette in the grotto at Massabielle, She began a dialogue between Heaven and earth which has lasted through time, and continues to this day. Speaking to the young girl, Mary asked that people should come here in procession, as if to signify that this dialogue cannot be limited to words, but must become a journey at Her side along the pilgrim way of faith, hope and love."
“When the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette in the grotto at Massabielle, She began a dialogue between Heaven and earth which has lasted through time, and continues to this day. Speaking to the young girl, Mary asked that people should come here in procession, as if to signify that this dialogue cannot be limited to words, but must become a journey at Her side along the pilgrim way of faith, hope and love."
“Here in Lourdes, for more than a century, the Christian people have faithfully responded to that maternal summons, walking each day behind Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and processing each night amid songs and prayers in honour of the Lord's Mother."
St. John Paul II composed a beautiful prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes
Hail Mary, poor and humble Woman,
Blessed by the Most High!
Virgin of hope, dawn of a new era,
We join in your song of praise,
to celebrate the Lord’s mercy,
to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom
and the full liberation of humanity.
Hail Mary, lowly handmaid of the Lord,
Glorious Mother of Christ!
Faithful Virgin, holy dwelling-place of the Word,
Teach us to persevere in listening to the Word,
and to be docile to the voice of the Spirit,
attentive to his promptings in the depths of our conscience
and to his manifestations in the events of history.
Hail Mary, Woman of sorrows,
Mother of the living!
Virgin spouse beneath the Cross, the new Eve,
Be our guide along the paths of the world.
Teach us to experience and to spread the love of Christ,
to stand with you before the innumerable crosses
on which your Son is still crucified.
Hail Mary, woman of faith,
First of the disciples!
Virgin Mother of the Church, help us always
to account for the hope that is in us,
with trust in human goodness and the Father’s love.
Teach us to build up the world beginning from within:
in the depths of silence and prayer,
in the joy of fraternal love,
in the unique fruitfulness of the Cross.
Holy Mary, Mother of believers,
Our Lady of Lourdes,
pray for us. Amen.
Hail Mary, poor and humble Woman,
Blessed by the Most High!
Virgin of hope, dawn of a new era,
We join in your song of praise,
to celebrate the Lord’s mercy,
to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom
and the full liberation of humanity.
Hail Mary, lowly handmaid of the Lord,
Glorious Mother of Christ!
Faithful Virgin, holy dwelling-place of the Word,
Teach us to persevere in listening to the Word,
and to be docile to the voice of the Spirit,
attentive to his promptings in the depths of our conscience
and to his manifestations in the events of history.
Hail Mary, Woman of sorrows,
Mother of the living!
Virgin spouse beneath the Cross, the new Eve,
Be our guide along the paths of the world.
Teach us to experience and to spread the love of Christ,
to stand with you before the innumerable crosses
on which your Son is still crucified.
Hail Mary, woman of faith,
First of the disciples!
Virgin Mother of the Church, help us always
to account for the hope that is in us,
with trust in human goodness and the Father’s love.
Teach us to build up the world beginning from within:
in the depths of silence and prayer,
in the joy of fraternal love,
in the unique fruitfulness of the Cross.
Holy Mary, Mother of believers,
Our Lady of Lourdes,
pray for us. Amen.
May Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!
Order a John Paul doll today to inspire children to follow his example and love for Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother.
Order a John Paul doll today to inspire children to follow his example and love for Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother.
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