austraLasia #2148
Pope's prayer for China
ROME: 16th May 2008 -- Observant readers who follow both ANS and www.sdb.org will have noted the Rector Major's plea for Salesians to follow up Pope Benedict XVI's request for prayer for China, leading up to the Feast of MHC on 24th. This request of the pope accompanied his letter one year ago to the Chinese Faithful. He marked out the Shrine at Sheshan, dedicated to Mary Help of Christians, as the focal point. Of course, recent events have brought China very much to the fore in the world press, especially the tragic events of the Sechuan earthquake. Yet another motive for prayer for China. The daily intentions can be easily reached on sdb.org home page where they are renewed for each day of the novena.
Now we have the official version of the prayer for China in English, composed by the Pope. It reads thus:
Virgin Most Holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word and our Mother, venerated in the Shrine of Sheshan under the title 'Help of Christians', the entire Church in China looks to you with devout affection. We come before you today to implore your protection. Look upon the People of God and, with a mother's care, guide them along the paths of truth and love so that they may always be a leaven of harmonious co-existence among all citizens.
When you obediently said 'yes' in the house of Nazareth, you allowed God's eternal Son to take flesh in your virginal womb and thus begin in history the work of our redemption. You willingly and generously co-operated in that work, allowing the sword of pain to pierce your soul, until the supreme hour of the Cross, when you kept watch on Calvary, standing beside your Son, Who died that we might live.
From that moment, you became, in a new way, the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith and choose to follow in His footsteps by taking up His Cross. Mother of hope, in the darkness of Holy Saturday you journeyed with unfailing trust towards the dawn of Easter. Grant that your children may discern at all times, even those that are darkest, the signs of God's loving presence.
Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, to love. May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world, and of the world to Jesus. In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high, offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love. Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love, ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built. Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us now and forever. Amen!
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2008 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
Title: australasia 2148
Subject and key words: China
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2148
Pope's prayer for China
ROME: 16th May 2008 -- Observant readers who follow both ANS and www.sdb.org will have noted the Rector Major's plea for Salesians to follow up Pope Benedict XVI's request for prayer for China, leading up to the Feast of MHC on 24th. This request of the pope accompanied his letter one year ago to the Chinese Faithful. He marked out the Shrine at Sheshan, dedicated to Mary Help of Christians, as the focal point. Of course, recent events have brought China very much to the fore in the world press, especially the tragic events of the Sechuan earthquake. Yet another motive for prayer for China. The daily intentions can be easily reached on sdb.org home page where they are renewed for each day of the novena.
Now we have the official version of the prayer for China in English, composed by the Pope. It reads thus:
Virgin Most Holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word and our Mother, venerated in the Shrine of Sheshan under the title 'Help of Christians', the entire Church in China looks to you with devout affection. We come before you today to implore your protection. Look upon the People of God and, with a mother's care, guide them along the paths of truth and love so that they may always be a leaven of harmonious co-existence among all citizens.
When you obediently said 'yes' in the house of Nazareth, you allowed God's eternal Son to take flesh in your virginal womb and thus begin in history the work of our redemption. You willingly and generously co-operated in that work, allowing the sword of pain to pierce your soul, until the supreme hour of the Cross, when you kept watch on Calvary, standing beside your Son, Who died that we might live.
From that moment, you became, in a new way, the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith and choose to follow in His footsteps by taking up His Cross. Mother of hope, in the darkness of Holy Saturday you journeyed with unfailing trust towards the dawn of Easter. Grant that your children may discern at all times, even those that are darkest, the signs of God's loving presence.
Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, to love. May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world, and of the world to Jesus. In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high, offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love. Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love, ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built. Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us now and forever. Amen!
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2008 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
Title: australasia 2148
Subject and key words: China
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2148
