Prayers by Pope John Paul II – 1
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.
Prayers by Pope John Paul II – 2
O Holy Trinity, we thank you for having given to the Church, Pope John Paul II, and for having made him shine with your fatherly tenderness, the glory of the Cross of Christ and the splendour of the Spirit of love
He, trusting completely in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, has shown himself in the likeness of Jesus the Good Shepherd and has pointed out to us holiness as the path to reach eternal communion with You.
Grant us, through his intercession, according to your will, the grace that we implore, in the hope that he will soon be numbered among your saints.
Amen.
Prayers by Pope John Paul II – 3
We thank You, Lord Jesus,
because the Gospel of the Father’s love,
with which You came to save the world,
has been proclaimed far and wide in America
as a gift of the Holy Spirit
that fills us with gladness.
We thank You for the gift of Your Life,
which You have given us by loving us to the end:
Your Life makes us children of God,
brothers and sisters to each other.
Increase, O Lord, our faith and our love for You,
present in all the tabernacles of the continent.
Grant us to be faithful witnesses
to your Resurrection
for the younger generation of Americans,
so that, in knowing You, they may follow You
and find in You their peace and joy.
Only then will they know that they
are brothers and sisters
of all God’s children scattered
throughout the world.
You who, in becoming man,
chose to belong to a human family,
teach families the virtues which filled with light
the family home of Nazareth.
May families always be united,
as You and the Father are one,
and may they be living witnesses
to love, justice and solidarity;
make them schools of respect,
forgiveness and mutual help,
so that the world may believe;
help them to be the source of vocations
to the priesthood and the consecrated life,
and all the other forms
of firm Christian commitment.
Protect Your Church and the Successor of Peter,
to whom You, Good Shepherd, have entrusted
the task of feeding Your flock.
Grant that the Church in America
may flourish
and grow richer in the fruits of holiness.
Teach us to love Your Mother, Mary,
as you loved her.
Give us strength to proclaim
Your word with courage
in the work of the new evangelization,
so that the world may know new hope.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America,
pray for us!