Pope Leo, at the end of the month dedicated to Mary, summons the faithful to the Vatican, to the Lourdes Grotto, to recite the rosary and ask for peace for the whole world. The Lebanese sanctuary dedicated to Saint Charbel is also connected in prayer, while the Israeli army continues to claim civilian victims.
Connect the following sanctuaries:
Shrine of the Mother of God – Zarvanytsia (Ukraine)
Sayidat al-Najat Cathedral (Our Lady of Salvation) – Baghdad (Iraq)
Santuario de Nossa Senhora Aparecida – Aparecida (Brazil)
Cathedral of Mary Queen of Arabia – Awali (Bahrain)
Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage – Antipolo (Philippines)
International Shrine of Jesus Savior and Mother Mary – Elele (Nigeria)
Jasna Góra Sanctuary – Czestochowa – (Poland)
Holy House of Loreto – Loreto (Italy)
International Shrine Our Lady of Knock – Knock (Ireland)
Blessed Virgin of the Rosary – Fatima (Portugal)
Our Lady Queen of Peace – Medjugorje (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Our Lady of Guadalupe – Mexico City (Mexico)
Our Lady of Lourdes – Lourdes (France)
Sanctuary of Mater Misericordiae (Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn) – Vilnius (Lithuania)
Sanctuary of St. Charbel Annaya – Byblos (Lebanon)
Gnadenort Altötting – Altötting (Germany)
Basilica Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception – Washington (United States of America)
Sanctuary Minor Basilica “Our Lady of Arabia” – Ahmadi (Kuwait)
Pontifical Sanctuary of the BV of the Rosary – Pompeii (Italy)
Here are the entire words of the Pontiff at the end of the Rosary
“I will listen to what God, the Lord, says: he proclaims peace for his people, for his faithful, for those who return to him with confidence” (Ps 85.9). The words of the Psalm accompany well our prayer of the Rosary this evening, because they express the hope we feel we need, especially in the face of the difficulties and violence of the present time.
Let us then prepare our hearts to listen to the Word of God, so that in prayer we can understand the meaning of what happens in history, recognizing the providence of God who always guides and helps us. The Virgin Mary is the model of the believer, who listens to “what God says”. She is an example to us with her obedience, which welcomes the incarnation of the Son of God in her womb.
Contemplating with Mary the mysteries of the Rosary leads us to recognize in Jesus Christ the only definitive Word, which the Father pronounced, Word of peace for all those who return to Him with a repentant heart. The Lord never abandons us, even when we forget him, even when we lose our way, He comes to look for us and draws near with his usual love. As the prophet Isaiah recalls: «I put on my lips: peace, peace to those who are far away and to those who are near» (Is 57,19). Those who trust in God understand this announcement of peace and become its creator, building it with their own hands (see Mt 5:9).
Peace, in fact, is not a theory to be tested in a laboratory, nor a naive illusion, nor a business to be managed out of self-interest. When we seek it with a sincere heart, it is rather a daily commitment of our life: it springs from justice and love, as harmony that unites people, families, communities, peoples. Even in this time of tension and conflict, peace becomes possible when we want to listen to the cry of those who are deprived of it: innocent children, anguished mothers and fathers, mistreated prisoners, refugees, suffering people of all ages. All of these have only one word on their lips: peace!
We know it: peace is always possible because it is a gift from God. This peace, his peace, has the face of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who in his life given for us has reconciled heaven and earth. As the Apostle Paul writes: “He is our peace” (Eph 2:14): He who breaks down the walls of enmity, who overcomes arrogance with humility and redeems the entire creation from sin.
When the Lord Jesus is with us and we behave as true disciples of his love, then the Holy Spirit can achieve what appears humanly impossible. However, when we distance ourselves from God, we also distance ourselves from man, from our neighbor, remaining indifferent to his pain. Every time we return to the Lord, his peace becomes our commitment, according to each one’s tasks and responsibilities.
Our prayer thus becomes mission and prophecy: there must be no more crying of innocents in our cities; no one will have to flee their home due to the threat of bombs; the lust for power and the violence of words will give way to the thirst for justice and truth. But everyone can and must do their part, starting with small but important things, abstaining from any verbal or physical violence, in everyday life and also on social media.
Dear brothers and sisters, true peace begins in a heart that loves; it is witnessed by lips that speak words of reconciliation; it is reflected in the eyes that look at the world with meekness and wisdom. This is true strength, the strength of truth and love.
God seeks peacemakers! May our Most Holy Mother help us to respond to Him every day with our “here I am”, not in words but with deeds.
