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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
Angelus Message
On the Mother of the Forlorn
H.H. Benedict XVI
July 8, 2006
Dear Brothers
and Sisters:
Upon arriving in Valencia, I wanted first to visit the place which
represents the heart of this ancient and flourishing Particular
Church which welcomes me: its beautiful Cathedral, where I prayed
before the Blessed Sacrament and halted before the celebrated relic
of the Holy Chalice. There I greeted the Bishops and priests, and
the men and women religious, who, each according to his or her own
ministry and charism, are striving to keep alive the light of faith.
Then, standing before the Virgin of the Forlorn, whom the people of
Valencia venerate with great fervour and profound devotion, I asked
her to sustain their faith and to fill all her children with hope.
There, accompanied by the families of the Metro victims, I joined in
praying an Our Father for the eternal rest of their loved ones.
I wish now to offer an affectionate greeting to you, dear
seminarians, together with your families, who share in the joy of
your vocation. Your parent’s love, devotion and fidelity, and the
concord which reigns in your families, is the setting which best
enables you to hear God’s call and to accept the gift of a vocation.
Live intensely the years of preparation in the seminary, with the
guidance and help of your formators, and with the docility and
complete trust of the Apostles, who followed Jesus without
hesitation. Learn from the Virgin Mary how to accept your vocation
without reserve, with joy and generosity. This is what we
contemplate and ask in the beautiful prayer of the Angelus, which we
are about to recite together, while begging "the Lord of the harvest
to send out labourers into his harvest" (Mt 9:38).
And now, with filial love and in the Valencian language, I turn to
the Blessed Virgin, your Patron. «Standing before La Cheperudeta, I
want to say to her: ‘Protect us night and day in all our needs, for
you, O Virgin Mary, are the Mother of the Forlorn’».
© Copyright 2006 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
This page is the work of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and
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