Prayer Before the Image of Our Lady of Einsiedeln (15 June 1984)

On Friday, 15 June 1984, in the Chapel of Grace of the Benedictine Abbey of Einsiedeln, the Holy Father prayed this prayer before the Image of Our Lady.

Hail Mary, Our Lady of Einsiedeln!

1. We greet you as Elizabeth once greeted you: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb . . . Blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her from the Lord would be fulfilled" ( Luke 1:42).

We greet you, beloved daughter of the heavenly Father, Mother of the Son of God, sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. You have found favor with God. The Holy Spirit has come upon you and the power of the Most High has overshadowed you ( Ibid . 1:30, 35). You are the "woman" who "gave birth to the Son" ( Gal 4:4), whom God has appointed "the firstborn among many brothers" ( Rom 8:29), to whom you are close in motherly love.

We greet you, noble daughter of Zion. You walked the "pilgrimage of faith" ( Lumen Gentium , 58) until you found yourself beneath the cross of your Son, in accordance with God's saving will, which you accepted with all your heart. As a compassionate mother, you suffered with your Son when he offered himself to the Father for us once and for all ( Heb 7:27).

We greet you, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus saw you, raised on the cross, he said to you, looking at John: "Woman, behold your son!" ( Jn 19:26). With the Apostles, the women and the brothers, you prayed with one accord for the Church for the gift of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit gave the Apostles and all the heralds of faith the strength to carry out the mission that the Lord entrusted to them: "Go and make disciples of all nations!" ( Mt 28:19).

Most Blessed Virgin Mary, humble handmaid of the Lord! In your faithful obedience and fidelity to Christ, in your steadfastness and motherly love, you are the "archetype of the Church" ( Lumen gentium , 63)), redeemed and blessed by God through your Son. At the same time, you yourself are its most select member, and you were in the midst of the Apostles who, on the day of the sending of the Spirit, led people "from every nation under heaven" ( Acts 2:5) to conversion and baptism through their preaching and were added to the community of believers ( Ibid . 2:4, 14, 38, 41).

2. As Bishop of the Church of Rome, founded on the Apostles Peter and Paul, I am called to "preside in charity" (Ignatii Antiocheni, Ad Romanos , 1). Today, Mother of the Lord, I entrust to you this country, Switzerland, where I will carry out my pastoral visit to carry out the Petrine ministry entrusted to me for the unity of the Church. I join myself to the multitude of pilgrims who, in this sanctuary of yours and in other places of grace, honour you and take refuge in you. I entrust them all to your motherly care and protection, just as I have entrusted to you the whole Church and all humanity.

Mother of God and Mother of men, "commend us to your Son, present us before your Son!" He is our mediator and supporter with the Father. We ask you, Mother of our Savior, in the glory of heaven, intercede for us with your Son:

- that the Church in this country may grow stronger in fidelity to Christ: (All: We ask you, hear us);

- that everyone willingly says yes to the mission entrusted to them in the Church, in the family or in the world; . . .

- that the unity of the Spirit may be renewed among Christians; . . .

- that all who suffer in body and soul find help and comfort; . . .

- that all peoples and nations can live in freedom and peace; . . .

- that the kingdom of God and his righteousness come to us; his righteousness come to us; . . .

Mary, Mother of the Church, Our Lady of Einsiedeln, pray for us! Amen.

© Copyright 1984 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana