Visit to the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal (31 May 1980)

On 31 May 1980, the Holy Father visited the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, in Paris, France, where he prayed to Mary Conceived Without Sin, coming to her as a pilgrim.

Hail Mary,
full of grace,
the Lord is with you,
you are blessed among all women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us poor sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who turn to you.

This is the prayer you inspired, Mary, in Saint Catherine Labouré, in this same place, 150 years ago; and this invocation, now imprinted in everyone's mind, is pronounced by many faithful all over the world!

On this day in which the Church celebrates the visit you made to Elizabeth when the son of God already lived in your womb, our first prayer will be to praise and bless you!. You are blessed among all women! Blessed are you, who believed! The Almighty did wonders for you! The wonder of divine motherhood! And in view of this event, the Immaculate Conception! The marvel of your Fiat! You have been intimately associated with the whole work of our Redemption, associated with the Cross of our Savior; your heart was pierced along with his. And now, in the glory of your Son, do not cease to intercede for us, poor sinners. Watch over the church of which you are the mother. Watch over each of your children. Get from God, for us, all those graces that symbolize the rays of light that radiate from your open hands. The only condition is that we dare to ask you, that we approach you with the trust, courage and simplicity of a child. This is how you lead us incessantly towards your divine Son.

In this blessed place, today I want to repeat to you the trust, the profound affection with which you have always given me grace. Totus tuus. I come as a pilgrim, after all those who have come to this chapel in 150 years, like all the Christians who flock here every day to express their joy, their trust and their supplications to you. I come like Blessed Maximilian Kolbe: before his missionary journey to Japan, just fifty years ago, he came here to seek your support to propagate what he later called "the Militia of the Immaculate Conception" and to undertake his prodigious work of spiritual renewal under your patronage, before giving his life for his brothers. Today Christ asks the Church of him for a great work of spiritual renewal. And I, humble Successor of Peter,

We consecrate our strength and our availability to you to serve the plan of salvation operated by your Son. We pray that, thanks to the Holy Spirit, faith will deepen and be affirmed in all the Christian people, so that communion will overcome all the seeds of division, so that hope will revive among those who are discouraged. We pray to you especially for this French people, for their Pastors, for consecrated souls, for fathers and mothers of families, for children and young people, for the elderly. We pray to you for those who suffer from a particular difficulty, physical or moral, who experience the temptation of infidelity, who are corroded by doubt in a climate of skepticism, for those who are persecuted because of their faith. We entrust to you the apostolate of the laity, the ministry of priests, the testimony of the religious. We pray that the call to the priestly and religious vocation be widely heard and followed, for the glory of God and the vitality of the Church in this country, and in countries that are always waiting for missionary help.

We particularly recommend to you the numerous Daughters of Charity, whose Mother House is here and who, in the spirit of the founder St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac, are always ready to serve the Church and the poor in all situations and in all countries. We pray to you for those who live in this House and who welcome, in the heart of this feverish capital, all pilgrims who know the value of silence and prayer.

Hail Mary,
full of grace,
the Lord is with you,
you are blessed among all women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb,
Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us poor sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

© Copyright 1980 - Vatican Publishing House 

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