Totus Tuus - Totus 2us

Prayer to Our Lady Aparecida

John Paul II in the Basilica of Aparecida in 1980
_{(also in French, German, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish)}

_{Our Lady Aparecida!}

_{At this solemn and exceptional moment, I wish to open before you, O Mother, the heart of this people, in whose midst you have wished to dwell in such a special way — as in the midst of other nations and peoples — as in the midst of that nation whose son I am. I wish to open before you the heart of the Church and the heart of the world to which this Church was sent by your Son. I wish to open to you my heart also.}

_{Our Lady Aparecida! The woman revealed by God to crush the serpent's head in your Immaculate Conception! Chosen from all eternity to be the mother of the Eternal Word, who, at the annunciation of the angel, was conceived in your virginal womb as the Son of Man and a real man!}

_{United more closely to the mystery of the redemption of man and of the world at the foot of the cross on Calvary!}

_{Given on Calvary as mother to all men in the person of John, the Apostle and Evangelist!}

_{Given as mother to the whole Church, from the community that was preparing for the coming of the Holy Spirit to the community of all those who are pilgrims on earth, in the course of the history of peoples and nations, of countries and continents, of eras and generations!...}

_{Mary! I greet you and I say to you Ave! in this sanctuary where the Church of Brazil loves you, venerates you and invokes you as Aparecida, as revealed and given to her in a particular way. As her mother and patroness! As mediatrix and advocate with the Son whose mother you are! As the model of all souls that possess true wisdom and, at the same time, the simplicity of the child, and that deep trust that overcomes all weakness and all suffering!}

_{I wish to entrust to you particularly this People and this Church, this whole great and hospitable Brazil, all your sons and daughters, with all their problems and their worries, their activities and their joys. I wish to do so as Successor of Peter and Pastor of the universal Church, entering into this heritage of veneration and love, dedication and trust, which for centuries has been part of the Church of Brazil and of all those who form it, without considering differences of origin, race, and social position, and wherever they live in this immense country. At this moment they have all been looking to Fortaleza and asking themselves: "Where are you going?"}

_{O Mother! Let the Church be for this Brazilian people a sacrament of salvation and a sign of the unity of all men, adopted brothers and sisters of your Son and children of the heavenly Father!}

_{O Mother! Let this Church following the example of Christ by serving man constantly, defend everyone, especially the poor and the needy, those living on the fringes of society and in want. Let the Church of Brazil always be at the service of justice among men and at the same time contribute to the common good of all and to social peace.}

_{O Mother! Open the hearts of men and let everyone understand that only in the spirit of the Gospel and observing the commandment of love and the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount will it be possible to construct a more human world, in which the dignity of all men will really be given new value.}

_{O Mother! Let the Church which in this land of Brazil has carried out a great work of evangelization in the past and whose history is rich in experience, accomplish her tasks today with new zeal, with new love of the mission received from Christ. For this purpose grant her numerous priestly and religious vocations, so that the whole People of God may benefit from the ministry of the stewards of the Eucharist and of the witnesses to the Gospel.}

_{O Mother! Accept in your heart all Brazilian families! Accept all adults and old people, the young and children! Accept the sick and all those who live in solitude! Accept workers in the fields and factories, intellectuals in schools and universities, all those who are working in any institution. Protect them all!}

_{Do not cease, O Virgin Aparecida, to demonstrate with your own presence in this land that love is stronger than death, more powerful than sin! Do not cease to show us God, who so loved the world that he gave it his only Son, that none of us should perish but have eternal life. Amen!}

Divina Misericórdia Terço     ¤

Alvaro     ¤

_{"Mary is the mother who never said no; who has always accepted God's wishes for her.  She is with us in every day and every second of our lives, protecting and caring as our true mother."}

Edna     ¤

_{"Mary teaches us how to carry everything in silence, in our hearts."}

Geraldo       ♦

_{"It's quite difficult to talk about Mary because my experience of her is so subjective. There are no words to translate the feeling I have when I pray; when I talk to her, it's unbelievable - I love her."}

_{Geraldo gives his algo sobre Maria in English & Portuguese.}

Leonardo      ¤

^{"Mary for me is the mother, the power and the faith."}

_{Leonardo gives his algo sobre Maria in English & Portuguese.}

Maria Luisa     ¤

^{"Holy Mary is an example of purity, of love, of care, and of happiness. She is an example for me in life and I always get strength by thinking of her and thinking how she led her life. So, yeh, I get touched by thinking what she means to me, she means a lot. "}

_{Maria Luisa gives her something about Mary in English & Portuguese.}

Sister Maria-Silvia    ¤

_{"The Virgin Mary is my mother, my dear mother."}

_{Sister Maria-Silvia gives her algo sobre Maria in English & Portuguese.}

Nair Terezinha      ¤

^{"For me, this is a big gift from the Virgin Mary to me, because when I asked, she answered me with her sweet presence and her strong presence. So I know, I believe, she asked for me, together with Jesus, and I am here and very happy to say very, very thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks for my life."}

_{Nair Terezinha gives her something about Mary in English and Portuguese.}

Nathan

_{Nathan was at World Youth Day Toronto 2002 with Pope John Paul II.}

_{JPII - "You are young, and the Pope is old .. But the Pope still fully identifies with your hopes and aspirations. Although I have lived through much darkness, under harsh totalitarian regimes, I have seen enough evidence to be unshakably convinced that no difficulty, no fear is so great that it can completely suffocate the hope that springs eternal in the hearts of the young. You are our hope, the young are our hope.}

_{Do not let that hope die! Stake your lives on it! We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father's love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his Son."}

Paulo Henrique      ¤

_{"Mary for me is the model of who we should be and who I feel I want to be. She is the first person who knew Jesus, who loved him, and she is the first person who followed him completely and who lived the life that we should be living - totally pondering every word of his, pondering every action of his, meditating on his Passion, his suffering. If I can try and do anything, any little thing, that she has done and copy her, then I feel I will be closer to being more like Christ."}

_{Paolo Henrique gives his 'algo sobre Maria' in English & Portuguese.}

Rebeca      ¤

^{"I feel so close to Mary and now I am really happy because I am getting married on 12th December, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. And I believe that Mary brought into my life my fiance because he is a gift from God to me. So I just can say that Mary is my mother, she is always with me, I love her and I am really happy because I am Catholic and I have this precious mother in my life."}

_{Rebeca gives her 'algo sobre Maria' in English & Portuguese.}

Benedict XVI - at the Basilica of the Shrine of Aparecida
_{- in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish}

"Just as the Apostles, together with Mary, "went up to the upper room" and there, "with one accord devoted themselves to prayer" (Acts 1:13-14), so too we are gathered here today at the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, which at this time is our "upper room" where Mary, Mother of the Lord, is in our midst. Today it is she who leads our meditation; it is she who teaches us to pray. It is she who shows us the way to open our minds and hearts to the power of the Holy Spirit, who comes to fill the whole world.

We have just prayed the rosary. Through these sequences of meditations, the divine Comforter seeks to initiate us in the knowledge of Christ that issues forth from the clear source of the Gospel text. For her part, the Church of the third millennium proposes to offer Christians the capacity for "knowledge —according to the words of St Paul — of God’s mystery, of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col 2:2-3). Mary Most Holy, the pure and immaculate Virgin, is for us a school of faith destined to guide us and give us strength on the path that leads us to the Creator of Heaven and Earth. The Pope has come to Aparecida with great joy so as to say to you first of all: "Remain in the school of Mary." Take inspiration from her teachings, seek to welcome and to preserve in your hearts the enlightenment that she, by divine mandate, sends you from on high. ...

I am glad to be here with you, in your midst! The Pope loves you! The Pope greets you affectionately! He is praying for you! ...

Let us ask the Mother of God, Our Lady of Aparecida, to protect the lives of all Christians. May she, who is the Star of Evangelization, guide our steps along the path towards the heavenly Kingdom:

"Our Mother, protect the Brazilian and Latin American family!
Guard under your protective mantle the children of this beloved land that welcomes us,
As the Advocate with your Son Jesus, give to the Brazilian people constant peace and full prosperity,
Pour out upon our brothers and sisters throughout Latin America a true missionary ardour, to spread faith and hope,
Make the resounding plea that you uttered in Fatima for the conversion of sinners become a reality that transforms the life of our society,
And as you intercede, from the Shrine of Guadalupe, for the people of the Continent of Hope, bless its lands and its homes,
Amen."

Ato de Confiança à Nossa Senhora de Penha

Maria, Mãe do Autor da vida, Jesus Cristo, representada de mil maneiras pelos artistas. Venerada pela Igreja sob tantos títulos, e, neste solo capixaba, com o nome querido de Virgem da Penha: Nós cremos que estais no céu, junto de Deus Trino, intercedendo em favor da humanidade, pois fostes ouvinte fiel da Sua Palavra e vos tornastes serva do Senhor na Fé.

Hoje, Maria, voltam-se para vós os olhos dos irmãos de Cristo, vosso Filho, presentes em todo o Brasil. Sabemos que rogais por esses vossos filhos, provados por tantos sofrimentos. Sabemos que lembrais ao Senhor nossas crianças, os jovens, os velhinhos, todas as famílias e comunidades; os que trabalham pelos direitos humanos e pela vida: os nossos Governantes e os construtores da sociedade; sabemos que lembrais ao Senhor sobretudo os pobres e doentes, os que sentem o peso do pecado, os afastados de Deus.

Por isso, ó Virgem da Penha, diante da vossa bela imagem, nós vimos reafirmar-vos nossa devoção e amor, consagrar-vos nossas vidas, confiar-vos a nova Evangelização que desejamos realizar com renovado ardor missionário, semeando luz e esperança nas diferentes culturas, para a glória do Pai e do Filho na unidade do Espírito Santo. Amém. - Papa João Paulo II