LE
PELERINAGE DE LOURDES
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE
PIUS XII
WARNING AGAINST MATERIALISM ON THE CENTENARY
OF THE APPARITIONS AT LOURDES
TO THE CARDINALS, ARCHBISHOPS, AND BISHOPS OF FRANCE
IN PEACE AND COMMUNION WITH THE APOSTOLIC SEE
Beloved Sons and Venerable Brethren,
Greetings and Apostolic Benediction.
Deep in our soul are
profound and pleasant memories of the pilgrimage to Lourdes which We
had the privilege of making when We went to preside, in the name of Our
Predecessor, Pius XI, over the Eucharistic and Marian celebrations
marking the close of the Jubilee of the Redemption.
2. We are
particularly pleased, therefore, to learn that, on the initiative of
the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, this Marian city is preparing an
appropriate celebration for the centenary of the apparitions of the
Immaculate Virgin at the grotto of Massabielle, and that an
international committee has been set up for this purpose under the
presidency of His Eminence Eugene Cardinal Tisserant, Dean of the
Sacred College of Cardinals.
3. We wish to join
with you, Beloved Sons and Venerable Brothers, in thanking God for the
great favor granted your country, and for the many graces He has
bestowed on multitudes of pilgrims during the past century.
4. We wish to invite
all Our children to renew in this jubilee year their confident and
generous devotion to her who, in the words of Saint Pius X, deigned to
establish at Lourdes "the seat of her immense kindness."[1]
5. Every Christian
land is a Marian land; there is not a nation redeemed in the blood of
Christ which does not glory in proclaiming Mary its Mother and
Patroness. This truth is brought into sharp relief by reflection on the
history of France. Devotion to the Mother of God dates back to the
early days of France's evangelization, and Chartres, one of the most
ancient Marian shrines, still attracts a great number of pilgrims,
including thousands of young people.
6. The Middle Ages,
which, especially through Saint Bernard, sang Mary's glory and
celebrated her mysteries, witnessed a marvelous flowering of French
cathedrals dedicated to our Lady: Le Puy, Rheims, Amiens, Paris, and so
many others. . . With their spires upthrust they announce from afar the
glory of the Immaculate; they heighten its splendor in the pure light
of their stained-glass windows and in the harmonious beauty of their
statues. They bear witness above all to the faith of a people which
outdid itself in a magnificent display of energy, erecting against the
sky of France the permanent homage of its devotion to Mary.
7. In the cities and
the countryside, on the hilltops and overlooking the sea, shrines
consecrated to Mary - whether humble chapels or splendid basilicas -
little by little enfolded the country in their protective shadow.
Princes and shepherds of souls and the faithful without number have
come to these shrines through the centuries, to the holy Virgin whom
they have greeted with titles expressive of their hope or gratitude.
8. Here they invoke Notre
Dame de Miséricorde [Our Lady of Mercy], de Toute Aide
[of All Help], de Bon Secours [of Prompt Succor]. There the
pilgrim seeks refuge near Notre Dame de la Garde [Our Lady of
Watchfulness], de Pitié, or de Consolation.
Elsewhere the pilgrim's prayer rises to Notre Dame de Lumiere
[Our Lady of Light], de Paix, de Joie, or d'Esperance
[of Hope]. Or he implores the intercession of Notre Dame des Vertus,
des Miracles, or des Victoires. It is a wonderful litany of
invocations whose unceasing recital tells, from province to province,
the blessings which the Mother of God has bestowed on the land of
France through the ages.
9. In many ways the
nineteenth century was to become, after the turmoil of the Revolution,
a century of Marian favors. To mention but a single instance, everyone
is familiar today with the "miraculous medal." This medal, with its
image of "Mary conceived without sin," was revealed to a humble
daughter of Saint Vincent de Paul whom We had the joy of inscribing in
the catalogue of Saints, and it has spread its spiritual and material
wonders everywhere.
10. A few years
later, from February 11 to July 16, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary was
pleased, as a new favor, to manifest herself in the territory of the
Pyrenees to a pious and pure child of a poor, hardworking, Christian
family. "She came to Bernadette," We once said. "She made her her
confidante, her collaboratrix, the instrument of her maternal
tenderness and of the merciful power of her Son, to restore the world
in Christ through a new and incomparable outpouring of the
Redemption."[2]
11. You are quite
familiar with the events which took place at Lourdes at that time, the
spiritual proportions of which are better measured today. You know,
Beloved Sons and Venerable Brethren, the astonishing circumstances
under which the voice of that child, the messenger of the Immaculate,
compelled the world's recognition despite ridicule, doubt, and
opposition. You know the steadfastness and purity of her testimony,
wisely put to the test by episcopal authority and approved as early as
1862.
12. Crowds flocked
even then and they still surge into the grotto of the apparitions, to
the miraculous spring, and into the shrine erected at Mary's request.
13. There is the
moving procession of the lowly, the sick, and the afflicted. There is
the impressive pilgrimage of thousands of the faithful from a
particular diocese or country. There is the quiet visit of a troubled
soul seeking truth. "No one," We once said, "has ever seen such a
procession of suffering in one spot on earth, never such radiance of
peace, serenity, and joy!"[3]
14. Nor will anyone
ever know, We might add, the full sum of the benefits which the world
owes to the aid of the Virgin! "O specus felix, decorate divae
Matris aspectu! Veneranda rupes, unde vitales scatuere pleno gurgite
Iymhae!"[4]
15. This century of
Marian devotion has also in a certain way woven close bonds between the
See of Peter and the shrine in the Pyrenees, bonds which We are pleased
to acknowledge.
16. The Virgin Mary
herself desired this tie. "What the Sovereign Pontiff defined in Rome
through his infallible Magisterium, the Immaculate Virgin Mother of
God, blessed among all women, wanted to confirm by her own words, it
seems, when shortly afterward she manifested herself by a famous
apparition at the grotto of Massabielle. . ."[5] Certainly the
infallible word of the Roman Pontiff, the authoritative interpreter of
revealed truth, needed no heavenly confirmation that it might be
accepted by the faithful. But with what emotion and gratitude did the
Christian people and their pastors receive from the lips of Bernadette
this answer which came from heaven: "I am the Immaculate Conception!"
17. It is therefore
not surprising that it should have pleased Our Predecessors to multiply
their favors toward this sanctuary.
18. As early as 1869
Pius IX of holy memory rejoiced that the obstacles created against
Lourdes by the malice of men "rendered stronger and more evident the
clarity of the fact."[6] And strengthened by this assurance, he heaped
spiritual benefits upon the newly erected church and crowned the statue
of our Lady of Lourdes.
19. In 1892 Leo XIII
granted the proper Office and Mass of the feast "In apparitione
Beatae Mariae Virginis Immaculatae," which his successor was to
extend to the Universal Church a short time later. Henceforth the
ancient appeal of the Scriptures was to have a new application: "Arise,
my love, my beautiful one, and come. My dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the hollow place of the wall. . ."[7]
20. Near the end of
his life, this great Pontiff decided to install and bless a
reproduction of the grotto of Massabielle in the Vatican gardens, and
in those days his voice rose to the Virgin of Lourdes in an ardent and
trusting prayer: "In her power may the Virgin Mother, who once
cooperated through her love with the birth of the faithful into the
Church, now be the means and guardian of our salvation; may she return
the tranquillity of peace to troubled souls; may she hasten the return
of Jesus Christ in private and public life."[8]
21. The fiftieth
anniversary of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin gave Saint Pius X occasion to bear witness in a
solemn document to the historic connection between this act of the
Magisterium and the apparitions at Lourdes. "Pius IX," he wrote, "had
hardly defined it to be of Catholic faith that Mary was from her very
origin exempt from sin, when the Virgin herself began performing
miracles at Lourdes."[9]
22. Soon afterward he
created the episcopal title of Lourdes, attached it to that of Tarbes,
and signed the introduction of the cause for the beatification of
Bernadette. It was especially reserved to this great Pope of the
Eucharist to emphasize and promote the wonderful harmony existing at
Lourdes between Eucharistic worship and Marian prayer. "Devotion to the
Mother of God," he noted, "has led to a flowering at Lourdes of
remarkable and ardent devotion to Christ our Lord."[10]
23. It could not have
been otherwise. Everything about Mary directs us to her Son, our only
Savior, in anticipation of whose merits she was immaculate and full of
grace. Everything about Mary raises us to the praise of the adorable
Trinity; and so it was that Bernadette, praying her rosary before the
grotto, learned from the words and bearing of the Blessed Virgin how
she should give glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
24. We are pleased in
this centenary year to adopt as Our home the homage rendered by Saint
Pius X: "The unique glory of the shrine of Lourdes lies in the fact
that people are drawn there from everywhere by Mary to adore Jesus
Christ in the august Sacrament, so that this shrine - at once a center
of Marian devotion and a throne of the Eucharistic mystery - surpasses
in glory, it seems, all others in the Catholic world.[11]
25. Benedict XV
wanted to enrich this shrine, already loaded down with favors, with new
and valuable indulgences, and though the tragic circumstances of his
Pontificate did not allow him to multiply public expressions of his
devotion, he nevertheless willed to honor the Marian city by granting
to its bishop the privilege of the pallium at the place of the
apparitions.
26. Pius XI, who had
been to Lourdes himself as a pilgrim, continued the work of Benedict
XV. He had the joy of raising to the honors of the altar the girl who
had been favored by the Virgin and who, in the habit of the
Congregation of Charity and Christian Instruction, had become Sister
Marie Bernard. Did he not, so to say, authenticate on his part the
promise made by the Immaculate to young Bernadette that she would "be
happy not in this world, but in the next"?
27. From that time
on, Nevers, which takes pride in keeping Bernadette's precious relics,
has attracted a great number of Lourdes pilgrims who have wanted to
learn from her how the message of Lourdes applies to our day.
28. Soon the
illustrious Pontiff who, like his predecessors, had honored the
anniversary celebrations of the apparitions by sending a legate,
decided to conclude the Jubilee of the Redemption at the Grotto of
Massabielle where, in his own words, "the Immaculate Virgin Mary
appeared several times to Blessed Bernadette Soubirous, and, in her
kindness, exhorted all men to do penance at the scene of these wondrous
apparitions, a place she has showered with graces and miracles."[12]
Truly, Pius XI concluded, is this sanctuary "now justly considered one
of the principal Marian shrines in the world."[13]
29. We could not
refrain from adding Our voice to this unanimous chorus of praise. We
did so particularly in Our Encyclical Fulgens corona, by
recalling, in the spirit of Our Predecessors, that "the Blessed Virgin
Mary herself wanted to confirm by some special sign the definition
which the Vicar on earth of her Divine Son had pronounced amidst the
vigorous approbation of the whole Church."[14]
30. On that occasion
We recalled how the Roman Pontiffs, conscious of the importance of this
pilgrimage, had never ceased to "enrich it with spiritual favors and
generous benefits."[15]
31. The history of
the past century, which We have recalled in its broad outlines, is a
constant illustration of this Pontifical generosity, the most recent
manifestation of which has been the closing at Lourdes of the centenary
year of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
32. But We would like
especially to recall to your attention, Beloved Sons and Venerable
Brothers, a recent document in which We encouraged the growth of a
missionary apostolate in your beloved country. We intended by this
message to call to mind the "singular merits which France had acquired
through the centuries in the progress of the Catholic faith," and for
this reason "We turned Our mind and heart to Lourdes where, four years
after the definition of the dogma, the Immaculate Virgin herself gave
supernatural confirmation to the declaration of the Supreme Teacher, by
appearances, conversations, and miracles."[16]
33. Today once again
We turn to the famous shrine as it prepares to receive the crowds of
centenary pilgrims on the shores of the River Gave. In the past century
ardent public and private prayers have obtained from God many graces of
healing and conversion at Lourdes through Mary's intercession, and We
are firmly confident that in this jubilee year our Lady intends to
respond open-handedly once more to the expectation of her children. But
We are particularly convinced that she urges us to master the spiritual
lessons of the apparitions and set ourselves upon the path which she
has so clearly traced for us.
34. These lessons, a
faithful echo of the Gospel message, accentuate in a striking way the
differences which set off God's judgments from the vain wisdom of this
world.
35. In a society
which is barely conscious of the ills which assail it, which conceals
its miseries and injustices beneath a prosperous, glittering, and
trouble-free exterior, the Immaculate Virgin, whom sin has never
touched, manifests herself to an innocent child. With a mother's
compassion she looks upon this world redeemed by her Son's blood, where
sin accomplishes so much ruin daily, and three times makes her urgent
appeal: "Penance, penance, penance!" She even appeals for outward
expressions: "Go kiss the earth in penance for sinners." And to this
gesture must be added a prayer: "Pray to God for sinners."
36. As in the days of
John the Baptist, as at the start of Jesus' ministry, this command,
strong and rigorous, shows men the way which leads back to God:
"Repent!"[17] Who would dare to say that this appeal for the conversion
of hearts is untimely today?
37. But the Mother of
God could come to her children only as a messenger of forgiveness and
hope. Already the water flows at her feet: "Omnes sitientes, venite
ad aquas, et haurietis salutem a Domino."[18] At this spring where
gentle Bernadette was the first to go to drink and wash, all miseries
of soul and body will flow away. "And I went and washed and I see," the
grateful pilgrim will be able to reply, in the words of the blind man
of the Gospel.[19]
38. But as was true
for the crowds which pressed around Jesus, the healing of bodily ills
is still a gesture of mercy and a sign of that power which the Son of
Man has to forgive sins.[20] The Virgin invites us to the blessed
grotto in her Divine Son's name for the conversion of our hearts and in
the hope of forgiveness. Will we heed her?
39. The true
greatness of this jubilee year is in the humble answer of the man who
admits that he is a sinner. Great blessings for the Church could be
justly anticipated if every pilgrim to Lourdes - in fact, every
Christian united in spirit with the centenary celebrations - would
first realize within himself this work of sanctification, "not in word,
neither with the tongue, but in deed and in truth."[21] Moreover,
everything invites him to this work, for nowhere, perhaps, except at
Lourdes does one feel so moved to prayer, to the forgetting of oneself,
and to charity.
40. When they see the
devotion of the stretcher-bearers and the serene peace of the invalids,
when they consider the spirit of brotherhood which unites the faithful
of all races in a single prayer, when they observe the spontaneous
mutual assistance and the sincere fervor of the pilgrims kneeling
before the grotto, then the best of men are seized by the appeal of a
life more completely dedicated to the service of God and their
brothers; the less fervent become conscious of their lukewarmness and
return to the road of prayer; quite hardened and skeptical sinners are
often touched by grace, or at least, if they are honest, are moved by
the testimony of this "multitude of believers of one heart and one
soul."[22]
41. But in itself
this experience of a few brief days of pilgrimage is not usually
sufficient to engrave in indelible letters the call of Mary to a
genuine spiritual conversion. That is why We exhort the shepherds of
dioceses and all priests to outdo one another in zeal that the
centenary pilgrimages may benefit by preparation, and, above all, by a
follow-up which will be as conducive as possible to a profound and
lasting action of grace.
42. Only on condition
of a return to regular reception of the sacraments, a regard for
Christian morals in everyday life, entry into the ranks of Catholic
Action and other apostolates recommended by the Church, can the great
crowds expected to gather at Lourdes in 1958 yield - according to the
expectations of the Immaculate Virgin herself - the fruits of salvation
so necessary to mankind today.
43. But however
important it may be, the conversion of the individual pilgrim is not
enough. We exhort you in this jubilee year, Beloved Sons and Venerable
Brothers, to inspire among the faithful entrusted to your care a common
effort for the Christian renewal of society in answer to Mary's appeal.
44. "May blind
spirits . . . be illumined by the light of truth and justice," Pius XI
asked during the Marian feasts of the Jubilee of the Redemption, "so
that those who have gone astray into error may be brought back to the
straight path, that a just liberty may be granted the Church
everywhere, and that an era of peace and true prosperity may come upon
all the nations."[23]
45. But the world,
which today affords so many justifiable reasons for pride and hope, is
also undergoing a terrible temptation to materialism which has been
denounced by Our Predecessors and Ourselves on many occasions.
46. This materialism
is not confined to that condemned philosophy which dictates the
policies and economy of a large segment of mankind. It rages also in a
love of money which creates ever greater havoc as modern enterprises
expand, and which, unfortunately, determines many of the decisions
which weigh heavy on the life of the people. It finds expression in the
cult of the body, in excessive desire for comforts, and in flight from
all the austerities of life. It encourages scorn for human life, even
for life which is destroyed before seeing the light of day.
47. This materialism
is present in the unrestrained search for pleasure, which flaunts
itself shamelessly and tries, through reading matter and
entertainments, to seduce souls which are still pure. It shows itself
in lack of interest in one's brother, in selfishness which crushes him,
in justice which deprives him of his rights - in a word, in that
concept of life which regulates everything exclusively in terms of
material prosperity and earthly satisfactions.
48. "And I will say
to my soul. the rich man said, Soul, thou hast many good things laid up
for many years; take thy ease, eat, drink, be merry. But God said to
him, Thou fool, this night do they demand thy soul of thee."[24]
49. To a society
which in its public life often contests the supreme rights of God, to a
society which would gain the whole world at the expense of its own
soul[25] and thus hasten to its own destruction, the Virgin Mother has
sent a cry of alarm.
50. May priests be
attentive to her appeal and have the courage to preach the great truths
of salvation fearlessly. The only lasting renewal, in fact, will be one
based on the changeless principles of faith, and it is the duty of
priests to form the consciences of Christian people.
51. Just as the
Immaculate, compassionate of our miseries, but discerning our real
needs, came to men to remind them of the essential and austere steps of
religious conversion, so the ministers of the Word of God should, with
supernatural confidence, point out to souls the narrow road which leads
to life.[26] They will do this without forgetting the spirit of
kindness and patience which they profess, but also without concealing
anything of the Gospel's demands.[27] In the school of Mary they will
learn to live not only that they may give Christ to the world, but
also, if need be, to await with faith the hour of Jesus and to remain
at the foot of the cross.
52. Assembled around
their priests, the faithful must cooperate in this effort for renewal.
Wherever Providence has placed a man, there is always more to be done
for God's cause. Our thoughts turn first to the host of consecrated
souls who, within the framework of the Church, devote themselves to
innumerable good works. Their religious vows dedicate them more than
others to fight victoriously under Mary's banner against the onslaught
which inordinate lust for freedom, riches, and pleasure makes on the
world. In response to the Immaculate, they will resolve to oppose the
attacks of evil with the weapons of prayer and penance and by triumphs
of charity.
53. Our thoughts turn
also to Christian families. to ask them to remain faithful to their
vital mission in society. May they consecrate themselves in this
jubilee year to the Immaculate Heart of Mary! For married couples this
act of piety will be a valuable aid in performing their conjugal duties
of chastity and faithfulness. It will keep pure the atmosphere in which
their children grow up. Even more, it will make the family, inspired by
its devotion to Mary, a living center of social rebirth and apostolic
influence.
54. Beyond the family
circle, professional and civic affairs offer a vast field of action for
Christians who desire to work for the renewal of society. Gathered
about the Virgin's feet, docile to her exhortations, they will first
take a searching look at themselves and will try to uproot from their
consciences any false judgments and selfish impulses, fearing the
falsehood of a love for God which does not translate itself into
effective love for their brothers.[28]
55. Christians of
every class and every nation will try to be of one mind in truth and
charity, and to banish misunderstanding and suspicion. Without doubt,
social structures and economic pressures of enormous weight burden the
good will of men and often paralyze it. But if it is true, as Our
predecessors and We Ourselves have insistently stressed, that the quest
for social and political peace among men is, above all, a moral
problem, then no reform can bear fruit, no agreement can be lasting
without a conversion and cleansing of heart. In this jubilee year the
Virgin of Lourdes reminds all men of this truth!
56. And if in her
solicitude Mary looks upon some of her children with a special
predilection, is it not, Beloved Sons and Venerable Brothers, upon the
lowly, the poor, and the afflicted whom Jesus loved so much? "Come to
me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest," she
seems to say along with her divine Son.[29]
57. Go to her, you
who are crushed by material misery, defenseless against the hardships
of life and the indifference of men. Go to her, you who are assailed by
sorrows and moral trials. Go to her, beloved invalids and infirm, you
who are sincerely welcomed and honored at Lourdes as the suffering
members of our Lord. Go to her and receive peace of heart, strength for
your daily duties, joy for the sacrifice you offer.
58. The Immaculate
Virgin, who knows the secret ways by which grace operates in souls and
the silent work of this supernatural leaven in this world, knows also
the great price which God attaches to your sufferings united to those
of the Savior. They can greatly contribute, We have no doubt, to this
Christian renewal of society which We implore of God through the
powerful intercession of His Mother.
59. In response to
the prayers of the sick, of the humble, of all the pilgrims to Lourdes,
may Mary turn her maternal gaze upon those still outside the limits of
the only fold, the Church, that they may come together in unity. May
she look upon those who are in search, who are thirsty for truth, and
lead them to the source of living waters.
60. May she cast her
glance upon the vast continents and their limitless human areas where
Christ is unfortunately so little known, so little loved; and may she
obtain for the Church freedom and the joy of being able to respond
everywhere, always youthful, holy, and apostolic, to the longing of men.
61. "Kindly come . .
. ," said the Virgin to Bernadette. This discreet invitation, which
does not compel but is addressed to the heart and requests with
delicacy a free and generous response, the Mother of God addresses
again to her children in France and the whole world. Christians will
not remain deaf to this appeal; they will go to Mary. It is to each of
them that We wish to say at the conclusion of this letter with St.
Bernard: "In periculis, in angustiis, in rebus dubiis, Mariam
cogita, Mariam invoces. . . Ipsam sequens, non devias; ipsam rogans,
non desperas; ipsam cogitans, non erras; ipsa tenente, non corruis;
ipsa protegente, non metuis; ipsa duce, non fatigaris, ipsa propitia,
pervenis. . . "[30]
62. We are confident,
Dear Sons and Venerable Brothers, that Mary will hear your prayer and
Ours. We ask her this on the feast of the Visitation, which fittingly
honors her who a century ago visited the land of France.
63. And in inviting
you to sing to God together with the Immaculate Virgin the Magnificat
of your gratitude, We invoke upon you and your faithful, on the shrine
of Lourdes and its pilgrims, on all those who bear the responsibilities
of the centenary celebration, the most bounteous outpouring of grace.
In token of which We impart with all Our heart, and with Our constant
and paternal best wishes, the Apostolic Benediction.
Given at Rome,
from Saint Peter's, on the feast of the Visitation of the Most Holy
Virgin, July 2, 1957, the nineteenth year of Our Pontificate.
PIUS XII
1. Letter of July 12,
1914: Acta Apostolicae Sedis 6: 1914, p. 376.
2. Discourse
delivered at Lourdes on April 28, 1935: Eugenio Cardinal Pacelli, Discorsi
e panegirici (2nd ed., Vatican, 1956) p. 435.
3. Ibid., p.
437.
4. "O blessed grotto,
favored by Mary's presence! O hallowed rock whence spring the living
waters of a flowing stream!" - Office of feast of the Apparitions, Hymn
for II Vespers.
5. Decree de Tuto
for the Canonization of Saint Bernadette, July 2, 1933: AAS 25:
1933, p. 377.
6. Letter of
September 4, 1869, to Henri Lasserre: Vatican Secret Archives, Ep.
lat. anno 1869, n. 388, f. 695.
7. Cant. 2.
13-14. Gradual of the Mass of the feast of the Apparitions.
8. Brief of September
8, 1901: 21 Acta Leonis XIII, 159-160.
9. Encyclical letter Ad
diem illum, February 2, 1904: I Acta Pii X 149.
10. Letter of July
12, 1914: AAS 6: 1914, p. 377.
11. Brief of April
25, 1911: Arch. brev. ap., Pius X, an. 1911, Div.
Lib. IX, pars I, f. 337.
12. Brief of January
11, 1933: Arch. brev. ap. Pius XI, Ind. Perpet. f. 128.
13. Ibid.
14. Encyclical letter
Fulgens corona, September 8, 1953: AAS 45: 1953,
p. 578. [English tr. in The Pope Speaks, Vol. l, No. 1, p.43 -
Ed.].
15. Ibid.
16. Apostolic
constitution Omnium Ecclesiarum, August 15, 1954: AAS 46: 1954,
p. 567.
17. Matt.
3.2; 4.17.
18. Office of the
feast of the Apparitions, first Response of Third Nocturne.
19. John 9.
11 .
20. Cf. Mark
2.10.
21. 1 John
3.18.
22. Acts 4.32.
23. Letter of January
10, 1935: AAS 27, p. 7.
24. Luke
12.19-20.
25. Cf. Mark
8.36.
26. Cf. Matt.
7.14.
27. Cf. Luke
9.55.
28. 1 John
4.20.
29. Matt.
11.28.
30. "Amid dangers,
difficulties, and doubts, think of Mary, invoke Mary's aid.... If you
follow her, you will not stray; if you entreat her, you will not lose
hope; if you reflect upon her, you will not err; if she supports you,
you will not fall; if she protects you, you will not fear; if she leads
you, you will not grow weary; if she is propitious, you will reach your
goal...." Second Homily on the Missus est: PL CLXXXIII, 70-71.
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