December 8 is the day on which the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Today we invite the entire Vedruna Family to join in the celebration with the following prayer:
Holy and Immaculate Virgin,
to You, who are the pride of our people
and the maternal protection of our city,
we welcome each other with trust and love.
You are all beauty, Maria.
In You there is no stain of sin.
Renew in us the desire to be saints:
that in our words the truth may shine forth,
may our works be a hymn to charity,
may purity and chastity shine in our body and in our heart,
that the splendor of the Gospel may be reflected in our lives.
You are all beauty, Maria.
In you the Word of God was made flesh.
Help us to be always attentive to the voice of the Lord:
that we not be deaf to the cry of the poor,
that the suffering of the sick and the oppressed not find us distracted,
that the loneliness of the elderly and the helplessness of children do not leave us indifferent,
that we always love and respect all human life.
You are all beauty, Maria.
In you we see the full joy of blissful life with God.
May we never lose our way in this world:
may the light of faith illumine our lives,
may the consoling power of hope guide our steps,
may the enthusiastic ardor of love inflame our hearts,
may our eyes be fixed on the Lord, the source of true joy.
You are all beauty, Maria.
Hear our prayer, attend to our supplication:
may the merciful love of God in Jesus seduce us,
may divine beauty save us, our city and the whole world.
Amen.
Source: Vatican News.
