In this Holy Year, let us pray that everyone will come to know the closeness of Mary, the most affectionate of mothers, who never abandons her children.
O fairest lily, thou sweetest Mary, who art, after God, my greatest, surest hope, speak thou on my behalf in presence of thy dear Son, speak for me one effectual word. Plead my cause with all thy loving devotedness; obtain for me, in thy goodness, the object and aim of my desires; for in thee do I trust, in thee, who art, after Jesus, my one and only hope.
Show thyself towards me a mother full of tenderness; obtain for me that I be received by our Lord into the hiding-place of His love, into that school wherein the Holy Spirit teaches. Far above all others canst thou obtain this favour for me from thy Divine Son. O Mother most faithful, surround thy child with thy thoughtful care, that I may become an ever-living fruit of love, that I may grow in all holiness, and that the dew from Heaven may uphold me in perseverance. Amen.
We feel such an overwhelming urge to turn to Mary, entrusting all our joys when we rejoice, our sorrows when we are afflicted, and our hopes when we strive for better things. In times of difficulty for the Church, when faith wavers, charity grows cold, and public and private morals decline, or when any peril threatens the Catholic name or civil society, we seek refuge with her, imploring her heavenly assistance. And finally in the supreme moment of death, when all other hope and help fail, we raise tearful eyes and trembling hands to her, pleading for mercy from her Son and eternal happiness in heaven.
Let everyone, therefore, in the present urgent needs that afflict us, approach her with fervent devotion and earnest supplication. Let them implore her to intercede with her Son so that erring nations may return to Christian principles and teachings, the foundation of public salvation and the wellspring of desired peace and true happiness. Let them particularly pray that the Church, our Mother, may enjoy liberty and tranquillity, which she seeks only for the greater good of humanity, from which no harm but countless and immense benefits have always and everywhere been derived.
Pope Pius XI
It was Your will, O God, that Your divine Word should become flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary when the Angel made his announcement. Grant that Your faithful who believe in this divine Motherhood may have their prayers heard through Mary’s intercession. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Jubilee 2025 