General Audience of 5 November 1997
- Pope John Paul II
- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
- Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City
- 1997-11 AD
John Paul II traces the Church’s Marian devotion through the Hail Mary, Angelus, Rosary, and litanies such as the Litany of Loreto. These prayers lead Christians to contemplate the Incarnation, Mary’s obedience to God’s plan, and the graces given to her; the Rosary in particular is presented as a Christ-centred, Gospel-rooted devotion long encouraged by the popes and suited to family prayer. Because Mary’s role belongs to the divine plan of salvation, devotion to her remains inseparable from faith in Christ. Her maternal intercession accompanies believers in daily needs and in the hope of eternal salvation, strengthening their effort to live the Beatitudes. Contemplating Mary’s life with Jesus—from his birth to the Resurrection—also discloses the human reality of the Incarnation and God’s intimate sharing in human joys and sufferings.
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