ENG_Libretto2025


ENG_Libretto2025

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Novena in preparation for the Feast of Mary Help of Christians.
Opera Audiovisiva: 9 videos.
Coordination: Pierluigi Lanotte
Texts: Bruno Ferrero, Giuseppina Sabbarese
Comment: Rettor Maggiore dei Salesiani don Fabio Attard
Testimonies Coordination: Mauro Zanini - prof. Angelo Sitzia
The voice of the boys: edited by the students of the lower secondary school don Bosco
Valdocco Torino.
Translations:
Julian Fox (EN), Antenor Velho (PR), Luis Botasso (PR), Placide Carava (FR), José Luis
Muñoz (ES)
Speakerage e dubbing Coordination: Piero Giordano
Italiano: Fabrizio Castellano, Elena Sorgato, Patrizia Mottola, Alex Rigotti.
Portoghese: Bianca Fraccalvieri, Silvonei Protze, Pedro André Pinto.
Francese: Juliette Vigliotti, Bernard Moutounet, Laurence Wasserstein.
Spagnolo: Pablo Finazzi-Agrò, Ester Ojeda, Clara Gradolí, Antonio Oliver.
Inglese: Christopher Jones, Alex Bosco, Rebecca Viora, Maya Zubak.
Graphic design: Pierluigi Lanotte, Mariarosaria Sardelli
Footage and photographs: Giacomo Di Gravina, Francesco Malatesta
Computer Animation: Diego De Angelis
Video editing: Pierluigi Lanotte
Curated by IMEComunicazione srl

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Being Children
Humility and faith
Children trust, children rely on others. And a mother is close by, always.
You see her even if she is not there.
As for us, are we able to see her?
Blessed are those who see with their heart.
Our Lady of Lourdes
Little Bernadette Soubirous
“11 February 1858. I had just turned 14. It was a morning like any other,
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a winter’s day. We were hungry, as always. There was this cave, with a
black mouth; in the silence I felt a rush of air. The bush moved, shaken by
some force. And then I saw a young woman, in white, no taller than me
who greeted me with a slight bow of her head; at the same time she moved
her outstretched arms away from her body a little, opening her hands, like
the statues of Our Lady; I was afraid. Then it occurred to me to pray: I took
the rosary beads that I always carry with me and began to say the rosary.”
Mary showed herself to her daughter Bernadette Soubirous. She who
could neither read nor write; she who spoke in dialect and did not go to
catechism class. A poor girl, pushed around by everyone in the village,
yet ready to trust and rely on others, like someone who has nothing.
Nothing to lose. Mary entrusted her secrets to her and did so because
she trusted her. She treated her with loving kindness, spoke to her kindly,
and said ‘please’ to her. And Bernadette let herself go and believed her,
just like a child does with its mother. She believed in her promise that
n20ov2e5na Our Lady would make her happy not in this world, but in the next. She

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remembered this promise for the rest of her life. A promise that
would allow her to face all her difficulties with her head held high,
with strength and determination, doing what Our Lady asked her to
do: pray, always pray for all of us sinners. She also made a promise:
she would look after Mary’s secrets and give voice to her request
for a Shrine in the place where Mary appeared. And as she lay dying,
Bernadette smiled, thinking back to Mary’s face, her loving gaze, her
silences, her few but intense words, and above all, that promise. And
she still felt like a daughter, the daughter of a Mother who keeps her
promises.
Mary, the Mother who promises.
You, who promised to become the mother of humanity, stayed your
children, starting with the youngest and the poorest. You drew close
to them and revealed yourself to them.
Have faith: Mary will also shows herself to us if we are able to
strip ourselves of everything.
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The Rector Major’s words
The Virgin Mary, humilty and faith.
We can say that the Virgin Mary is a beacon of humility and faith for
us, accompanying us through the centuries, accompanying our lives,
accompanying the experience of each and every one of us. Let us not
forget, however, that Mary’s humility is not simply outward modesty,
it is not a facade, but rather a profound awareness of her smallness
before the greatness of God.

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Her ‘yes, here am I, the servant of the Lord’ spoken before the angel is an act
of humility, not presumption. It is the trusting abandonment of someone
who recognises herself as an instrument in God’s hands. Mary does not
seek recognition; Mary simply seeks to be a servant, placing herself in the
last place with silence, humility and simplicity that we find disarming. This
humility, this radical humility, is the key that opened Mary’s heart to divine
grace, allowing the Word of God, with his greatness and immensity, to
become incarnate in her human womb.
Mary teaches us to place ourselves as we are, with our humility, without
pride, without needing to depend on our authority or self-referentiality,
placing ourselves freely before God so that we may receive fully, with
freedom and openness, like Mary; so that we may live his will with love. This
is the second point, this is Mary’s faith. The humility of the servant places
her on a constant path of unconditional adherence to God’s plan, even in
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the darkest, most incomprehensible moments, which means courageously
facing the poverty of her experience in the cave at Bethlehem, the flight
into Egypt, the hidden life in Nazareth, but above all at the foot of the cross
where Mary’s faith reaches its peak.
There, beneath the cross, with a heart pierced by pain, Mary does not waver,
Mary does not fall, Mary believes in the promise. Her faith, then, is not a
passing feeling, but a solid rock on which the hope of humanity, our hope, is
founded. Humility and faith in Mary are inextricably linked.
Let us allow Mary’s humility to enlighten our human condition, so that faith
may also sprout in us, so that, recognising our smallness before God, we
do not abandon ourselves because we are small, we do not allow ourselves
to be overcome by presumption, but we place ourselves there, like Mary,
with an attitude of great freedom, with an attitude of great openness,
recognising our dependence on God, living with God in simplicity but at
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the same time in greatness. Mary therefore urges us to cultivate a serene,
firm faith, capable of overcoming trials and trusting in God’s promise. Let us
contemplate the figure of Mary, humble and believing, so that we too may
say our yes generously, as she did.
The voice of the boys
As for us, are we able to grasp her promises of
love with the eyes of a child?
The prayer of an unfaithful child
Mary, you who show yourself to those who are able to see...
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make my heart pure.
Make me humble, little, able to lose myself in your mother’s embrace.
Help me rediscover how important the role of a child is and mark my steps.
You promise, I promise in a covenant that only a mother and child can make.
I will fall, mother, you know that.
I won’t always keep my promises.
I won’t always trust you.
I won’t always be able to see you.
But you will stand there in silence, smiling, your arms and hands outstretched.
And I will take the rosary and pray with you for all children like me.
Hal Mary...
Blessed are those who see with their heart.

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When people asked for some special grace Don Bosco used to say:
“If you wish to obtain graces from the Blessed Virgin, make a Novena” (MB IX, 289).
This novena, according to him, had to take place if possible “in church, with lively
faith” as an act of fervent homage to the Eucharist. According to Don Bosco, for the
novena to be efficacious, the dispositions of the soul should be as follows:
▪▪▪
Do not put your hope in human forces but have faith in God.
The request should be made to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, fount of
grace, kindness and blessing, and with trust in the power of Mary whom
▪ God wishes to be honored on earth in this temple.
Always add the intention “Thy will be done” and the condition “if it is for
the good of the soul of the person being prayed for”.
Three times: Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… to the Holy
Eucharist followed each time by the short prayer: Blessed and
praised every moment be the Most Holy and Divine Sacrament.
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Three times: Hail Holy Queen… followed each time by the short
prayer: Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary, that it is a thing unheard of,
that anyone ever had recourse to your protection, implored your help,
or sought your intercession, and was left forsaken. Filled therefore
with confidence in your goodness, I fly to you, O Mother, Virgin of
Virgins. To you I come, before you I stand, a sorrowful sinner. Despise
not my poor words, O Mother of the Word of God, but graciously hear
and grant my prayer. Amen.
PERSONAL CONDITIONS REQUIRED:
Approach the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.
Give an offering or do some work to support the apostolate, preferably on behalf
of youth.
n20ov2e5naRenew your faith in Jesus in the Eucharist and devotion to Mary Help of Christians.

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Being Children
Simplicity and Hope
Children trust, children rely on others. And a mother is close by, always.
You see her even if she is not there.
As for us, are we able to see her?
Blessed are those who see with their heart.
Our Lady of Fatima
The little shepherd children in Cova di Iria
“In Cova di Iria around 1:00 pm, the sky opened and the sun appeared.
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Suddenly, at about 1.30 pm, the improbable happened: before an astonished
crowd, the most spectacular, grandest and most incredible miracle that
has happened since biblical times took place. The sun began a frantic and
frightening dance that would last more than ten minutes. A very long time.”
Three little shepherd children, simple and happy, were there and spread
news of the miracle that shocked millions of people. Nobody could
explain it, from scientists to people of faith. Yet, three children saw
Mary, heard her message. And they believed it, they believed the words
of the woman who showed herself and asked them to return to Cova di
Iria every 13th of the month. They do not need explanations because
they placed all their hope in Mary’s repeated words. A difficult hope to
keep alive, one which would have frightened any child: Our Lady revealed
suffering and world conflicts to Lucia, Jacinta and Francesco. Yet they
had no doubt: those who trust in the protection of Mary, the mother who
protects, can face everything. And they knew this so well; they knew it
n20ov2e5na first-hand, risking being killed so as not to betray the word they gave to

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their heavenly mother. The three little shepherd children were ready
for martyrdom, imprisoned and threatened with a pot of boiling oil.
They were afraid:
“Why do we have to die without hugging our parents? I’d like to see
Mum.”
Yet they decided to keep hoping, believing in a love greater than
themselves:
“Do not be afraid. We will offer this sacrifice for the conversion of
sinners. It would be worse if Our Lady never came back.”
“Why don’t we say the Rosary?”
A mother is never deaf to the cries of her children. And the children
placed their hope in her. Mary, Mother who protects, stayed with
her three children from Fatima and saved them by keeping them
alive. And today she still protects all her children around the world
who go on pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima.
Mary, the Mother who protects.
You, who have taken care of humanity from the moment of the
Annunciation, have remained beside your simplest and most hopeful
children. You drew close to them and revealed yourself to them.
Place your hope in Mary: she will be able to protect you.
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The Rector Major’s words
The Virgin Mary, hope and renewal.
The Virgin Mary is the dawn of hope, an inexhaustible source of renewal.
Contemplating the figure of Mary is like turning our gaze towards
a bright horizon, a constant invitation to believe in a future full of

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grace. And this grace is transformative. Mary is the personification of
Christian hope in action. Her unshakeable faith in the face of trials, her
perseverance in following Jesus to the cross, her confident expectation
of the resurrection are the most important things for me. They are a
beacon of hope for all humanity.
In Mary, we see how certainty is, so to speak, the confirmation of the
promise of a God who never fails to keep his word. That pain, suffering
and darkness do not have the last word. That death is overcome by life.
Mary, then, is hope. She is the morning star announcing the coming of
the sun of justice. Turning to her means entrusting our expectations and
aspirations to a motherly heart that presents them with love to her risen
Son. In some way, our hope is sustained by Mary’s hope. And if there is
hope, then things do not remain as they were before. There is renewal.
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The renewal of life. By welcoming the incarnate Word, Mary made it
possible to believe in God’s hope and promise. She made possible a new
creation, a new beginning.
Mary’s spiritual motherhood continues to generate us in faith,
accompanying us on our journey of growth and inner transformation.
Let us ask Mary for the grace necessary so that this hope that we see
fulfilled in her may renew our hearts, heal our wounds, and enable us to
pass beyond the veil of negativity to embark on a journey of holiness,
a journey of closeness to God. Let us ask Mary, the woman who stands
with the apostles in prayer, to help us today, believers and Christian
communities, so that we may be sustained in faith and open to the gifts
of the Spirit, so that the face of the earth may be renewed.
Mary urges us never to resign ourselves to sin and mediocrity, but, filled
n20ov2e5na with the hope fulfilled in her, to long for a new life in Christ. May Mary

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continue to be our model and support so that we may always believe in
the possibility of a new beginning, of an inner rebirth that conforms us
ever more closely to the image of her son Jesus.
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The voice of the boys
As for us, are we able to hope in her and be
protected with the eyes of a child?
The prayer of a discouraged child
Mary, you who show yourself to those who are able to see...
make my heart simple and full of hope.
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I trust you: protect me in every situation.
I entrust myself to you: protect me in every situation.
I listen to your word: protect me in every situation.
Give me the ability to believe the impossible and do everything in my
power
to bring your love, your message of hope and your protection to the
whole world.
And please, my Mother, protect all humanity, even those who do not yet
recognise you.
Hal Mary...
Blessed are those who see with their heart.

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When people asked for some special grace Don Bosco used to say:
“If you wish to obtain graces from the Blessed Virgin, make a Novena” (MB IX, 289).
This novena, according to him, had to take place if possible “in church, with lively
faith” as an act of fervent homage to the Eucharist. According to Don Bosco, for the
novena to be efficacious, the dispositions of the soul should be as follows:
▪▪▪
Do not put your hope in human forces but have faith in God.
The request should be made to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, fount of
grace, kindness and blessing, and with trust in the power of Mary whom
▪ God wishes to be honored on earth in this temple.
Always add the intention “Thy will be done” and the condition “if it is for
the good of the soul of the person being prayed for”.
Three times: Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… to the Holy
Eucharist followed each time by the short prayer: Blessed and
praised every moment be the Most Holy and Divine Sacrament.
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Three times: Hail Holy Queen… followed each time by the short
prayer: Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary, that it is a thing unheard of,
that anyone ever had recourse to your protection, implored your help,
or sought your intercession, and was left forsaken. Filled therefore
with confidence in your goodness, I fly to you, O Mother, Virgin of
Virgins. To you I come, before you I stand, a sorrowful sinner. Despise
not my poor words, O Mother of the Word of God, but graciously hear
and grant my prayer. Amen.
PERSONAL CONDITIONS REQUIRED:
Approach the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.
Give an offering or do some work to support the apostolate, preferably on behalf
of youth.
Renew your faith in Jesus in the Eucharist and devotion to Mary Help of Christians.
n20ov2e5na

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Being Children
Obedience and dedication
Children trust, children rely on others. And a mother is close by, always.
You see her even if she is not there.
As for us, are we able to see her?
Blessed are those who see with their heart.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Young Juan Diego
“Juan Diego,” said the Lady, “the little favourite among my children...” Juan
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sprang to his feet.
“Where are you going, Juanito?” asked the Lady.
Juan Diego replied as politely as he could. He told the Lady that he was
going to the church of Santiago to hear the Mass in honour of the Mother
of God.
“My beloved child,” said the Lady, “I am the Mother of God, and I want you
to listen to me carefully. I have a very important message to give you. I want
a church to be built on this spot, from where I can show my love to your
people.”
A gentle, simple and tender dialogue like that of a mother with a child.
And Juan Diego obeyed: he went to the bishop to report what he had
seen but he did not believe him. Then the young man returned to Mary
and explained what had happened. Our Lady gave him another message
and urged him to try again, and so on and so forth. Juan Diego obeyed,
n20ov2e5na he did not give up: he would complete the task that the heavenly Mother

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was entrusting him with. But one day, overcome with the problems
of life, he was about to skip the appointment with Our Lady: his uncle
was dying. “Do you think I would forget someone I love so much?”
Mary healed his uncle, while Juan Diego obeyed once again:
“My beloved child,” the Lady said, “go up to the top of the hill where we
first met. Cut and pick up the roses you will find there. Put them in your
tilma (cloak) and bring them to me. I’ll tell you what you have to do and
say.” Despite knowing that there were no roses growing on that hill,
and certainly not in winter, Juan ran all the way to the top. And there
was the most beautiful garden he had ever seen. Castilian roses,still
shining with dew, stretched as far as the eye could see. He gently cut
the most beautiful blooms with his stone knife, filled his cloak, and
quickly returned to where the Lady was waiting for him. The Lady took
the roses and placed them back in Juan’s tilma. Then she tied it behind
his neck and said, “This is the sign the bishop wants. Quickly, go to him
and don’t stop along the way. ”
The image of Our Lady had appeared on the cloak and at the sight of
this miracle, the bishop was convinced. And today the Shrine of Our
Lady of Guadalupe still preserves this miraculous effigy.
Mary, the Mother who does not forget.
You, who do not forget any of your children, leave no one behind,
have looked upon the young people who have placed their hopes in
you. You drew close to them and revealed yourself to them.
Obey even when you do not understand: a mother does not forget,
a mother does not leave you on your own.
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The Rector Major’s words
The Virgin Mary, motherhood and compassion.
Mary’s motherhood does not end with her yes that made the incarnation
of the Son of God possible. Certainly, that moment is the foundation of
everything, but her motherhood is a constant attitude, a way of being for
us, of relating to the whole of humanity.
Jesus on the cross entrusts John to her with the words, ‘Woman, behold
your son,’ symbolically extending her motherhood to all believers of all
times.
Mary thus becomes the mother of the Church, the spiritual mother of
each one of us.
We see how this motherhood manifests itself in tender and thoughtful
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care, in constant attention to the needs of her children and in a deep
desire for their good. Mary welcomes us, nourishes us with her expression
of fidelity, protects us under her mantle. Mary’s motherhood is an
immense gift that brings us closer to her; we feel her loving presence
accompanying us at every moment.
Mary’s compassion is the natural corollary of her motherhood.
Compassion is not simply a superficial feeling of pity, but a profound
participation in the pain of others, a ‘suffering with’. We see it manifested
in a touching way during her son’s passion. In the same way, Mary does
not remain indifferent to our pain; she intercedes for us, consoles us, and
offers us her maternal help.
Thus, Mary’s heart becomes a safe refuge where we can lay down our
burdens and find comfort and hope. Motherhood and compassion in
n20ov2e5na Mary become, so to speak, two sides of the same human experience in
our favour, two expressions of her infinite love for God and for humanity.

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Her compassion is then the concrete manifestation of her being a
mother, compassion as a consequence of motherhood. Contemplating
Mary as a mother opens our hearts to the hope that finds its fullest
expression in her. Our Heavenly Mother who loves us.
Let us ask Mary to see her as a model of authentic humanity, of a
motherhood capable of ‘feeling with’, capable of loving, capable of
suffering with others, following the example of her son Jesus, who for
love of us suffered and died on the cross.
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The voice of the boys
As for us, are we sure that a mother never forgets,
just as children do?
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The prayer of a lost child
Mary, you who show yourself to those who are able to see...
make my heart obedient.
When I’m not listening, please insist.
When I don’t come back, please come and look for me.
When they do not forgive me, please teach me forgiveness.
Because we human beings get lost and we will always get lost
But you don’t forget us, your wandering children.
Come and get us,
come and take us by the hand.
We do not and cannot be alone here.
Hal Mary...
Blessed are those who see with their heart.

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When people asked for some special grace Don Bosco used to say:
“If you wish to obtain graces from the Blessed Virgin, make a Novena” (MB IX, 289).
This novena, according to him, had to take place if possible “in church, with lively
faith” as an act of fervent homage to the Eucharist. According to Don Bosco, for the
novena to be efficacious, the dispositions of the soul should be as follows:
▪▪▪
Do not put your hope in human forces but have faith in God.
The request should be made to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, fount of
grace, kindness and blessing, and with trust in the power of Mary whom
▪ God wishes to be honored on earth in this temple.
Always add the intention “Thy will be done” and the condition “if it is for
the good of the soul of the person being prayed for”.
Three times: Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… to the Holy
Eucharist followed each time by the short prayer: Blessed and
praised every moment be the Most Holy and Divine Sacrament.
Three times: Hail Holy Queen… followed each time by the short
prayer: Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary, that it is a thing unheard of,
that anyone ever had recourse to your protection, implored your help,
or sought your intercession, and was left forsaken. Filled therefore
with confidence in your goodness, I fly to you, O Mother, Virgin of
Virgins. To you I come, before you I stand, a sorrowful sinner. Despise
not my poor words, O Mother of the Word of God, but graciously hear
and grant my prayer. Amen.
PERSONAL CONDITIONS REQUIRED:
Approach the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.
Give an offering or do some work to support the apostolate, preferably on behalf
of youth.
Renew your faith in Jesus in the Eucharist and devotion to Mary Help of Christians.
n20ov2e5na

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Being Children
Amazement and reflection
Children trust, children rely on others. And a mother is close by, always.
You see her even if she is not there.
As for us, are we able to see her?
Blessed are those who see with their heart.
Our Lady of La Salette
Little Mélanie and Maximin from La Salette
On Saturday, September 19, 1846, the two boys climbed the slopes of
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Mount Planeau, above the village of La Salette, each leading four cows to
graze. Halfway there, near a small spring, Mélanie was the first to see a ball
of fire on a pile of stones, “as if the sun had fallen there”, and she pointed it
out to Maximin. From that shining sphere a woman began to appear, sitting
with her head in her hands, her elbows on her knees, deeply sad. Faced with
their astonishment, the Lady stood up and in a soft voice, but in French,
said to them, “Come closer, my children, do not be afraid, I am here to tell
you great news.” Heartened, the boys approached and saw that the figure
was crying.
A mother announced great news to her children and did so in ears. Yet
the youngsters were not surprised by these tears. They listened, in the
tenderest of moments between a mother and her children. Because
even mothers are sometimes worried, because even mothers entrust
their children with their own feelings, thoughts and reflections. And
Mary entrusted a great message to the two little shepherds, poor and
n20ov2e5na neglected in their affection: “I am worried about humanity, I am worried

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about you, my children, who are distancing yourselves from God.
And life away from God is a complicated, difficult life, made up of
suffering.” That is why she was crying. She cried like any mother and
told her youngest and purest children a message as amazing as it was
great. A message to be proclaimed to everyone, to be brought to the
world.
And they would do so, because they could not keep such a
beautiful moment for themselves: the expression of a mother’s
love for her children must be proclaimed to everyone. The Shrine
of Our Lady of La Salette, which stands on the site of the apparitions,
lays its foundations on the revelation of Mary’s pain in the face of the
pilgrimage of her sinful children.
Mary, the Mother who proclaims/who tells us who she is
You, who give yourself completely to your children so much that you
are not afraid to tell them about yourself, have touched the hearts
of your youngest children, who are able to reflect on your words
and welcome them in wonder. You drew close to them and revealed
yourself to them.
Be amazed at a mother’s words: they will always be the most
authentic.
The Rector Major’s words
The Virgin Mary, love and mercy.
Do we feel this dimension of Mary, these two dimensions? Mary
is the woman whose heart overflows with love, attention and also
mercy. We feel that she is a harbour, a safe refuge in times of
difficulty or trial.
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Contemplating Mary is like immersing ourselves in an ocean of
tenderness and compassion. We feel surrounded by an environment,
by an inexhaustible atmosphere of comfort and ho-pe. Mary’s love is a
maternal love that embraces all of humanity, because it is a love that has
its roots in her unconditional yes to God’s plan.
By welcoming her son into her womb, Mary welcomed God’s love. As a
result, her love knows no boundaries or distinctions; it bends over human
frailty and misery with infinite de-licacy. We see this manifested in her
attention to Elizabeth, in her intercession at the wed-ding at Cana, in her
silent, extraordinary presence at the foot of the cross.
Behold, Mary’s love, this maternal love, is a reflection of God’s own love,
a love that draws near, that consoles, forgives, never tires, never ends.
Behold, Mary teaches us that to love means to give oneself completely,
to be close to those who suffer, to share the joys and sor-rows of our
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brothers and sisters with the same generosity and dedication that
animated her heart. Love, mercy.
Mercy then becomes the natural consequence of Mary’s love, a
compassion, we might say, that is visceral, when faced with the sufferings
of humanity, the world. We look at Mary, we contemplate her, we
encounter her with her maternal gaze and we feel it resting on our wea-
knesses, on our sins, on our vulnerability, without aggression, indeed
with infinite tender-ness. It is an immaculate heart, sensitive to the cry
of pain.
Mary is a mother who does not judge, does not condemn, but welcomes,
consoles and for-gives. We feel that Mary’s mercy is a balm for the
wounds of the soul, something that warms the heart. Mary reminds us
that God is rich in mercy and never tires of forgiving those who turn to
him with a contrite, serene, open and willing heart.
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Love and mercy in the Virgin Mary merge in an embrace that envelops
the whole of humanity. Let us ask Mary to help us open our hearts to
God’s love, as she did, and to let this love fill our hearts, especially when
we feel most in need, most weighed down by trials and difficul-ties. In
Mary, we find a tender and powerful mother, ready to welcome us into
her love and to intercede for our salvation.
may18
The voice of the boys
As for us, are we still able to wonder like a child when
faced with a mother’s love?
The prayer of a distant child
25
Mary, you who show yourself to those who are able to see...
make my heart capable of compassion and conversion.
In silence, I find you.
In prayer, I hear you.
In reflection, I discover you.
And faced with your words of love, Mother, I am amazed
and discover the strength of your connection to humanity.
Far from you, who will hold my hand in times of difficulty?
Far from you, who will comfort me in my tears?
Far from you, who would advise me when I am taking a wrong turn?
I will return to you, as one with you.
Hal Mary...
Blessed are those who see with their heart.

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26
When people asked for some special grace Don Bosco used to say:
“If you wish to obtain graces from the Blessed Virgin, make a Novena” (MB IX, 289).
This novena, according to him, had to take place if possible “in church, with lively
faith” as an act of fervent homage to the Eucharist. According to Don Bosco, for the
novena to be efficacious, the dispositions of the soul should be as follows:
▪▪▪
Do not put your hope in human forces but have faith in God.
The request should be made to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, fount of
grace, kindness and blessing, and with trust in the power of Mary whom
▪ God wishes to be honored on earth in this temple.
Always add the intention “Thy will be done” and the condition “if it is for
the good of the soul of the person being prayed for”.
Three times: Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… to the Holy
Eucharist followed each time by the short prayer: Blessed and
praised every moment be the Most Holy and Divine Sacrament.
Three times: Hail Holy Queen… followed each time by the short
prayer: Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary, that it is a thing unheard of,
that anyone ever had recourse to your protection, implored your help,
or sought your intercession, and was left forsaken. Filled therefore
with confidence in your goodness, I fly to you, O Mother, Virgin of
Virgins. To you I come, before you I stand, a sorrowful sinner. Despise
not my poor words, O Mother of the Word of God, but graciously hear
and grant my prayer. Amen.
PERSONAL CONDITIONS REQUIRED:
Approach the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.
Give an offering or do some work to support the apostolate, preferably on behalf
of youth.
Renew your faith in Jesus in the Eucharist and devotion to Mary Help of Christians.
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Being Children
Trust and prayer
Children trust, children rely on others. And a mother is close by, always.
You see her even if she is not there.
As for us, are we able to see her?
Blessed are those who see with their heart.
Catherine’s Medal
Little Catherine Labouré
28
On the night of July 18, 1830, around 11:30, she heard herself called by
name. It was a child who told her, “Get up and come with me.” Catherine
followed the child. All the lights were on. The chapel door opened as soon as
the child touched it with his fingertips. Catherine knelt down.
At midnight Our Lady came and sat in the armchair next to the altar. “Then
I jumped up near her, at her feet, on the steps of the altar, and I placed my
hands on her knees,” Catherine said. “I stayed like this, I don’t know how
long. I thought it was the sweetest moment of my life...”
“God wants to entrust you with a mission,” the Virgin said to Catherine.
Catherine, who lost her mother at 9 years of age, was not resigned to
living without her mother. And she approached the Mother of Heaven.
Our Lady, who was already looking at her from afar, would never
abandon her. In fact, she had big plans for her. She, her caring and loving
daughter, would have a great mission: to live an authentic Christian life,
a personal relationship with God that was strong and firm. Mary believed
in the potential of her child and entrusted her with the Miraculous
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Medal, capable of interceding and working graces and miracles.
An important mission, a difficult message. Yet Catherine was not
discouraged. She trusted her Heavenly Mother and knew that she
would never abandon her.
Mary, the Mother who gives confidence
You, who are trusting, and entrust missions and messages to each of
your children, have accompanied them on their journey as a discreet
presence, remaining close to all, but especially to those who have
experienced great suffering. You drew close to them and revealed
yourself to them.
Trust: a mother will always entrust you only with tasks that you
can complete and will be by your side all the way.
The Rector Major’s words
The Virgin Mary, trust and prayer.
The Virgin Mary presents herself to us as a woman of unshakeable
trust, a powerful intercessor through prayer. Contemplating these
two aspects, trust and prayer, we see two fundamental dimensions
of Mary’s relationship with God.
We can say that Mary’s trust in God is a golden thread that runs
through her entire existence, from beginning to end. That ‘yes’
pronounced with awareness of the consequences is an act of total
abandonment to the divine will. Mary entrusts herself, Mary lives
her trust in God with a heart firmly fixed on divine providence,
knowing that God would never abandon her.
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30
So, for us, in our daily lives, looking to Mary, this abandonment, which
is not passive but active and trusting, is an invitation not to forget our
anxieties and fears, but in some way to look at everything in the light of
God’s love, which in Mary’s case never failed, and neither will it fail in our
lives. This trust leads to prayer, which we can say is almost the breath of
Mary’s soul, the privileged channel of her intimate communion with God.
Trust leads to communion. Her life of abandonment was a continuous
dialogue of love with the Father, a constant offering of herself, of her
concerns, but also of her decisions.
The visit to Elizabeth is an example of prayer that becomes service. We
see Mary accompanying Jesus to the cross, after the Ascension we see
her in the Upper Room united with the Apostles in fervent expectation.
Mary teaches us the value of constant prayer as a consequence of total
and complete trust, abandoning oneself into God’s hands, precisely to
encounter God and live with God.
Trust and prayer and Mary Most Holy are closely interconnected. A deep
trust in God gives birth to and brings forth persevering prayer. Let us ask
Mary to be our example so that we may feel urged to make prayer a daily
habit because we want to feel continually abandoned in God’s merciful
hands.
Let us turn to her with filial trust so that, imitating her, imitating her trust
and perseverance in prayer, we may experience the peace that only when
we abandon ourselves to God can we receive the graces necessary for
our journey of faith.
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The voice of the boys
As for us, are we able to trust unconditionally like
children?
The prayer of a mistrustful child
Mary, you who show yourself to those who are able to see...
make my heart capable of praying.
I am unable to hear you, open my ears.
I am unable to follow you, guide my steps.
I am unable to keep faith with what you wish to entrust to me; make
my soul steadfast.
The temptations are many, let me not give in.
The difficulties seem insurmountable, let me not fall.
The contradictions of the world shout loudly, let me not follow them.
I, your worthless child, am here for you to use.
Making me an obedient child.
Hal Mary...
Blessed are those who see with their heart.
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32
When people asked for some special grace Don Bosco used to say:
“If you wish to obtain graces from the Blessed Virgin, make a Novena” (MB IX, 289).
This novena, according to him, had to take place if possible “in church, with lively
faith” as an act of fervent homage to the Eucharist. According to Don Bosco, for the
novena to be efficacious, the dispositions of the soul should be as follows:
▪▪▪
Do not put your hope in human forces but have faith in God.
The request should be made to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, fount of
grace, kindness and blessing, and with trust in the power of Mary whom
▪ God wishes to be honored on earth in this temple.
Always add the intention “Thy will be done” and the condition “if it is for
the good of the soul of the person being prayed for”.
Three times: Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… to the Holy
Eucharist followed each time by the short prayer: Blessed and
praised every moment be the Most Holy and Divine Sacrament.
Three times: Hail Holy Queen… followed each time by the short
prayer: Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary, that it is a thing unheard of,
that anyone ever had recourse to your protection, implored your help,
or sought your intercession, and was left forsaken. Filled therefore
with confidence in your goodness, I fly to you, O Mother, Virgin of
Virgins. To you I come, before you I stand, a sorrowful sinner. Despise
not my poor words, O Mother of the Word of God, but graciously hear
and grant my prayer. Amen.
PERSONAL CONDITIONS REQUIRED:
Approach the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.
Give an offering or do some work to support the apostolate, preferably on behalf
of youth.
Renew your faith in Jesus in the Eucharist and devotion to Mary Help of Christians.
n20ov2e5na

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Being Children
Suffering and healing
Children trust, children rely on others. And a mother is close by, always.
You see her even if she is not there.
As for us, are we able to see her?
Blessed are those who see with their heart.
Our Lady of Sorrows of Kibeho
Little Alphonsine Mumiremana and
her companions
34
The story began at 12:35 on a Saturday, November 28, 1981, in a boarding
school run by local Sisters, attended by just over a hundred girls in the area.
A rural, poor school, where one learned to become a teacher or secretary.
The building was not equipped with a Chapel and, therefore, there was not
a particularly strong religious atmosphere. That day all the girls from the
school were in the refectory. The first of the group to “see” was 16-year-old
Alphonsine Mumureke. According to what she herself wrote in her diary, she
was serving her companions at the table, when she heard a female voice
calling her: “My daughter, come here.” She headed for the corridor, next to
the refectory, and there a woman of incomparable beauty appeared to her.
She was dressed in white, with a white veil over her head, which hid her
hair, and which seemed joined to the rest of the dress, which had no seams.
She was barefoot and her hands were clasped on her chest with her fingers
pointing towards the sky.
Subsequently, Our Lady appeared to other of Alphonsine’s school friends
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had to reconsider. Mary, speaking to Alphonsine, described herself
as the Lady of Sorrows of Kibeho and told the children about all
the cruel and bloody events that would soon take place with the
outbreak of war in Rwanda. The sorrow would be great, but so too
would be the consolation and healing from that sorrow, because
she, the Lady of Sorrows, would never leave her children in Africa
on their own. The children remain there, stunned by these visions,
but they believed in this mother who reached out her arms to
them, calling them “my children.” They knew that only in her would
there be consolation. And in order to pray that the consoling mother
would alleviate the suffering of her children, a shrine dedicated to
Our Lady of Sorrows of Kibeho was erected, now a place marked by
extermination and genocide. And Our Lady continues to be there and
embrace all her children.
Mary, the Mother who consoles.
You, who comforted your children like John beneath the cross, have
looked upon those who live in suffering. You drew close to them and
revealed yourself to them.
Do not be afraid to go through suffering: the mother who consoles
will wipe away your tears.
The Rector Major’s words
The Virgin Mary, suffering and invitation to conversion.
Mary is an emblematic figure of suffering transfigured, and a
powerful invitation to conversion. When we contemplate her painful
journey, it is a silent yet eloquent warning, a profound call to review
our lives and our choices, and a call to return to the heart of the
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Gospel. The suffering that runs through Mary’s life, like a sharp sword,
prophesied by the elderly Simeon, marked by the disappearance of the
Child Jesus, to the indescribable sorrow at the foot of the cross, Mary
experiences all this, the weight of human fragility and the mystery of
innocent suffering in a unique way.
Mary’s suffering was not sterile suffering, passive resignation, but in
some way we notice that there is an activity, a silent and courageous
offering, united with the redemptive sacrifice of her son Jesus.
When we look at Mary, the woman who suffers, with the eyes of our
faith, that suffering, rather than depressing us, reveals the depth of
God’s love for us, which is visible in Mary’s life. Mary teaches us that even
in the most acute pain we can find meaning, a possibility for spiritual
growth, which is the fruit of union with the Paschal Mystery.
36
Thus, from the experience of transfigured pain, a powerful call to
conversion emerges. Looking at Mary, contemplating how she endured
so much for love of us and for our salvation, we too are called not to
remain indifferent to the mystery of redemption.
Mary, the gentle and motherly woman, urges us to abandon the ways of
evil and embrace the path of faith. Mary’s famous words at the wedding
at Cana, ‘Do whatever he tells you’, still resound for us today as an urgent
invitation to listen to the voice of Jesus in times of difficulty, in times of
trial. In times of unexpected and unknown situations.
We immediately notice that Mary’s suffering is not an end in itself, but
is intimately linked to the redemption wrought by Christ. Her example
of faith is unshakeable in pain. May it be a light and guide for us to
transform our sufferings into opportunities for spiritual growth and to
n20ov2e5na respond generously to the urgent call to conversion, so that the depth
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a God who loves us, may find meaning, an outlet and growth through
Mary’s intercession, even in the most difficult moments, in the most
painful moments.
may20
The voice of the boys
As for us, do we let ourselves be comforted like
children?
The prayer of a suffering child
Mary, you who show yourself to those who are able to see...
make my heart capable of healing.
When I am down, hold out your hand to me, Mother.
When I feel broken, put the pieces back together, Mother.
When suffering takes over, open me to hope, Mother.
37
Because I am not only seeking healing for my body, but also realising how
much my heart
needs peace.
Lift me up from the dust, Mother.
Lift me up and all your children who are in distress.
Those beneath bombing,
those who are persecuted,
those who are unjustly imprisoned,
those who are harmed in rights and dignity,
those whose lives are cut short too soon.
Lift them up and console them.
because they are your children. Because we are your children.
Hal Mary...
Blessed are those who see with their heart.

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38
When people asked for some special grace Don Bosco used to say:
“If you wish to obtain graces from the Blessed Virgin, make a Novena” (MB IX, 289).
This novena, according to him, had to take place if possible “in church, with lively
faith” as an act of fervent homage to the Eucharist. According to Don Bosco, for the
novena to be efficacious, the dispositions of the soul should be as follows:
▪▪▪
Do not put your hope in human forces but have faith in God.
The request should be made to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, fount of
grace, kindness and blessing, and with trust in the power of Mary whom
▪ God wishes to be honored on earth in this temple.
Always add the intention “Thy will be done” and the condition “if it is for
the good of the soul of the person being prayed for”.
Three times: Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… to the Holy
Eucharist followed each time by the short prayer: Blessed and
praised every moment be the Most Holy and Divine Sacrament.
Three times: Hail Holy Queen… followed each time by the short
prayer: Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary, that it is a thing unheard of,
that anyone ever had recourse to your protection, implored your help,
or sought your intercession, and was left forsaken. Filled therefore
with confidence in your goodness, I fly to you, O Mother, Virgin of
Virgins. To you I come, before you I stand, a sorrowful sinner. Despise
not my poor words, O Mother of the Word of God, but graciously hear
and grant my prayer. Amen.
PERSONAL CONDITIONS REQUIRED:
Approach the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.
Give an offering or do some work to support the apostolate, preferably on behalf
of youth.
Renew your faith in Jesus in the Eucharist and devotion to Mary Help of Christians.
n20ov2e5na

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Being Children
Justice and dignity
Children trust, children rely on others. And a mother is close by, always.
You see her even if she is not there.
As for us, are we able to see her?
Blessed are those who see with their heart.
Our Lady of Aparecida
The little fishermen Domingos, Felice and Joao
40
At dawn on October 12, 1717, Domingos Garcia, Felipe Pedroso and Joao
Alves pushed their boat into the waters of the Paraiba River that flowed
near their village. They didn’t seem lucky that morning: they cast their
nets for hours without catching anything. They had almost decided to give
up when Joao Alves, the youngest, wanted to give it one last try. So he
cast his net into the waters of the river and slowly pulled it up. There was
something there, but it wasn’t a fish… it looked more like a piece of wood.
When he freed it from the meshes of the net, the piece of wood turned out
to be a statue of the Virgin Mary, unfortunately minus its head. Joao threw
the net back into the water and this time, pulling it up, he found another
piece of rounded wood entangled in it that looked just like the head of the
same statue: he tried to put the two pieces together and realised that they
matched perfectly. As if obeying an impulse, Joao Alves threw the net back
into the water and, when he tried to pull it up, he realised he couldn’t do it,
because it was full of fish. His companions threw cast nets into the water in
turn and the fishing that day was really abundant.
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A mother sees the needs of her children, Mary saw the needs of
the three fishermen and went to their rescue. Her children gave
her all the love and dignity that can be given to a mother: they
put the two pieces of the statue back together, placed it on a
hut and turned it into a shrine. From the top of the hut, Our Lady
of Aparecida – which means She Appeared – saved one of her slave
sons who was running away from his masters: she saw his suffering
and restored his dignity. And today, that hut is the largest Marian
shrine in the world and bears the name of the Basilica of Our Lady
of Aparecida.
Mary, the Mother who sees.
You, who have seen the suffering of your abused children, starting
with the disciples, have stood beside your poorest and most
persecuted children. You drew close to them and revealed yourself
to them.
Do not hide from a mother’s gaze: she also sees into your most
hidden desires and needs.
may 21
41
The Rector Major’s words
The Virgin Mary, dignity and social justicen.
The Virgin Mary is a mirror of fully realised human dignity, silent but
powerful and inspiring for a just sense of social life. Reflecting on
the figure of Mary in relation to these themes reveals a profound
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Let us look to Mary, the woman full of dignity, as a gift that helps us today
to see her original purity, which does not place her on an inaccessible
pedestal but reveals Mary in the fullness of that dignity to which we all
feel a little attracted, called.
Contemplating Mary, we see shining forth the beauty and nobility,
precisely the dignity of the human being, created in the image and
likeness of God, free from the game of sin, fully open to divine love, a
humanity that is not lost in details, in superficial things.
42
We can say that Mary’s free and conscious ‘yes’ is the gesture of self-
determination that elevates Mary to the level of God’s will, entering
in some way into God’s logic. Her humility then makes her even freer,
far from being diminished by humility. Mary’s humility becomes an
awareness of the true greatness that comes from God.
Here, then, is this dignity that Mary helps us to see how we are living
it in our daily lives. The theme of social justice may seem less explicit,
but from a careful contemplative reading of the Gospel, especially the
Magnificat, we can grasp, feel and encounter the revolutionary spirit
that proclaims the overthrow of the powerful from their thrones and the
raising up of the humble, that is, the reversal of worldly logic and God’s
privileged attention to the poor and hungry.
These words flow from a humble heart, filled with the Holy Spirit. We can
say that they are a manifesto of social justice ante litteram, a foretaste of
the kingdom of God, where the last will be first.
Let us contemplate Mary so that we may feel attracted to this dignity that
is not limited to closing in on itself but is a dignity that in the Magnificat
challenges us not to remain closed in our own logic but to become open,
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praising God and seeking to live the gift we have received for the
good of humanity, with dignity for the good of the poor and for the
good of those who are rejected by society.
may 21
The voice of the boys
As for us, do we hide or do we say everything like
children do?
The prayer of a child is afraid
Mary, you who show yourself to those who are able to see...
make my heart capable of restoring dignity.
In a time of trial, look at my shortcomings and make them whole.
In a time of fatigue, look at my weaknesses and heal them.
In a time of waiting, look at my impatience and heal it.
So that when I look at my brothers and sisters I can look at their
shortcomings and make them whole,
see their weaknesses and heal them, feel their impatience and heal it.
Because nothing cares like love and no one is as strong as a mother
seeking justice for her children.
And then I too, Mother, will stop at the foot of the hut, look with
confident eyes at your image and pray for the dignity of all your children.
43
Hal Mary...
Blessed are those who see with their heart.

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44
When people asked for some special grace Don Bosco used to say:
“If you wish to obtain graces from the Blessed Virgin, make a Novena” (MB IX, 289).
This novena, according to him, had to take place if possible “in church, with lively
faith” as an act of fervent homage to the Eucharist. According to Don Bosco, for the
novena to be efficacious, the dispositions of the soul should be as follows:
▪▪▪
Do not put your hope in human forces but have faith in God.
The request should be made to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, fount of
grace, kindness and blessing, and with trust in the power of Mary whom
▪ God wishes to be honored on earth in this temple.
Always add the intention “Thy will be done” and the condition “if it is for
the good of the soul of the person being prayed for”.
Three times: Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… to the Holy
Eucharist followed each time by the short prayer: Blessed and
praised every moment be the Most Holy and Divine Sacrament.
Three times: Hail Holy Queen… followed each time by the short
prayer: Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary, that it is a thing unheard of,
that anyone ever had recourse to your protection, implored your help,
or sought your intercession, and was left forsaken. Filled therefore
with confidence in your goodness, I fly to you, O Mother, Virgin of
Virgins. To you I come, before you I stand, a sorrowful sinner. Despise
not my poor words, O Mother of the Word of God, but graciously hear
and grant my prayer. Amen.
PERSONAL CONDITIONS REQUIRED:
Approach the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.
Give an offering or do some work to support the apostolate, preferably on behalf
of youth.
Renew your faith in Jesus in the Eucharist and devotion to Mary Help of Christians.
n20ov2e5na

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Being Children
Gentleness and everyday life
Children trust, children rely on others. And a mother is close by, always.
You see her even if she is not there.
As for us, are we able to see her?
Blessed are those who see with their heart.
Or Lady of Benneux
Little Marietta of Banneux
46
On January 18, Marietta was in the garden, praying the rosary. Mary came
and took her to a small spring on the edge of the forest, where she said,
“This spring is for me”, and invited the little girl to immerse her hand and
the rosary in it. Her father and two other people followed Marietta in all her
gestures and words with indescribable amazement. And that same evening
the first to be conquered by Banneux’s grace was Marietta’s father, who ran
to go to confession and receive the Eucharist: he had not been to confession
since his first communion.
On January 19, Marietta asked, “Ma’am, who are you?” “I am the Virgin of
the poor.”
At the spring, she added, “This spring is for me, for all the nations, for the
sick. I come to console them!”
Marietta was a normal girl who lived her days like all of us, like our
children, our grandchildren. Hers was a small and unknown village. She
prayed that she would stay close to God. She prayed to her Heavenly
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in a place familiar to her. She would appear to her several times,
confide secrets to her and tell her to pray for the conversion of the
world: this was a strong message of hope for Marietta. All children
are embraced and consoled by their Mother, all the sweetness that
Marietta found in the “Gentle Lady” she passed on to the world. And
from this encounter came a great chain of love and spirituality that
found its fulfilment in the Shrine of Our Lady of Benneux.
Mary, the Mother who stays beside us.
You who remained beside your children without ever losing a single
one, have enlightened the daily path of the simplest people. You
drew close to them and revealed yourself to them.
Abandon yourself into Mary’s embrace: do not be afraid, she will
comfort you.
The Rector Major’s words
The Virgin Mary, education and love.
The Virgin Mary is an incomparable teacher of education, because
she is an inexhaustible source of love, and those who love educate,
truly educate those they love.
Reflecting on the figure of Mary in relation to these two pillars
of human and spiritual growth, we have here an example to
contemplate, to take seriously, to incorporate into our daily choices.
The education that emanates from Mary is not made up of precepts
or formal teachings but is manifested through her example of life. A
contemplative silence that speaks, her obedience to God’s will, both
humble and great, her profound humanity.
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Here, the first educational aspect that Mary communicates to us is that
of listening.
Listening to the word of God, listening to that God who is always there
to help us, to accompany us. Mary keeps this in her heart, meditates on it
carefully, encourages attentive listening to the word of God and, in the
same way, to the needs of others. Mary teaches us that humility which
does not choose to remain detached and passive, but rather the humility
which, while recognising our smallness before God’s greatness, places us
as people who are active in his service. Our hearts are open to truly be
those who accompany, living the plan that God has for us.
48
Mary is an example that helps us to let ourselves be educated by faith.
She teaches us perseverance, remaining steadfast in love for Jesus, even
at the foot of the cross.
Education and love. Behold, Mary’s love is the beating heart of her
existence. It continues to be for us. Every time we draw close to Mary,
we feel this maternal love that extends to all of us. It is a love for Jesus
that becomes a love for humanity. Mary’s heart opens with the infinite
tenderness that she receives from God, which she communicates to Jesus
and to her spiritual children.
Let us ask the Lord that in contemplating Mary’s love, which is a love
that educates, we may allow ourselves to be moved to overcome our
selfishness and our closed attitudes and to open ourselves to others. In
Mary, we see a woman who educates with love and who loves with a love
that is educational. Let us ask the Lord to give us the gift of love, which
is the gift of his love, which in turn is a love that purifies us, sustains us
and makes us grow, so that our example may truly be an example that
communicates love and, by communicating love, we may allow ourselves
to be educated by her and let her help us so that our example may also
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The voice of the boys
As for us, are we able to abandon ourselves
as children do?
may22
The prayer of a child of our times
Mary, you who show yourself to those who are able to see...
make my heart gentle and docile.
Who will put me back together after breaking under the weight of the
crosses I carry?
Who will bring light back to my eyes after seeing the ruins of human
cruelty?
Who will alleviate the sufferings of my soul, after the mistakes I have
made on my journey?
Mother, only you can comfort me.
Hold me tight and keep me with you to keep me from falling apart.
Let my soul rest in you and find peace like a child in its mother’s arms.
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Hal Mary...
Blessed are those who see with their heart.

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50
When people asked for some special grace Don Bosco used to say:
“If you wish to obtain graces from the Blessed Virgin, make a Novena” (MB IX, 289).
This novena, according to him, had to take place if possible “in church, with lively
faith” as an act of fervent homage to the Eucharist. According to Don Bosco, for the
novena to be efficacious, the dispositions of the soul should be as follows:
▪▪▪
Do not put your hope in human forces but have faith in God.
The request should be made to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, fount of
grace, kindness and blessing, and with trust in the power of Mary whom
▪ God wishes to be honored on earth in this temple.
Always add the intention “Thy will be done” and the condition “if it is for
the good of the soul of the person being prayed for”.
Three times: Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… to the Holy
Eucharist followed each time by the short prayer: Blessed and
praised every moment be the Most Holy and Divine Sacrament.
Three times: Hail Holy Queen… followed each time by the short
prayer: Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary, that it is a thing unheard of,
that anyone ever had recourse to your protection, implored your help,
or sought your intercession, and was left forsaken. Filled therefore
with confidence in your goodness, I fly to you, O Mother, Virgin of
Virgins. To you I come, before you I stand, a sorrowful sinner. Despise
not my poor words, O Mother of the Word of God, but graciously hear
and grant my prayer. Amen.
PERSONAL CONDITIONS REQUIRED:
Approach the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.
Give an offering or do some work to support the apostolate, preferably on behalf
of youth.
Renew your faith in Jesus in the Eucharist and devotion to Mary Help of Christians.
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6.1 Page 51

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Being Children
Building and dreaming
Children trust, children rely on others. And a mother is close by, always.
You see her even if she is not there.
As for us, are we able to see her?
Blessed are those who see with their heart.
Maria Help of Christians
Little John Bosco
At the age of 9, I had a dream. All my life this remained deeply impressed
52
on my mind. In this dream I seemed to be near my home in a very large
yard.A crowd of children were playing there. Some were laughing, some
were playing games, and quite a few were swearing. When I heard these
evil words, I jumped immediately amongst them, and tried to stop them by
using my words and my fists. At that moment, a dignified man appeared, a
nobly-dressed adult.
“You will have to win these friends of yours not by blows but by gentleness
and love.”
“Who are you, ordering me to do the impossible?”
“Precisely because it seems impossible to you, you must make it possible
through obedience and the acquisition of knowledge.”
“Where, by what means can I acquire knowledge?”
“I will give you a teacher. Under her guidance you can become wise. Without
her all widom is foolishness.”
At that moment I saw a lady of stately appearance standing beside him.
She was wearing a mantle that sparkled all over as though covered with
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“This is the field of your work. Make yourself humble, strong and
energetic. And what you will see happening to these animals in a
moment is what you must do for my children.
I looked around again and where before I had seen wild animals, I now
saw gentle lambs. They were all jumping and bleating as if to welcome
that man and lady. At that point, still dreaming, I began crying. I begged
the lady to speak so that I could understand her, because I did not know
what all this could mean. She then placed her hand on my head and said,
“In good time you will understand everything.”
Mary guided and accompanied young John Bosco throughout his life
and mission. He, a child, thus discovered his vocation from a dream.
He would not understand it but he would let himself be guided. He
would not understand it for many years but in the end he would be
aware that “she did everything”. And his mother, both the earthly and
the heavenly one, would be the central figure in the life of this son
who would provide bread for his children. And after meeting Mary in
his dreams, John Bosco, by then a priest, would build a Shrine to Our
Lady so that all her children can rely on her. And he would dedicate
it to Mary Help of Christians, because she had been his safe haven,
his constant help. Thus, all those who enter the Basilica of Mary Help
of Christians in Turin are taken under the protective mantle of Mary
who becomes their guide.
Mary, a Mother who accompanies/guides
You who accompanied your son Jesus throughout his journey,
offered yourself as a guide to those who listened to you with the
enthusiasm that only children can have. You drew close to them and
revealed yourself to them.
Let yourself be accompanied: your Mother will always be by your
side to show you the way.
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The Rector Major’s words
The Virgin Mary, our help in conversion.
The Virgin Mary is a powerful and silent help on our journey of growth.
It is a journey that constantly needs to free itself from whatever blocks
its growth. It is a journey that must continually renew itself, so as not to
turn back or stop in the dark corners of our existence. This is conversion.
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Mary’s presence is a beacon of hope, a constant invitation for us to con-
tinue walking towards God, helping our hearts to remain focused on God
and his love. Reflecting on Mary, on her role, means discovering Mary
who does not impose, who does not judge, but rather supports, encou-
rages, with her humility, with her maternal love, helping our hearts to
remain close to her so that we may draw ever closer to her son Jesus, who
is the way, the truth and the life.
Mary’s ‘yes’ at the Annunciation, which opens up the history of salvation
to humanity, remains valid for us too. Her intercession at the Wedding at
Cana supports those who find themselves in unexpected, unprecedented
situations. Mary is a model of continuous conversion. Her life, a life of the
Immaculate, was a gradual adherence to God’s will, a journey of faith that
led her through joys and sorrows, culminating in the sacrifice of Calvary.
Mary’s perseverance in following Jesus becomes an invitation for us to
live this continuous closeness, this inner transformation, which we know
well is a gradual process, but one that requires constancy, humility and
trust in God’s grace.
Mary helps us in our conversion through her attentive and focused li-
stening to the Word of God. Listening that helps us find the strength to
n20ov2e5na abandon the ways of sin, because we recognise the strength and beauty
of walking towards God. Let us turn to Mary with filial trust, because this

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means that, while recognising our frailties, our sins and our faults, we
want to foster those desires for change. A change of heart that seeks
to let itself be accompanied by the maternal heart of Mary. And in Mary,
let us find that precious help to discern the false promises of the world
and rediscover the beauty and truth of the Gospel. May Mary, the Help
of Christians, be for all of us a constant help in discovering the beauty of
the Gospel. And in accepting to walk towards goodness, the greatness of
God’s word, alive in our hearts so that we can communicate it to others.
may23
The voice of the boys
As for us, are we capable of being taken by the
hand like children?
The prayer of a motionless child
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Mary, you who reveal yourself to those who are able to see...
make my heart capable of dreaming and building.
I who do not let anyone else help me.
I who get discouraged, lose patience and never believe I have built anything.
I who always believe I am a failure.
Today I want to be a son or daughter who can give you their hand, my Mother
to be accompanied on life’s paths.
Show me my field,
show me my dream
and make sure that in the end I too can understand everything and recognise
that you were there
in my life.
Hail Mary...
Blessed are those who see with their heart.

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56
When people asked for some special grace Don Bosco used to say:
“If you wish to obtain graces from the Blessed Virgin, make a Novena” (MB IX, 289).
This novena, according to him, had to take place if possible “in church, with lively
faith” as an act of fervent homage to the Eucharist. According to Don Bosco, for the
novena to be efficacious, the dispositions of the soul should be as follows:
▪▪▪
Do not put your hope in human forces but have faith in God.
The request should be made to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, fount of
grace, kindness and blessing, and with trust in the power of Mary whom
▪ God wishes to be honored on earth in this temple.
Always add the intention “Thy will be done” and the condition “if it is for
the good of the soul of the person being prayed for”.
Three times: Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be… to the Holy
Eucharist followed each time by the short prayer: Blessed and
praised every moment be the Most Holy and Divine Sacrament.
Three times: Hail Holy Queen… followed each time by the short
prayer: Mary Help of Christians, pray for us.
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary, that it is a thing unheard of,
that anyone ever had recourse to your protection, implored your help,
or sought your intercession, and was left forsaken. Filled therefore
with confidence in your goodness, I fly to you, O Mother, Virgin of
Virgins. To you I come, before you I stand, a sorrowful sinner. Despise
not my poor words, O Mother of the Word of God, but graciously hear
and grant my prayer. Amen.
PERSONAL CONDITIONS REQUIRED:
Approach the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.
Give an offering or do some work to support the apostolate, preferably on behalf
of youth.
Renew your faith in Jesus in the Eucharist and devotion to Mary Help of Christians.
n20ov2e5na

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6.8 Page 58

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SALESIAN OF DON BOSCO
EDIZIONE EXTRA COMMERCIALE
Sede Centrale Salesiana
via Marsala, 42 - 00185 ROMA