Visit of His Holiness Pope John Paul II to the Holy Land

Dear Brothers and Sistersy
 

These have been days of intense emotion, a time when our soul has been stirred not only by the memory of what God has done but by his very presence, walking with us once again in the Land of Christ's Birth, Death and Resurrestion. And at evely step of this Jubilee Pilgrimage Mary has been wi~ us, lighting our pilgrim path and sharing the Joys and sorrows of her SOI1S and daughters.

Wiffi Mary, Mater dSgrosa, we stand in the shadow of the Cross and weep

with her over ie affliction of Jerusalem and over the sins of the world. We stand with her in the sllence of Calvary, and see the blood and water flowing from the sounded side of her Son. Reali2ing the terrible consequences of sin, we are moved to repentance for our own sins and for the sirls of the Church' s children in every age. O Mary, conceived without sin, help us on the path to conversion!

With Mary, Stella matutina, we have been touched by the light of the Resurrection. We rejoice sith her that the empty Tomb has become the womb of eterna} life, where he who rose from the dead now sits at the Father's right hand, With her we give endless thanlcs for the grace ofthe Holy Spirit whom the Risen Lord sent upon the Church at Pentecost and whom he continually pours into our hearts, for ollr salvation and for the good of the human family.

Max gina in caelum assuta. From the Tomb of her Son, we look to the tomb where Mary lay sleeping in peace, awaiting her glorious Assumption. The Divine Liturgy celebrated at her tomb in Jerusalem has Mary say: "Even beyond death, I am not far from you". And in the Liturgy her children reply: "Secing yourtomb, O holy lSlother of God, we seem to contemplate you. O Mary, yoll are the joy ofthe angels, the comfort ofthe afflioted. We proclaim you as the stronghold of all Christians and, most of all, as Mother".

In contemplating ie TheotoScos, almost at this journey's end, se look upon 2 the true face of the Church, radiant in all her beauty, shining with "the glory of God which is on the face of Christ" (2 Cor 4 6) 0 Advocate, help the Church to be ever more like you, her exalted model. Help herto grow in faith, hope and love, as she searches out and does the will of God in all things (cf. Lumen Gentium, 65). O clement~ O lovina. O sweet Vxgin Mary!