VATICAN CITY, APRIL 11, 2003 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the Act of Entrustment of young people to Mary, which John Paul II pronounced Thursday when he met with young people of Rome and neighboring dioceses in the context of World Youth Day celebrations.
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«Behold your Mother» (John 19:27)
It was Jesus, O Virgin Mary,
who from the cross
wished to entrust us to you,
not to attenuate
but to confirm
his exclusive role of Savior of the world.
If in the disciple John,
all the children of the Church were entrusted to you,
it pleases me that much more to see entrusted to you, O Mary,
the young people of the world.
To you, gentle Mother,
whose protection I have always felt,
I entrust them again this evening.
Under your mantle,
in your protection,
they seek refuge.
You, Mother of divine grace,
make them radiant with the beauty of Christ!
They are the young people of this century,
who at the dawn of the new millennium,
still live the torments deriving from sin,
from hatred, from violence,
from terrorism and from war.
But they are also the young people whom the Church,
looks to with trust in the awareness
that with the help of the grace of God
they will succeed in believing and living
as witnesses of the Gospel
in the today of history.
O Mary,
help them to respond to their vocation.
Lead them to the knowledge of true love
and bless their affections.
Sustain them in the moment of suffering.
Render them intrepid messengers
of the greeting of Christ
on the day of Easter: Peace be with you!
With them, I also entrust myself once again to you
and with confident affection I repeat to you:
Totus tuus ego sum!I am all yours!
And also each one of them
with me cries out to you:
Totus tuus!
Totus tuus!
Amen.
[Translation by ZENIT]
