Cardinal Urges Devotion to Rosary and Scapular

"She, Our Lady of Carmel, will give you the strength. It costs to be good. To love God means to stop sinning."

LIMA, Peru (Zenit) - Peruvian Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani invited Lima's faithful to take the rosary and the Carmelite scapular to all homes in the context of the city's Great Mission.

The archbishop of Lima said this Wednesday as he presided at Mass on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the convent of the Discalced Carmelites in Barrios Altos, on the outskirts of Lima.

The Archdiocese of Lima launched the Great Mission last April in keeping with the Continental Mission convoked by Benedict XVI in May 2006 at the shrine of Aparecida, Brazil, on opening the 5th General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopate.

Cardinal Cipriani reminded the faithful that "we have all come to this shrine to renew our dedication to the Virgin. We want to say to our Mother: Do not leave us, we need your fortitude, affection, purity, guidance and consolation."

"In this appointment we have every year in the shrine, on the solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we come to fulfill our promises. Here I am, Mother! I give you my life, my marriage, my priesthood, my youth. I give them to you with all the pain, anticipation and hope. I trust in you," continued the 64-year-old cardinal.

Teach others

He urged the faithful to "take on one hand, the holy rosary, and on the other, the scapular of the Virgin of Carmel," and to spread the devotion to others.

"People must be taught to pray the rosary," he said. "It must be given to them and prayed in families, in streets, in schools, in hospitals and in churches. Mary wants this. Explain to people what the promise to Mary consists of; put the scapular on them, take it to all homes."

"Lima's Great Mission is in Mary's hands; our conversion is in Mary's hands; peace in the world is in her hands; the unity of the family, the protection of life, young people are in Mary's hands," Cardinal Cipriani said. "Therefore, we must come with those two great Marian instruments: the rosary and the scapular, you will see how people will change."

Cardinal Cipriani also encouraged the faithful to approach Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, with confidence and to undertake with her the Way of the Cross: "Do not forget that Mary's great secret was to be beside the Lord on the Cross. Do not be afraid when you think you cannot; love the Cross.

Free Catholic PDF's - Home / Parish / School / Bulletin Inserts

"She, Our Lady of Carmel, will give you the strength. It costs to be good. To love God means to stop sinning, to be faithful in marriage is an effort and struggle."

Cardinal Cipriani prayed to Our Lady of Mount Carmel for the world's priests. "Mother of priests, take care of them and make them saints. May abundant vocations come, they are needed, to be able to take Jesus to all hearts."