Tuesday, October 02, 2001 3:26 PM
Pray the Rosary for Peace
On October 1st, Pope John Paul II, when he appeared at the window of his study to address the pilgrims gathered below in St. Peter´s Square, called for the recitation of the rosary during the month of October for peace and the rejection of violence.
« Given the present international context, I appeal to all, individuals, families and communities, to pray the rosary for peace, if possible daily, so that the world will be preserved from the dreadful scourge of terrorism. »
The Holy Father reminded his listeners that October is the month when the Church venerates Mary as ‘Queen of the Holy Rosary’. « The terrible tragedy of last Sept. 11 will be remembered as a dark day in the history of humanity. In the face of this, the Church intends to be faithful to her prophetic charism and reminds all men of their duty to build a future of peace for the human family. Of course, peace is not separate from justice, but the latter must always be carried out with mercy and love. Jews, Christians and Muslims adore the One God. Therefore, the three religions have the vocation to unity and peace. May God grant the faithful of the Church to be in the front line in the search for justice, in the rejection of violence, and in the commitment to be agents of peace. May the Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede for the whole of humanity, so that hatred and death will never have the last word! »
As a postscript to the above words of the Holy Father, the following is a summary of an experience which happened to a great supporter of TLIG who would like to remain anonymous but who will be named Mary for the purposes of this mailing. She does not live in the USA. The story, perhaps, points to the fundamental significance of the events in New York.
Mary doesn’t often remember her dreams, but she remembered a very vivid dream she experienced on September 1st. In the dream she found herself in New York standing, alongside her sister, in front of an enormous skyscraper. As they both looked up at this building, Mary suddenly saw a Jumbo Jet approach the building. Mary noted that the aeroplane appeared to have an enormous nose. She then realised that it looked as if the plane was going to hit the building which it then did, with accompanying explosions. But in her dream the aeroplane flew on through the building, turned round and then flew straight on into another adjoining skyscraper. Throughout this experience, Mary felt totally secure and not alarmed.
A few days later, Mary found herself in front of a group of 10 or 11 people at her work who were talking about the significance of dreams and so she naturally told the group of her very recent experience. But she had no understanding of what her dream meant.
When, on September 11th, Mary found herself watching on TV the events in New York, she immediately recognised the building from her dream as that of the World Trade Centre.
It is Mary who has specifically encouraged this forwarding of the Holy Father’s appeal to pray the Rosary for Peace.
[There is a separate prayer request attached to this mailing]
