Monsignor Alfonso Amarante: Mother of Perpetual Help welcomes us and invites us to enter into a profound relationship with God and with others
Mons. Alfonso Amarante CSsR, the Rector Magnifico of the Pontifical Lateran University presided over the Solemn Mass of the feast in the church of Sant’Alfonso de Liguori in Rome, on 27 June. Among the concelebrants were Mons. Guy Desrochers CSsR, Archbishop of Moncton of Canada, Fr. Rogério Gomes CSsR, Superior General, members of the Redemptorist community and guests.
In his homily, Monsignor Amarante referred to the scene presented in the Gospel, when Mary, John the Evangelist and some women find themselves at the foot of Jesus’ cross on Golgotha, accompanying him to the end, and when Jesus entrusts his disciple to his mother, – Mary’s presence indicates fidelity to the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, meaning that she is a welcoming woman.
Then he continued: tonight, we want faithfully to accompany Mary to walk with her. That we want to enter into a deep relationship, where we want to entrust ourselves not only to ask for help but to give help in turn. Mary Mother of Perpetual Help is the one who helps us and is with us, the one who welcomes us. But above all she is the one who invites us to enter into a deep relationship with others, to be with others, to welcome others, to become ourselves help for others.
Before the Mass, those present prayed to the Madonna, listening to the melodies of the liturgical hymn Akathistos with meditations, led by the Musica Creator choir directed by Laura Gogiashvili.
The celebration involved the faithful of the linguistic groups of the sanctuary: English, Latin American, Polish, and Italian who read the readings of the mass and sang the liturgical songs, creating a large common choir. Many pilgrims, priests and nuns visited the church of St. Alphonsus and prayed before the miraculous icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help not only during the solemn liturgy, but also throughout the day.
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