MESSAGE
FROM Rector W. Geelen
On 10th
anniversary of Asian Pilgrimage to Banneux
Dear Sri Lankan Pilgrims to the Shrine of Our Lady, the Virgin
of the Poor in BANNIEUX
All of you and myself, we have at least something in common:
English is not our mother tongue. So I necessarily write this
words in a simple humble way.
I am very honored to share your joy and gratitude on this
occasion of the 10th SRI LANKAN PILGRIMAGE to Banneux. In all
those years I admired the care with which Mr. Francis A. X.
Pathmarajah prepared and organized these pilgrimages, which grew
in number of participants from year to year.
I must say, I can easily understand how those who "discovered.....
this Shrine and the Message of Our Blessed Mother Mary like to
come back.
Banneux is a peaceful place, where one can really feel that Holy
Mary is near to us. After all, the very Message of every
apparition of the Holy Virgin on this earth certainly is:
"I want to show you that I am with you, near to each one of
you."
Since the Virgin of the Poor expressed clearly that she came
here to "alleviate suffering" and that she destined
the little spring "for the sick", all of us who have
our burdens in life like to come to Our Heavenly Mother.
Let me stress two particular reasons for you to come to Banneux
this year.
I could observe in these past years, that one word of the
Message is being realized ever more. The Holy Virgin invited
"all nations". We can see in Banneux that this comes
true. By this your 10 th and very important pilgrimage you
contribute in a concrete way to this image of our Shrine. The
beautiful image of people from so many different origins, from
all countries of our globe, joining in their faithful prayer to
our Common Mother.
The second reason for your coming this year may be the theme our
Bishop invites us to considering this 750th anniversary of the
FEAST OF THE HOLY SACRAMENT, that started in our Diocese of
LIEGE, Belgium, in 1246.
The little spring to which Our Lady was leading little Mariette
(11) four times back in 1933 was soon considered even by the
bishop of that time as a symbol for JESUS.
Has, not HE brought the Love of God into mankind? Is not the
Love of God flowing through the wounded Heart of Jesus like an
Spring of God's merciful Love? Does not his Love flow into our
own life each time we receive Holy Communion when participating
in the Eucharist? So we really can discover in Our pilgrimage to
the Shrine how Holy Mary, by leading us to the Spring, le-ads us
to Jesus Himself and invites us to open our hearts to the divine
Love HE gives us continuously, like a Spring that never ceases
to flow.
Let us remember in this sense the words Our Lord spoke to the
Samaritan woman near the quell of Jacob: "The water that I
shall give shall be in him like a spring of water flowing into
life everlasting" (John 4,14).
I wish that every pilgrim may experience on his stay near the
Virgin of the Poor how much Mary wants to lead us to Jesus. HE
is the Source of Gods Life. His Love enables us the share the
very Life of God, enables us to show his love everyday of
meeting one another. Exactly this is what Jesus meant when he
said: ..............This
(life bringing) water flows on into life everlasting............
Dear Sri Lankan Pilgrims, I welcome every one and all of you to
a beautiful and abundantly blessed 10th pilgrimage to Our Lady
of the Poor in BANNEUX.
United to you in prayer.
Rector
W.Geelen
Liege, 2 May 1996
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