Prayer before the image of our Lady Help of Christians, Turin Italy

It was with eagerness, silence and great fervor that all of us FMA, making the Project Mornese, climbed the stairs that led to balcony near the image of our Lady Help of Christians.  For each FMA, it was an unforgettable experience of joy and awe to be so close to this famous painting!  Our Lady seemed to come alive before our very eyes.  St. John Bosco wanted us, his daughters, to be a living monument to Mary and this evening gave us the experience of our lives.  Our hour of prayer went quickly as we listened to the Word of God, pondered what this meant for us in our own lives, looked at some of the details of this beautiful painting and prayed for ourselves and so many heartfelt intentions and people in our lives.  We prayed to our Lady, spontaneously invoking her under so many titles.  It was so beautifully done.  We ended with singing the Magnificat and the traditional prayer of O Mary most powerful Virgin. We were gently reminded of Don Bosco’s words: “All with Mary, nothing without Mary.”  We pray to live this with our lives as we persevere until death.