Friend and Lord Jesus Christ

We wish to follow you wherever you go.
We thank you for the gift of your life.
You are the eternal Son of God,
but you humbled yourself and became man.
We thank you for your death and resurrection.

You obeyed the Father’s will to the extreme
and for this reason you are the Lord of all persons and things.
We thank you for having remained amongst us in the Eucharist.
Your presence, your sacrifice, your banquet
Invite us to remain always united to you.

You call us to work with you.
We wish to go wherever you send us:
to announce your name, to heal in your name,
to bring all of our brothers and sisters to you.

Grant us your Holy Spirit, to enlighten and strengthen us.
The Virgin Mary, the mother you gave us on the cross,
always encourages us to do what you say.
You are our life: May our thoughts, our love and our actions always be planted in you!
You are our rock:
May our faith in you always be the solid foundation of our life!

We pray for Pope Benedict,
for all Bishops and for all those who
are preparing for the next World Youth Day in Madrid.

We pray for our family and friends and especially for
all the young people who will get to know you
in this encounter, thanks to the firm and joyful
testimony of the faith.

We ask this in the grace and peace of your name,
in the love of God our Father,
and in the communion of the Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever.
Amen.