Archbishop Soc declares 21 days of prayer for nat’l healing

Archbishop Socrates Villegas leads the “Healing Rosary for the World” at the St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Dagupan City on April 15, 2020. (CBCP News/Screenshot, Dagupan Cathedral)

Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan has declared a 21-day prayer for “national healing” amidst the challenges besetting the country.

In a letter to the archdiocese’s parish priests, he lamented the “clouds of helplessness and discouragement hovering over us and our brothers and sisters”.

The coronavirus pandemic and the socio-political “turmoil”, he said, “render us not knowing what to do, how to serve as spiritual leaders and how to be disciples with the disciples of the Lord in crisis”.

“We turn to prayer. We turn to the Mother of God. We are never helpless if we cling to the Virgin Mother,” Villegas said.

He declared July 16, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, to Aug. 5, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, as days of consecration to the Virgin Mary.

During this period, he said that the Act of Consecration and Prayer for National Healing must be prayed in all Masses.

He also urged parishes to encourage families to pray the Act of Consecration at home after the family rosary and even repeatedly during the day.

According to him, the number twenty-one is significant in reference to the 21 rebellious acts of the Israelites after the liberation from Egypt.

“We are in a state of rebellion against God and we are seeing the consequences of our sin. We must repent. We must be consecrated again if we wish to be healed,” Villegas added.

“Let us not give in to discouragement and depression. Let us go to our Lady. Let us take comfort in the message of Our Lady to San Juan Diego: Trust in me. I am your Mother,” he also said. (CBCP News)