Prayer for France

I hate to pre-empt St. Anthony so quickly, but his 15 minutes of fame are up!

Nah, just kidding - his fame far exceeds whatever reach the top post on my blog can muster, and I know he's glad to go lower (it's the Little Way, after all) in service of the Common Good.

I just received an email from our friend Jack Keogan. He's the translator of Marcel's writings into English (I know, I can see your eyes widening, your eyebrows shooting up, your mouth falling open, and a sigh of love and gratitude - which sounds like a gasp - escaping!), and he's much closer geographically to France, as well as mentally and spiritually (not to mention emotionally), since he actually knows French! (Thank Heaven, since that's the language from which he translated Marcel's words.)

Enough introducing, though. The point is that Jack received a prayer request from Les Amis de Van, and he passed it along to lovers of Marcel including myself, and so I'm passing it along in my turn to lovers of Marcel including you!

I'll give you Jack's message as it came to me, containing as it does the request from Les Amis de Van. If you read over the French on the holy card pictured above (I admit, I didn't take the time, since I saw the English prayer first, but I promise that soon I'll say the prayer in French too), then you've already prayed for France once, and in the very words Jesus gave to Marcel for this purpose. As you read Jack's message below, you'll be able to say the prayer (again), this time in English with me. Here is the message:

From Jack Keogan

Dear Friends,

I have just received this communication from Les Amis de Van, which I am summarizing here, enlisting our prayers for France and the French people at this time when political turmoil, as evidenced by the violent demonstrations of last week-end and which are scheduled to be repeated tomorrow, the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, are bringing, fear, turmoil and distress to the country for which Our Lord demonstrated to Brother Marcel his special love.

On the 14th of November, 1945, Our Lord dictated to Brother Marcel the following prayer, saying:

I want the French people to say this prayer to Me:                       

                                     Lord Jesus, have compassion on France.
                                     Graciously hold it tightly in your love and show it much tenderness.
                                     So ordain things that, full of love for you, it contributes to make you loved
                                     in all the nations on earth.
                                     O Love of Jesus, we now promise to remain always faithful to you
                                     and to work with a heart on fire to spread your reign throughout the universe.
                                                                                          Amen.

Jack continues:

I hope you can find time, tomorrow on the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, to say this prayer for France, the eldest daughter of the Church. The relevant passage can be found in Conversations (110).

En union de priere, as our French brothers and sisters say.

Jack

*       *       *

And back to me, Miss Marcel:

Here below is the prayer again in French, which is how Jesus asked Marcel to say it after calling our brother, "Little child of my love." He told Marcel that his director (Fr. Boucher) would teach him how to say it in French. Well, I don't want to ask for an apparition or locution, so if you're with me in not knowing how to speak French, just give it your best shot (I advise a nasal intonation; think croissant), and in these times of trial we will at least make Jesus and the French Saints (and French Canadian Saints) laugh!

In case you CAN read or speak French, here's the message from Les Amis de Van:

Chers Amis de Van,
En ces temps tourmentés pour notre pays, nous devons plus que jamais compter sur la force de la prière.  Voici la prière que Jésus a donnée à Marcel Van en lui demandant que les Français la récitent.

[Here there is a photo of the prayer card with Marcel on one side & the prayer in French on the other]

Vous pouvez commander gratuitement des images de la prière pour la France en contactant l'association Les Amis de Van ([email protected]).
 
Tournons-nous également vers Marie pour lui confier notre pays. Tout particulièrement le jour de la fête de l'Immaculée Conception où de violents affrontements sont prévus dans différentes villes en France.

En très grande union de prière,
Les Amis de Van

My helpful google translating elf renders their message in English as follows:

Dear friends of Van, 
In these troubled times for our country, we must rely more than ever on the strength of prayer. 
Here is the prayer that Jesus gave to Marcel Van asking that the French recite it . . . 
​
                                     Lord Jesus, have compassion on France.
                                     Graciously hold it tightly in your love and show it much tenderness.
                                     So ordain things that, full of love for you, it contributes to make you loved
                                     in all the nations on earth.
                                     O Love of Jesus, we now promise to remain always faithful to you
                                     and to work with a heart on fire to spread your reign throughout the universe.
                                                                                          Amen.

You can order free images of prayer for France by contacting Les Amis de Van ([email protected]).
 
Let us also turn to Mary to entrust her with our country. Especially on the day of the feast of the Immaculate Conception where violent clashes are planned in different cities in France. 

In very great union of prayer,
Van's Friends 

There! Now we've managed to say Jesus' prayer for France three times at least! And while Jesus asked the French people in particular to say it, I know speaking for myself I do have some French blood in me . . . but even if you don't, I'm sure Jesus would be happy to have you put yourself in the place of any French man or woman who isn't blessed enough yet to have heard of our brother Marcel, let alone this prayer for his or her beautiful and dear country, the Eldest Daughter of the Church.

I do hope you'll keep scrolling down to read about St. Anthony's miracles in the post below this one. I find nothing more encouraging for us in our prayer than the memory of miracles! St. Anthony, please join us in praying for France! And darling Jesus:

Draw me, we will run!
or since You are asking for French today, we'll say (in a new translation) -
Dessine-moi, nous allons courir!

May God bless France, and thank you Les Amis and dear Jack, Marcel and little Jesus, for your invitation to pray.