Saint Gertrude Parish - Lasne

Meditation by Pope Francis

In recent days, we have gazed with adoration upon the Son of God, born in Bethlehem; today, the Solemnity of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, we turn our gaze to the Mother, but welcoming both in their close bond. This bond is not limited to the fact of having begotten and being begotten; Jesus was “born of a woman” (Gal 4:4) for a mission of salvation, and his mother is not excluded from this mission, on the contrary, she is intimately associated with it. Mary is aware of this, which is why she does not confine herself solely to considering her maternal relationship with Jesus, but remains open and attentive to all the events that occur around him: she cherishes and meditates, observes and reflects upon them, as today’s Gospel reminds us (cf. Lk 2:19). She has already said her "yes" and given her willingness to participate in the fulfillment of God's plan of salvation, who "has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty" (Luke 1:51-53). Now, silent and attentive, she seeks to understand what God wants from her, day by day.

The shepherds' visit offers her the opportunity to grasp some aspects of God's will, manifested in the presence of these humble and poor people. The evangelist Luke recounts the shepherds' visit to the cave with a compelling succession of verbs that express movement. He says: they went there with haste, they found the child with Mary and Joseph, they saw him, they told what had been said to them about him, and finally they glorified God (cf. Lk 2:16-20). Mary attentively follows this passage, what the shepherds say, what happened to them, because she already perceives in this the movement of salvation that will spring from the work of Jesus, and she adapts, ready to respond to each of the Lord's requests. God asks Mary not only to be the mother of his only Son, but also to cooperate with the Son and for the Son in the plan of salvation, so that in her, humble servant, the great works of divine mercy may be accomplished.

And so, as we, like the shepherds, contemplate the icon of the Child in his Mother's arms, we feel growing in our hearts an immense sense of gratitude towards Her who gave the world the Savior. That is why, on the first day of a new year, we say to her:

Thank you, O Holy Mother of the Son of God Jesus, Holy Mother of God! Thank you for your humility that drew God's gaze; thank you for the faith with which you welcomed his Word; thank you for the courage with which you said, "Here I am," forgetting yourself, captivated by Holy Love, becoming one with his hope. Thank you, O Holy Mother of God! Pray for us, pilgrims through time.

Help us to walk the path of peace. Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, Happy New Year!

And the year will be good to the extent that each of us, with God's help, strives to do good day after day. This is how peace is built, by saying "no"—through our actions—to hatred and violence and "yes" to fraternity and reconciliation. Fifty years ago, Blessed Pope Paul VI began to celebrate World Peace Day on this date, to strengthen the shared commitment to building a peaceful and fraternal world. In this year's message, I proposed adopting non-violence as the guiding principle for a politics of peace.

I wish everyone a year of peace in the grace of the Lord and with the maternal protection of Mary, Mother of God. Happy feast day, and please don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your meal and goodbye!

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SOLEMNITY OF SAINT MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

50th WORLD DAY OF PEACE

POPE FRANCIS

ANGELUS

Saint Peter's Square

Sunday, January 1, 2017

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