Vatican
City, 1June 2013 (VIS) – At 8:00 yesterday evening, Pope Francis
participated in the praying of the Rosary held in St. Peter's Square
concluding the Marian month of May. The celebration was presided by
Cardinal Angelo Comastri, vicar general of His Holiness for Vatican
City and archpriest of the Vatican Basilica. At the conclusion of the
prayer and before imparting the Apostolic Blessing to the many
faithful present, the Holy Father recalled the feast of the
Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth and offered a
meditation dedicated to the mystery that shows how Mary faces life's
journey with great sensibility, humanity, and care.
“Three
words sum up Mary's attitude: listening, decision, and action. They
are words that also show us the path before us of what the Lord asks
of us in life,” the Holy Father said.
“Mary
knows how to listen to God. But be careful: this is not a simple
'hearing' but a 'listening based on paying attention, a welcoming, an
openness toward God. It isn't the distracted manner that we sometimes
have when dealing with the Lord or others when we hear their words,
but we don't really listen.”
“Mary,”
Pope Francis continued, “also listens to the facts. She reads the
events of her life and observes concrete reality without stopping at
the surface of things but going in depth to grasp its meaning. …
This is also true in our lives: listening to God who speaks to us and
listening to our everyday reality, paying attention to people and to
facts because the Lord is at the door in our lives and He calls in
many ways, putting signs along our path and giving us the ability to
see them.”
“The
second word,” the Holy Father continued, “is decision. … Mary
doesn't let herself be carried away by events, doesn't avoid the
burden of making decisions. … In life, it is difficult to make
decisions. Often we tend to postpone them, to let others decide for
us. Often we prefer to be caught up by events, chasing the fashion of
the moment. Sometimes we know what we have to do, but we don't have
the courage or it seems too difficult because it means going against
the grain. … Mary goes against the current. She listens to God,
reflects and tries to understand the reality [of the situation] and
decides to entrust herself completely to God.”
“Action,”
said the pontiff, “is the third word. … Mary , despite the
difficulties and criticism she received for her decision to leave,
doesn't stop at anything. ...Mary isn't rushed, doesn't let herself
by carried away by the moment. But when it's clear what God is asking
of her, what she must do, she doesn't linger, doesn't hold back but
goes 'in haste'.”
“Sometimes,”
the Pope concluded, “even we stop with just listening, just
reflecting on what we should do, perhaps we are even clear about what
decision we should make, but we don't take the steps to act upon it.
Above all we don't put ourselves in play, don't move 'in haste'
toward others to bring them our assistance, our understanding, or our
charity.”
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