Vatican City, 13 December 2015 (VIS) –
Yesterday, on the liturgical solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of
Guadalupe, patroness of Latin America, the Holy Father celebrated
Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. The celebration was preceded by the
Holy Rosary and hundreds of people, mostly from the American
continent, where the devotion to Our Lady extends from Alaska to
Tierra del Fuego. In the homily he pronounced, the Pope emphasised
Mary's mercy, asking that we might understand how much God loves us
through her.
Francis began by citing the phrases of
the prophet Zephaniah in the first reading: “The Lord your God is
in your midst, a mighty one Who will save; He will rejoice over you
with gladness; He will quiet you by his love; He will exult over you
with loud singing. “These words, addressed to Israel, can also be
referred to the Virgin Mary, the Church, and every person, all of
whom are loved by God’s merciful love. Yes, God loves us so much
that he even rejoices and takes pleasure in us. He loves us with
gratuitous love, love without limits, and without expecting anything
in return. This merciful love is the most striking attribute of God,
the synthesis of which is condensed the Gospel message, the faith of
the Church”.
He went on to explain that the word
“mercy” – “misericordia” - is composed of two words: misery
and heart. The heart indicates the capacity to love; mercy is that
love, which embraces the misery of the person. It is a love that
“feels” our poverty as if it were its own, so as to free us of
it. … . “The Word became flesh,” with the intention of sharing
all our frailties – with the intention of experiencing our human
condition, even unto taking upon himself the Cross, with all the pain
of human existence. Such is the abyss of compassion and mercy. … No
sin can cancel his merciful closeness or prevent him from unleashing
the grace of conversion, provided we invoke it. Indeed, sin itself
makes more radiant the love of God who, to ransom a slave, sacrificed
his Son. That mercy of God comes to us with the gift of the Holy
Spirit in Baptism. ... For, however great and grave the sins of the
world, the Spirit, who renews the face of the earth, makes possible
the miracle of a life that is more human, more full of joy and hope”.
“'The Lord is near', says the apostle
Paul, and nothing should make us anguished. He and His Mother are
near. The greatest mercy lies in his being in our midst, in our being
in his presence and company. He walks with us, he shows us the path
of love, lifts us up when we fall, sustains us in our labours,
accompanies us in all circumstances of our existence. He opens our
eyes to our own misery and that of the world, but also fills us with
hope. … This is the source of a peaceful and happy life; nothing
can rob us of this peace and joy, despite the sufferings and trials
of life. The Lord with His tenderness opens up His heart to us, He
opens up His love. The Lord is allergic to rigidities. … Announcing
the Good News to the poor, like John the Baptist, performing works of
mercy, is a good way to look for the coming of Jesus at Christmas”.
“In one of the prayers most cherished
by Christians, the Salve Regina, we call Mary 'mother of mercy'”,
continued the Holy Father. “She who always lived intimately united
with her Son, knows better than anyone what He wants: that all men be
saved, and that God’s tenderness and consolation exclude no-one. …
To Blessed Mary we entrust the sufferings and joys of people
throughout the Americas, who love her as a mother and recognise her
as Patroness under the beloved title of Our Lady of Guadalupe”.
“May the sweetness of her gaze be
with us in this Holy Year, so that we might rediscover the joy of
God's tenderness”, concluded the Pope. “We ask that this jubilee
year sow merciful love in the hearts of individuals, families and
nations. Let us convert and become merciful people, and let all
Christian communities be oases and sources of mercy, witnesses to a
charity without exclusion. To ask this in a special way, I will
travel to venerate her in her Shrine on 13 February. I will ask for
this for all America, for whom she is a special Mother. Let us
implore her to guide the footsteps of the American people, a pilgrim
people looking for the Mother of mercy, and let us ask her just one
thing: to show them her Son Jesus”.
After his homily and during the prayer
of the faithful, the Pope prayed for his parents Mario and Regina,
“who gave me life and transmitted faith to me”, he said, and who
were married eighty years ago.
Like last year, all those present
concluded by singing “La Guadalupana”, the hymn to Our Lady of
Guadalupe, known throughout the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment