Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "The din of arms drowns out attempts at dialogue. The law of force prevails over the force of right. But let us not be discouraged: let us continue to hope and pray that God who guides history will listen to us," prayed Pope Francis today, entrusting to Mary Assumed into Heaven "the supplication for peace in Ukraine and in all the regions torn by war, which unfortunately are many".
Addressing the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Angelus prayer, the pontiff invited them to contemplate Mary "ascending in body and soul to the glory of Heaven", associating her with the Gospel story that presents her ascending towards a "mountainous region" (Lk 1:39), to help her cousin Elizabeth and there she proclaims the Magnificat. Like Jesus,' Francis explained, 'Mary shows that the two secrets of a life that overcomes death are service to one's neighbour and praise to God.
"It is when we stoop to serve our brothers and sisters,' the pope observed, 'that we go up: it is love that elevates life. But serving is not easy: Our Lady, who has just conceived, travels almost 150 kilometres to reach Elizabeth's house from Nazareth. It costs money to help. We experience it too: think, for example, of the kilometres that many people travel every day to go to and from work and carry out many tasks on behalf of their neighbour; think of the sacrifices of time and sleep to care for an infant or an elderly person; and the commitment to serve those who have nothing to give back, in the Church as well as in voluntary work. It is tiring, but it is climbing upwards, it is gaining Heaven'.
The Pope added that service "risks being sterile without praise to God". And here then is the example of Mary who, when she enters her cousin's house, "does not speak of her weariness from the journey, but from her heart bursts forth a song of jubilation. For he who loves God knows praise'. And the Gospel presents us with a cascade of praise: "It increases joy, lifts the spirits, and overcomes the temptation to despondency".
"How good it is to praise God every day, and also others. How good it is to live in gratitude and blessing instead of regrets and complaints, to look up instead of sulking". Praise "is spiritual health".
The Pope then invited us to ask ourselves: "Do I make service the springboard of my life? Like Mary, do I pray by blessing the Lord? And, after praising him, do I spread his joy among the people I meet?."
"May our Mother, Assumed into Heaven," the Pope concluded, "help us to climb higher every day through service and praise".
