Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Entrusting ourselves to the Immaculate Conception "we ask for peace, for hearts to be at peace". This is the invitation that Pope Francis addressed to the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Angelus prayer on the occasion of today's Marian feast.
The pontiff once again appeared from the window of his study in the apostolic palace, personally delivering his reflection, after having always entrusted the reading to a collaborator in recent weeks - due to respiratory inflammation.
At the Angelus, Francis recalled that this afternoon he will go first to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, to pray before the image of Maria Salus Popoli Romani, and then at 4pm to Piazza di Spagna, for the usual homage to the statue of the Immaculate which is located in the heart of Rome. “I ask everyone to unite in entrusting themselves to our Mother, praying in particular for peace in Ukraine, Palestine and Israel, and in all the lands wounded by war”.
In his reflection before the prayer, commenting on the Gospel passage of the Annunciation proposed today in the liturgy, Francis focused on two attitudes of Mary: amazement at the works of God and faithfulness in simple things.
First of all, her amazement at hearing herself called by the angel "full of grace". “Our Lady is humble – she commented – that is, filled with the love of God. This is a noble attitude: knowing how to be amazed by the gifts of the Lord, never taking them for granted, appreciating their value. And it is also important to bear witness to this amazement in front of others, speaking with humility about the gifts of God, the good received, and not just about everyday problems. Be more positive."
And then loyalty in simple things. “The Gospel – he added – before the Annunciation says nothing about Mary. He presents her to us as a simple girl, apparently like many others who lived in her village. Precisely thanks to her simplicity she kept pure that Immaculate Heart with which she, by the grace of God, was conceived. It is with daily fidelity in her good that Our Lady allowed the gift of God to grow in her; this is how she trained to respond to the Lord, to say 'yes' to him with her whole life."
Hence the invitation to ask yourself: "Do I believe that the important thing is faithfulness to God? And, if I believe it, do I find time to read the Gospel, to pray, participate in the Eucharist and receive sacramental forgiveness, to make some concrete gesture of free service?”.
Finally, on this day of the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, an announcement also came from the Pope: the establishment of a new World Day which the Catholic Church will from now on dedicate to children and which will be celebrated for the first time in Rome on 25 and 26 May 2024.
“This Day – he explained – answers the question of what type of world we wish to pass on to them. Like Jesus we want to put children at the center and take care of them."
