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“We begin the New Year by placing ourselves under the maternal and loving gaze of Mary Most Holy, whom the liturgy celebrates today as the Mother of God,” said Francis at the Angelus, recalling that “the painful events that marked the path of humanity in the past year especially the pandemic, teach us to care about the problems of others and share their concerns. ”
Mariangela Jaguraba / Raimundo Lima – Vatican News
Pope Francis led the Marian Angelus prayer, this Friday (01/01), Solemnity of Holy Mary, Mother of God, and World Day of Peace, from the Library of the Apostolic Palace.
We begin the New Year placing ourselves under the maternal and loving gaze of Mary Most Holy, who is celebrated in today’s liturgy as the Mother of God. In this way we resume our path through the paths of time, entrusting our anguishes and torments to the One who can do everything. Mary looks at us with maternal tenderness, as she looked at her Son Jesus. If we look at the manger, we see that Jesus is not in the cradle. They told me that Our Lady said, “Let me hold this son of mine for a while?” Our Lady is also with us: she wants to hold us in her arms to protect us as she protected and loved her Son.
Be operators of peace
According to the Pontiff, “the reassuring and consoling gaze of the Blessed Virgin is an encouragement so that this time, which the Lord gives us, is dedicated to our human and spiritual growth, that it be a time to remove hatred and divisions, and there are many, which is a time to feel that we are all more brothers and sisters, a time to build and not to destroy, taking care of each other and of creation. Time to grow, time for peace ”. Then he added:
It is precisely the care of others and the creation that the theme of World Peace Day, which we celebrate today: The culture of care as a way of peace. The painful events that marked the path of humanity in the last year, especially the pandemic, teach us how it is necessary to take an interest in the problems of others and share their concerns. This attitude represents the path that leads to peace, since it favors the construction of a society founded on fraternal relationships. Each one of us, men and women of our time, are called to achieve peace: each one of us. Let’s not be indifferent to this. We are all called to make peace and to do so every day and in all areas of life, approaching our brother who needs a word of comfort, a gesture of tenderness, a helping hand. For us, this is a God-given task. The Lord gives us the task of being peacemakers.
The Pope stressed that “peace can be built if we begin to be at peace with ourselves, in inner peace, in our hearts, with ourselves and with those around us, removing obstacles that prevent us from caring for the needy and destitute.”
Develop a “caring” culture
It is about developing a “supportive” mentality and culture to overcome indifference, overcome discard and rivalry, indifference, discard and rivalry that unfortunately prevail. Eliminate these behaviors. Peace is not only the absence of war, peace is never aseptic: no, the peace of the palm tree does not exist. Peace is in life: it is not only the absence of war, but a life rich in meaning, imposed and lived in personal fulfillment and fraternal sharing with others. So that that peace so desired and always threatened by violence, selfishness and evil, that peace in danger, become possible and achievable if I take it away as a task that was given to me by God.
“May the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to the” Prince of Peace “, and who tenderly pampers him in her arms, obtain for us from heaven the precious good of peace, which we cannot fully pursue with human strength alone”, Francisco also said. According to the Pope, “human strength alone is not enough, because peace is above all a gift, a gift from God; it must be implored with incessant prayer, sustained by a patient and respectful dialogue, built through open cooperation to truth and justice and always attentive to the legitimate aspirations of individuals and peoples. My hope is that peace reigns in the hearts of men and families; at work and leisure places; in communities and nations. In families, at work, in nations: peace. And now that we think that life today is resolved with wars, enmities and many things that destroy … we want peace. And that is a gift ”.
On the threshold of this beginning, I extend to all my warmest wishes for a happy and serene 2021. Each one of us seeks to make it a year of fraternal solidarity and peace for all.; a year full of trust and hope, which we entrust to the heavenly protection of Mary, Mother of God and our Mother.
