ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square-Sunday, 1st January 2017
SOLEMNITY OF
MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD
WORLD DAY OF PEACE
WORLD DAY OF PEACE
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| PHOTO: Zenit.org / Screenshot CTV |
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Good morning!
In recent days we have rested our adoring gaze
on the Son of God, born in Bethlehem; today, the Solemnity of Mary Most
Holy Mother of God, we turn our gaze to the Mother, while reflecting upon
each of them in their close relation. This bond is not exhausted for the fact
of having begot and been begotten; Jesus is “born of woman” (Gal 4:4) for a
mission of salvation, and his mother is not excluded from this mission, but
rather, is intimately associated with it. Mary is aware of this. Therefore she
is not closed to considering only her maternal relationship with Jesus, but
remains open and attentive toward all the events that take place around him: she
keeps and ponders, scrutinizes and closely examines them, as today’s Gospel
reading tells us (cf. Lk 2:19). She has already said her ‘yes’ and conveyed her
willingness to be involved in the fulfillment of the salvific plan of God, who
“has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down
the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree, he has filled
the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away” (Lk 1:51-53).
Now, silent and attentive, she tries to understand what God asks of her day by
day.
The visit of the shepherds offers her the
opportunity to understand something of God’s will as manifested by these humble
and poor people. Luke the Evangelist recounts for us the shepherds’ visit to
the grotto with a close succession of verbs expressing movement. He thus says: they
go with haste, they find the Babe with Mary and
Joseph, they see, they report what they had been
told about him, and lastly they glorify God (cf. Lk 2:16-20).
Mary closely follows this passage, what the shepherds say, what has happened to
them, because she already perceives in it the movement of salvation, which will
flow from the work of Jesus, and she adapts, ready for every request of the
Lord. God asks Mary not only to be mother of his only begotten Son, but also to
cooperate with the Son and for the Son in the plan of salvation, in order that
in her, a humble handmaid, great works of divine mercy may be fulfilled.
Now, as we, like the shepherds, contemplate the
icon of the Babe in his mother’s arms, we feel growing in our hearts a sense of
immense gratitude to She who has given the Saviour to the world. For this
reason, on the first day of a new year, we say to her:
Thank you, O Holy Mother of the Son of God, Holy
Mother of God! / Thank you for your humility which drew the gaze of God; /
thank you for the faith with which you received his Word; / thank you for the
courage with which you said ‘here I am’, / forgetting yourself, enthralled by
Holy Love, / made wholly one with his hope. / Thank you, O Holy Mother of God!
/ Pray for us, pilgrims in time; / help us to walk on the path of peace. /
Amen.
After the
Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters, Happy New Year! The
year shall be good in the measure that each of us, with God’s help, seeks to do
good day by day. In this way peace is built, saying ‘no’ — with deeds — to
hatred and to violence, and ‘yes’ to brotherhood and reconciliation. Fifty
years ago, Blessed Paul VI began celebrating on
this day the World Day of Peace, so as to strengthen the common commitment to
build a peaceful and fraternal world. In this year’s Message, I proposed adopting non-violence as
a style of politics for peace.
Unfortunately, violence has struck even in this
night of good wishes and of hope. Sadly, I express my closeness to the Turkish
people; I pray for the numerous victims and for the injured, and for the entire
Nation in mourning, and I ask the Lord to support all men and women of good
will who roll up their sleeves to face the scourge of terrorism and this stain
of blood which covers the world with a shadow of fear and dismay.
I wish to thank the President of the Italian
Republic for the expression of good wishes that he addressed to me last
evening, during his Message to the Nation. I reciprocate wholeheartedly,
invoking the Lord’s blessing upon the Italian people so that, with their
responsible contribution in solidarity with all, they may look to the future with
confidence and hope.
I greet all of you present here, families,
associations and youth groups, wishing you a happy and peaceful new year. I
express my gratitude for the many initiatives of prayer and of commitment to
peace taking place in every part of the world. I remember in particular last
evening’s national march held in Bologna, sponsored by CEI, Caritas,
Catholic Action and Pax Christi, with the support of the Diocese
and Municipality of Bologna.
I greet the participants in the “Peace in all
lands” demonstration, sponsored by the Community of Sant’Egidio. Thank you for
your presence and your witness!
To all I wish a year of peace in the Lord’s
grace and with the maternal protection of Mary, Mother of God.
Happy feast day and, please, do not forget to
pray for me. Enjoy your lunch! Arrivederci!
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