Mary as "gift" and the Church "a welcoming home, a mother for all"

[MariaChristi]

“With Mary’s help, may the Church be a home for all, a welcoming home, a mother for all peoples.”

Paraguay, July 12, 2015 (ZENIT.org) … Pope Francis’ address before the Angelus after the Mass:

…At the end of this celebration we look with trust to the Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our Mother. She is the gift that Jesus gives to his people. He gave her to us as our Mother at the hour of his cross and suffering. She is the fruit of Christ’s sacrifice for us. And from that moment, Mary has always been, and will always be, with her children, especially the poor and those most in need.

Mary has become part of the tapestry of human history, of our lands and peoples. As in so many other countries of Latin America, the faith of the Paraguayan people is imbued with love of the Virgin Mary. They approach their mother with confidence, they open their hearts and entrust to her their joys and sorrows, their aspirations and sufferings. Our Lady consoles them and with tender love fills them with hope. They never cease to turn with trust to Mary, mother of mercy for each and every one of her children.

I also ask the Blessed Mother, who persevered in prayer with the Apostles as they waited for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1,13-14), to watch over the Church and strengthen her members in fraternal love. With Mary’s help, may the Church be a home for all, a welcoming home, a mother for all peoples.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Mary has been for centuries part of our human history, and yet we cannot be blind to the fact that many Catholics seem to have lost the sense of God’s generous and beautiful “gift” of Mary given to us. As Pope Francis and Popes before him warned many have become, increasingly worldly, turning form God’s humble example in the Holy Family. How humbly God chose and willed to send Jesus through Mary! Yet how many imitate His humility by their love and reverence for Mary? By God’s Grace, let us seek to make reparation for our sins and the sins of many against the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary. By His Grace may we learn from Jesus to be meek and humble of heart, poor in spirit, and generous with all God has given us for the good of all.

Would that the world would once again see in the Catholic Church the undeniable image of our Mother Mary! Just as she brought Jesus into the darkness of Bethlehem, and into every place God led the Holy Family, so may we now by God’s Grace, bring Jesus, spiritually, into our world. If we truly desire to “evangelize” i.e. bring the Good News of God’s love in Jesus, we need to do so in imitation of God as His children. God the Father sent Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit through Mary! God does not change.

Mary, Star of the New Evangelization, pray for us. Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of yYour Faithful – overshadow us as you overshadowed Mary, – enable us to bring Jesus into the darkness of our world. Jesus, Light of the world, shine through us as you shone through Mary. She is your gift to us, make us more like her. Amen.

 

[Richard_White]

Yes, MariaChristi, it is important that we must be willing to spread the Good News of Our Lord Jesus to all the world in emulation of Mary, who said yes to God through the Angel Gabriel and willed to bring Jesus, the eternal God the Son, into the world: “Let it be done unto me according to thy word.”

May God bless you and yours abundantly and forever!

 

[Jeanne_S]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Mary has been for centuries part of our human history, and yet we cannot be blind to the fact that many Catholics seem to have lost the sense of God’s generous and beautiful “gift” of Mary given to us. As Pope Francis and Popes before him warned many have become, increasingly worldly, turning form God’s humble example in the Holy Family. How humbly God chose and willed to send Jesus through Mary! Yet how many imitate His humility by their love and reverence for Mary? By God’s Grace, let us seek to make reparation for our sins and the sins of many against the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary. By His Grace may we learn from Jesus to be meek and humble of heart, poor in spirit, and generous with all God has given us for the good of all.

Would that the world would once again see in the Catholic Church the undeniable image of our Mother Mary! Just as she brought Jesus into the darkness of Bethlehem, and into every place God led the Holy Family, so may we now by God’s Grace, bring Jesus, spiritually, into our world. If we truly desire to “evangelize” i.e. bring the Good News of God’s love in Jesus, we need to do so in imitation of God as His children. God the Father sent Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit through Mary! God does not change.

Mary, Star of the New Evangelization, pray for us. Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of yYour Faithful – overshadow us as you overshadowed Mary, – enable us to bring Jesus into the darkness of our world. Jesus, Light of the world, shine through us as you shone through Mary. She is your gift to us, make us more like her. Amen.

Thank you for sharing the beautiful words of Pope Francis and
yours as well. I actually do ,in my daily prayers,thank Christ for the gift of his Mother.Hopefully,through God’s grace all Catholics and Christians as a whole will embrace our Mother Mary,love her and pray for her intercession,petsonally and for the sake of our broken world.

 

[MariaChristi]

Yes, MariaChristi, it is important that we must be willing to spread the Good News of Our Lord Jesus to all the world in emulation of Mary, who said yes to God through the Angel Gabriel and willed to bring Jesus, the eternal God the Son, into the world: “Let it be done unto me according to thy word.”

May God bless you and yours abundantly and forever!

Dear Richard,

Thanks for your reply, and for your encouragement to all of us to spread the Good News: God sent us His Love to save us in Jesus through Mary, by the power of His Holy Spirit. Let us continually ask the Holy Spirit to teach us the Truth and how we can best share Him.

Jesus is our Way, our Truth and our Life and there are yet so many who have never encountered Him. Both St. Louis de Montfort and St. Maximilian Kolbe have written that Jesus is not known or loved because Mary is not more known and loved.

By God’s Grace let us do whatever we can to follow the “Star of the New Evangelization” so that others may find Jesus as the Wise men did, with Mary His Mother.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thank you for sharing the beautiful words of Pope Francis and
yours as well. I actually do ,in my daily prayers,thank Christ for the gift of his Mother.Hopefully,through God’s grace all Catholics and Christians as a whole will embrace our Mother Mary,love her and pray for her intercession,petsonally and for the sake of our broken world.

Dear Jeanne S.,

Thanks for your reply and for your grateful prayers to Jesus for the gift of our Mother Mary. How pleased the Lord must be to hear you and every one of His grateful children appreciate such a special gift as Mary is! It is sad to see our world becoming less like our Loving Father God and Mother Mary in heaven, and more susceptible to the father of lies in this world.

Let us continue to pray for one another, for the Church, and for all those in most need of His Mercy. Mary, Mother of the Church, intercede for us that we may carry Jesus to others as you did on this earth. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the Hearts of Your Faithful. Kindle in us the Fire of Your Love. May our “little lights” shine in this dark world for God’s Glory and the good of all.