“Whoever hurts a single woman profanes God”. Thus Pope Francis presiding over the celebration of the Mass of the Solemnity of Mary Most Holy Mother of God in the octave of Christmas and on the occasion of the 57th World Day of Peace on the theme 'Artificial Intelligence and Peace'. “The Church needs Mary to rediscover its own feminine face: to be more like her who, as a woman, Virgin and Mother, represents her model and the perfect figure to make space for women and be generative through a pastoral care made of care and of concern, patience and maternal courage – said the Pontiff – But the world also needs to look to mothers and women to find peace, to escape from the spirals of violence and hatred, and return to having human eyes and hearts that see. And every society needs to welcome the gift of the woman, of every woman: to respect her, protect her, value her, knowing that whoever hurts a single woman profanes God, born of a woman”.
“The words of the apostle Paul illuminate the beginning of the new year: 'When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman' – the Pontiff began in his homily – The expression 'fullness of time' is striking '. In ancient times it was customary to measure time by emptying and filling amphorae: when they were empty a new period of time began, which ended when they were full. Here is the fullness of time: when the amphora of history is full, divine grace overflows: God becomes man and does so in the name of a woman, Mary. She is the path chosen by God; she is the point of arrival of many people and generations who, 'drop by drop', have prepared the coming of the Lord into the world The Mother is thus at the heart of time: God was pleased to make history change through her, the woman. With this word the Scripture refers us to the origins, to Genesis, and suggests that the Mother with the Child marks a new creation, a new beginning”.
“At the beginning of the time of salvation there is therefore the Mother of God, our holy Mother. It is beautiful then that the year opens by invoking her; it is beautiful that the faithful People, as once in Ephesus, joyfully proclaim the Holy Mother of God – explained Bergoglio – The words Mother of God in fact express the joyful certainty that the Lord, tender Child in his mother's arms, has forever united with our humanity, to the point that it is no longer just ours, but his Mother of God: a few words to confess the eternal alliance of the Lord with us Mother of God: it is a dogma of faith, but it is also a 'dogma of hope': God in man and man in God, for Always”.
“Mary's motherhood – Pope Francis said – is the way to encounter the paternal tenderness of God, the closest, most direct, easiest way. The Mother, in fact, leads us to the beginning and the heart of faith, which is not a theory or a commitment, but an immense gift, which makes us beloved children, homes of the Father's love. Therefore welcoming the Mother into one's life is not a choice of devotion, but a requirement of faith: 'If we want to be Christians, we must be Marian'”.
Mary, added Bergoglio, “is decisive for everyone's life; because no one knows the times and urgencies of her children better than the Mother. This is shown to us once again by a 'beginning', the first sign made by Jesus, at the wedding of Cana. There it is Mary herself who notices that the wine is missing and turns to Him. It is the needs of her children that move her, the Mother, to push Jesus to intervene”.
“Mary, who knows our needs, also hastens for us the overflows of grace and brings our lives towards fullness. Brothers, sisters, we all have shortcomings, solitudes, voids that ask to be filled. Who can do it if not Mary, Mother of fullness? – asks the Pope – When we are tempted to close ourselves in, we go to her; when we are unable to extricate ourselves from the knots of life, we seek refuge in her. Our times, empty of peace , they need a Mother who brings the human family back together. Let us look to Mary to become builders of unity, and let us do so with her creativity as a Mother, who takes care of her children: she gathers them and consoles them, listens to their pains and dries them tears. Let us entrust the new year to the Mother of God. Let us consecrate our lives to her. She, with tenderness, will be able to reveal its fullness. Because she will lead us to Jesus and Jesus is the fullness of time, of all time, of our time. In fact, as it has been written, 'it was not the fullness of time that caused the Son of God to be sent, but on the contrary, the sending of the Son brought about the fullness of time'. May this year be full of the Lord's consolation; may this year be filled with the maternal tenderness of Mary, the Holy Mother of God”.
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