Pope at Angelus: ‘Mary is ever-green oasis of
humanity’
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis reflected on the mystery
of the Immaculate Conception at his Angelus address on Friday, December 8th, as
the Church celebrates the Marian Solemnity.
Ahead of the traditional prayer of Marian devotion, Pope
Francis said the words of the angel Gabriel in the Gospel of Luke contain the
key to understanding the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
The Pope said Gabriel calls Mary “full of grace”, even
before pronouncing her name.
In this way, he said, God “reveals the new name, which God
has given her and which befits her more than the one given by her parents.”
The Holy Father said “full of grace” means that “Mary is
full of the presence of God”.
“And if she is entirely pervaded by God, there is no place
in her for sin. This is extraordinary,” he said, “because unfortunately the
whole world is contaminated by evil.”
Mary alone, he continued, is the “ever-green oasis” of
humanity. She is “the only uncontaminated person, immaculately created to
welcome fully – with her ‘yes’ – God who came into the world”.
Pope Francis went on to say that, when we call Mary “full of
grace”, we are paying her “the greatest compliment, which is the same offered
her by God.”
Because Mary is without sin, he said, she is immune to
ageing, since “sin makes one old, not age”, and worthy of the name tota
pulchra, or “all fair” or “completely beautiful”.
“Since her youth depends not on age, her beauty consists not
on external appearances. Mary, as the day’s Gospel shows, does not excel in
appearance. She is from a simple family; she lived humbly in Nazareth, an
almost unknown place.”
Finally, Pope Francis reflected on the secret of the
“beautiful life” lived by Mary, “full of grace”.
“In many paintings [of the Annunciation] Mary is depicted as
seated before an angel with a little book. This book is the Scriptures. So Mary
often listened to God and reflected with Him. The Word of God was her secret:
close to her heart, He took on flesh in her womb.”
The Holy Father invited all to ask for the grace “to remain
young by saying ‘no’ to sin and to live a beautiful life by saying ‘yes’ to
God.
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