VATICAN - The Holy Father concludes the Month of Mary encouraging all to continue praying the Rosary, "so that, in the school of Mary, the lamp of faith may shine ever brighter in the heart of Christians and in their houses."
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – "The Rosary, when it is not a mechanical repetition of traditional formulas, is a biblical meditation that permits us to reflect on the events of the Lord's life in the company of the Blessed Virgin, treasuring them, as she did, in our heart. In many Christian communities there is the beautiful custom of reciting the Rosary in a more solemn way together with the family and in parishes. Now that the month is ending, this good practice should not also end; indeed it should be continued with a still greater commitment, so that, in the school of Mary, the lamp of faith may shine ever brighter in the heart of Christians and in their houses." This was Pope Benedict XVI's recommendation made at the close of the celebration of the conclusion of the Month of Mary, which took place in the evening on Saturday, March 31 in Saint Peter's Square. After reciting the Holy Rosary, while an image of the Virgin Mary was carried in procession through the Plaza, there was a para-liturgical celebration at the end of which the Holy Father came out to the "Sagrato" in front of the Basilica to give a brief address.
In his reflection, the Pope made reference to the Gospel passage for the feast of the Visitation, May 31, in which Mary leaves Nazareth to go and visit his cousin Elizabeth. "Before being concerned about herself, Mary thinks rather of the elderly Elizabeth, whom she knew was already in an advanced stage of pregnancy, and, driven by the mystery of love that she had just received into herself, she made her way 'with haste' to go help Elizabeth. This is the simple and sublime greatness of Mary! When she arrived at Elizabeth's house... the Holy Spirit enveloped them." In response to Elizabeth's words that are inspired from on High, "Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb!," Mary – whose soul is without sin, not weighed down by pride and by egoism, responds in a hymn of praise: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord."
The Pope continued, saying, "Mary 'sees' with the eyes of faith God's work in history. For this reason she is blessed, because she believed: by faith, in fact, she welcomed the word of the Lord and conceived the incarnate Word. Her faith allowed her to see that the thrones of the powerful of this world are all provisional, while the throne of God is the only rock that does not change and does not fall. And Mary's 'Magnificat,' after centuries and millennia, remains the truest and the deepest interpretation of history, while the readings of the many wise persons of this world have been disproved by the facts over the course of the centuries."
The Holy Father concluded his address encouraging those present to return home, "with the Magnificat in our heart."
"Let us carry in us Mary's same sentiments of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, her faith and her hope, her docile abandonment into the hands of divine providence. Let us imitate her example of availability and generosity in serving our brothers and sisters. In fact, we are only able to raise a canticle of praise to the Lord by welcoming God's love and making of our existence a disinterested and generous service of neighbor."
(SL) (Agenzia Fides 2/6/2008)
Links:
Complete text of the Holy Father's address, in Italian
http://www.evangelizatio.org/portale/adgentes/pontefici/pontefice.php?id=1138
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