Pope: power and money will be overcome by love, this is Mary's prophecy
On the Solemnity of the Assumption Francis describes the Magnificat as the "song of hope." The invitation not to be "trapped by pessimism but, like the Virgin, to glimpse the work of God who, through meekness and smallness, accomplishes great things." The invitation to the faithful to visit a Marian shrine to pray for peace.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The Magnificat is a great "gift to the world," a "song of hope" that asks us not to allow ourselves to be trapped in pessimism about history, reflected Pope Francis today as he addressed the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square for the Angelus prayer.
Commenting on the famous prayer proposed today by the liturgy on the Solemnity of the Assumption, the pontiff dwelt in particular on its account of God's work in history, when Mary states that "he has overthrown the mighty from their thrones, raised up the lowly, filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich back empty-handed" (Lk. 1:52-53).
"Listening to these words," Francis noted, "we might ask ourselves, is the Virgin not exaggerating a bit, describing a world that is not there? In fact, what she says does not seem to correspond to reality; while she is speaking, the powerful of the time have not been overthrown: the fearsome Herod, for example, stands firm on his throne. And the poor and hungry also remain so, while the rich continue to prosper."
Mary, Francis continued, "does not want to chronicle the events of the time, she is not a journalist, but to tell us something much more important: that God, through her, has inaugurated a historical turning point, has definitively established a new order of things. She, small and humble, has been lifted up and brought to the glory of Heaven, while the mighty ones of the world are destined to remain empty-handed."
In the Magnificat, then, Our Lady anticipates that "reversal of values" that Jesus will announce "when he proclaims blessed the poor and humble and warns the rich and those who rely on their own self-sufficiency. With this prayer she prophesies that it is not power, success and money that prevail, but service, humility and love. Looking at her in glory, we understand that true power is service and that to reign means to love."
Hence the pope's invitation to ask ourselves whether this new logic announced by Mary really touches our lives, "Do I believe that to love is to reign and to serve is power? Do I believe that the goal of my living is Heaven, Paradise? Or am I only concerned with earthly, material things? Still, observing the events of the world, do I let myself be trapped by pessimism or, like the Virgin, do I know how to glimpse the work of God who, through meekness and littleness, accomplishes great things?"
He concluded, "Mary sings of hope today and rekindles hope in us. She shows us that Heaven is within our reach if we too do not give in to sin, praise God in humility and serve others with generosity. She takes us by the hand, leads us to glory, invites us to rejoice as we think of heaven. Let us bless Mary with our prayer and ask her for a prophetic gaze, capable of glimpsing Heaven on earth."
At the end of the Angelus Pope Francis addressed a thought to those who also these days cannot afford a period of relaxation or are ill. He expressed his "gratitude to those who ensure indispensable services for the community."
Finally, he invited those who have the opportunity on this day to visit a Marian shrine. "Let us continue to invoke Our Lady's intercession," he said, "so that God may give peace to the world and in particular to the Ukrainian people.
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10/02/2020 14:31
