Sun 1 Jan 2023
The Pope: Responsibility and compassion in the face of the tragedy of war
At the Angelus on the first day of the new year, Francis renewed the invocation of Mary’s intercession for peace, and “for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI”, a faithful servant of the Gospel and of the Church. He again addresses Benedict XVI, who arrived yesterday at the Father’s house, Pope Francis in his first Angelus of 2023 and asks the faithful to pray for him, imploring the Virgin Mary. He also does it by leaving a few moments of prayerful silence. He then also recalls the media coverage of the figure of the Pope emeritus. “The beginning of a new year is entrusted to Mary Most Holy, whom we celebrate today as the Mother of God. In these hours we invoke her intercession in particular for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who left this world yesterday morning. We all come together, with one heart and one soul, to give thanks to God for the gift of this faithful servant of the Gospel and of the Church.” The language of Mary Francis’ reflection focuses on Mary who “in the grotto where Jesus was born”, remains silent, “welcomes with amazement the mystery that lives, keeps everything in her heart and, above all, cares for the Child “, whom the Gospel describes as “lying in the manger”, therefore, carefully laid down. The Pope explains that these words give the idea “that Mary’s own language is that of motherhood: caring for the Child with tenderness.” “This is the greatness of Mary: while the angels celebrate, the shepherds come and all praise God aloud for the event that has happened, Mary does not speak, she does not entertain the guests explaining what has happened to her, she does not steal the show; on the contrary, she puts the Child in the center, caring for him with love ”. Francis quotes the poet Alda Merini to better understand Mary’s attitude: “She also knew how to keep solemnly silent, […] because she did not want to lose sight of her God”. She reiterates that “the typical language of motherhood is the tenderness of care”, this is what mothers express after giving birth by putting “their babies at the center of all their attention “, feeding them, holding them in his arms, laying them down “gently in the cradle”. Learning to care for creation and those in need And care is also the language of the Mother of God, continues the Pope, who, “like all mothers”, carrying life in her womb, “speaks to us about our future”, urging us, “if we really want the new year to be good, if we want to rebuild hope”, to “leave language, gestures and options inspired by selfishness and learn the language of love, which is care. In other words, care is a new language, which goes against these languages of selfishness”. ; care for creation and the environment in which we live; and, even more, care for our neighbor, for those whom the Lord has placed by our side, as well as for our brothers and sisters who are in need and demand our attention and Compassion Looking at the Virgin with the Child there, taking care of the Child, we learn to take care of others, including ourselves, taking care of our inner health, our spiritual life, our charity”. In the face of the tragedy of war, responsibility and compassion Finally, Francis, recalling that today is the World Day of Peace, recommends recovering “awareness of the responsibility entrusted to us to build the future. “In the face of the personal and social crises we are experiencing, in the face of the tragedy of war, ‘we are called to face the challenges of our world with responsibility and compassion. And we can do it if we take care of each other and, all together, we take care of our common home”. And concluding his Marian meditation, the Pope exhorts us once again to pray to Our Lady and ask her for help to know how to look at our neighbor with love. “We implore Mary Most Holy, Mother of God, that in this age contaminated by distrust and indifference, make us capable of compassion and care, capable of being moved and stopping before the other, as many times as necessary” Source: Vatican News DOWNLOAD MESSAGE 56th World Day of Peace