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Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God, in the Jubilee of Mercy 2016

Pope Francis's Homily
at the first Vespers of the Solemnity & Te Deum in thanksgiving for the past year
St Peter's Basilica, Thursday 31 December 2015 - in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

"Our gathering together to give praise to the Lord at the end of the year is full of significance!

On many occasions the Church feels the joy and the duty to raise her song to God with these words of praise, words which have accompanied her on this earthly pilgrimage since the fourth century. It is the joy of thanksgiving that emanates almost spontaneously from our prayer, by recognizing the loving presence of God throughout the course of our history. As often happens, however, we feel that for prayer one voice alone is not enough. It needs to be reinforced with the company of all the People of God, who in unison make their song of thanksgiving heard. This is why in the Te Deum we ask the Angels, the Prophets and all of creation for their help in giving praise to the Lord. In this hymn we trace the history of salvation where, through God’s mysterious plan, there is also a place for the summation of the various events in the our lives this past year.

In this Jubilee Year there is a special resonance in the final words of the Church’s hymn: “Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee”. The accompaniment of mercy is light so as to better understand what we have experienced, and the hope which accompanies us at the beginning of a new year.

Retracing the days of the past year may happen either by remembering facts and events that bring back moments of joy and sorrow, or by seeking to understand whether we have perceived the presence of God who renews and sustains all things with his help. We are called upon to ascertain whether the course of world events has been carried out according to God’s will, or whether we have primarily heeded the plans of man, often rife with private interests, an insatiable thirst for power, and gratuitous violence.

Today, however, our eyes need to be focused in a particular way on the signs that God has conveyed to us, so as to physically touch the strength of his merciful love. We cannot forget that many days have been marked by violence, death, the unspeakable suffering of many innocent people, of refugees forced to leave their homeland, by men, women and children without stable shelter, food and sustenance. Yet, many great gestures of goodness, love and solidarity have filled the days of this year, even if they did not become television news. Good things do not make headlines. These signs of love cannot and must not be obscured by the contempt of evil. Goodness always wins, even if in certain moments it seems weaker and obscure.

Our city of Rome is not unfamiliar with this worldwide condition. With all my heart I would like to invite all of its inhabitants to move beyond the difficulties of the present time. May the commitment to recover the fundamental values of service, honesty and solidarity allow the serious uncertainties that have dominated the stage this year to be overcome; such uncertainties are symptoms of a poor sense of dedication to the common good. May a positive supply of Christian witness never be lacking, so as to allow Rome, in line with its history, and with the maternal intercession of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, to be a privileged exponent of faith, welcome, fraternity and peace.

“You are God: we praise you.... In you, Lord, is our hope: And we shall never hope in vain”."

Papa Francisco's Homily at Holy Mass in the Jubilee of Mercy
on the Solemnity of Mary, Most Holy Mother of God & XLIX World Day of Peace
St Peter's Basilica, Friday 1 January 2016 - in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

"We have heard the words of the Apostle Paul: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman” (Gal 4, 4).

What does it mean to say that Jesus was born in “the fullness of time”? If we consider that particular moment of history, we might quickly be deluded. Rome had subjugated a great part of the known world by her military might. The Emperor Augustus had come to power after five civil wars. Israel itself had been conquered by the Roman Empire and the Chosen People had lost their freedom. For Jesus’ contemporaries, it was certainly not the best of times. To define the fullness of time, then, we should not look to the geopolitical sphere.

Another interpretation is needed, one which views that fullness from God’s standpoint. It is when God decided that the time had come to fulfil his promise, that the fullness of time came for humanity. History does not determine the birth of Christ; rather, his coming into the world enables history to attain its fullness. For this reason, the birth of the Son of God inaugurates a new era, a new computation of time, the era which witnesses the fulfilment of the ancient promise. As the author of the Letter to the Hebrews writes: “God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the world. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word” (1, 1-3). The fullness of time, then, is the presence of God himself in our history. Now we can see his glory, which shines forth in the poverty of a stable; we can be encouraged and sustained by his Word, made “little” in a baby. Thanks to him, our time can find its fullness. The use of our personal time can also find its fullness in the encounter with Jesus Christ, God made man.

Nonetheless, this mystery constantly clashes with the dramatic experience of human history. Each day, as we seek to be sustained by the signs of God’s presence, we encounter new signs to the contrary, negative signs which tend to make us think instead that He is absent. The fullness of time seems to fade before the countless forms of injustice and violence which daily wound our human family. Sometimes we ask ourselves how it is possible that human injustice persists unabated, and that the arrogance of the powerful continues to demean the weak, relegating them to the most squalid outskirts of our world. We ask how long human evil will continue to sow violence and hatred in our world, reaping innocent victims. How can the fullness of time have come when we are witnessing hordes of men, women and children fleeing war, hunger and persecution, ready to risk their lives simply to encounter respect for their fundamental rights? A torrent of misery, swollen by sin, seems to contradict the fullness of time brought by Christ. Remember, dear pueri cantores, this was the third question you asked me yesterday: how do we explain this… even children are aware of this.

And yet this swollen torrent is powerless before the ocean of mercy which floods our world. All of us are called to immerse ourselves in this ocean, to let ourselves be reborn, to overcome the indifference which blocks solidarity, and to leave behind the false neutrality which prevents sharing. The grace of Christ, which brings our hope of salvation to fulfilment, leads us to cooperate with Him in building an ever more just and fraternal world, a world in which every person and every creature can dwell in peace, in the harmony of God’s original creation.

At the beginning of a new year, the Church invites us to contemplate Mary’s divine maternity as an icon of peace. The ancient promise finds fulfilment in her person. She believed in the words of the angel, conceived her Son and thus became the Mother of the Lord. Through her, through her “yes”, the fullness of time came about. The Gospel we have just heard tells us that the Virgin Mary “treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart” (Lk 2, 19). She appears to us as a vessel filled to the brim with the memory of Jesus, as the Seat of Wisdom to whom we can have recourse to understand his teaching aright. Today Mary makes it possible for us to grasp the meaning of events which affect us personally, events which also affect our families, our countries and the entire world. Where philosophical reason and political negotiation cannot arrive, there the power of faith, which brings the grace of Christ’s Gospel, can arrive, opening ever new pathways to reason and to negotiation.

Blessed are you, Mary, for you gave the Son of God to our world.  But even more blessed are you for having believed in him.  Full of faith, you conceived Jesus first in your heart and then in your womb, and thus became the Mother of all believers (cf St Augustine, Sermo 215,4). Send us, O Mother, your blessing on this day consecrated to your honour. Show us the face of Jesus your Son, who bestows upon the entire world mercy and peace. Amen."

Papa Francesco's words at the Angelus
St Peter's Square, Friday 1 January 2016 - in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

"Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning and happy New Year!
At the beginning of the year it is beautiful to exchange good wishes. In this way we renew for one another the hope that the year which awaits us may be somewhat better. It is fundamentally a sign of the hope that enlivens us and invites us to believe in life. We know, however, that with the new year, everything will not change, and that many of yesterday’s problems will still be here tomorrow. Thus I would like to express to you a wish supported by real hope, which I have drawn from today’s liturgy.

They are the words by which the Lord himself asked that his people be blessed: “The Lord make his face to shine upon you.... The Lord lift up his countenance upon you” (Num 6, 25-26). I too wish you this: that the Lord lay his gaze upon you and that you may rejoice, knowing that each day his merciful face, more radiant than the sun, shines upon you and never sets! Discovering the face of God makes life new. Because he is a Father enamoured with man, who never tires of starting with us all over again in order to renew us. The Lord is patient with us! He never tires of starting over again each time we fall. However, the Lord does not promise magical changes, He does not use a magic wand. He loves changing reality from within, with patience and love; he asks to enter our life gently, like rain on the ground, in order to then bear fruit. Always, he awaits us and looks at us with tenderness. Each morning, upon awakening, we can say: “Today the Lord makes his face shine upon me”. A beautiful prayer, which is a reality.

The biblical benediction continues in this way: “[The Lord] give you peace” (v 26). Today we celebrate the World Day of Peace, whose theme is: “Overcome Indifference and Win Peace”. Peace, which God the Father wants to sow in the world, must be cultivated by us. Not only this, but it must also be “won”. This leads to a real struggle, a spiritual battle that takes place in our hearts. Because the enemy of peace is not only war, but also indifference, which makes us think only of ourselves and creates barriers, suspicions, fears and closure. These things are enemies of peace. We have, thanks be to God, a great deal of information; but at times we are so overwhelmed by facts that we become distracted from reality, from the brother and sister who need us. Let us begin this year by opening our heart and calling attention to neighbours, to those who are near. This is the way to win peace.

May the Queen of Peace, the Mother of God, whose solemnity we celebrate today, help us with this. Today’s Gospel states that she “kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk 2, 19). Hopes and worries, gratitude and problems: all that happened in life became in Mary’s heart a prayer, a dialogue with God. She does this with us as well: she safeguards the joys and unties the knots of our life, taking them to the Lord.

This afternoon I will go to the Basilica of St Mary Major, for the opening of the Holy Door. Let us entrust the new year to the Mother, that peace and mercy may grow."


After the Angelus:

Dear brothers and sisters, I would like to thank the President of the Italian Republic for the wishes he expressed to me last evening in his Year end Message, and which I wholeheartedly reciprocate.

I express gratitude for the numerous prayer initiatives and actions for peace organized in every part of the world on the occasion of the World Day of Peace. I think in particular of the national march that took place yesterday in Molfetta, sponsored by the CEI, Caritas, Pax Christi and Catholic Action; it is wonderful to know that so many people, especially young people, chose this way to spend New Year. I affectionately greet those attending the “Peace in all Lands” demonstration, promoted in Rome and in many countries by the Community of Sant’Egidio. Dear friends, I encourage you to go forward in your commitment to reconciliation and concord. I greet the families of the Family Love Movement, who held vigil last night in St Peter’s Square, praying for peace and unity in the families of the world. Thanks to everyone for these beautiful initiatives and for your prayers.

I address a warm greeting to all of you, dear pilgrims, present here. A special thought goes to the Sternsinger [Star Singers], children in Germany and Austria who bring Jesus’ blessing to homes and collect offerings for their poor peers.

I wish to all a year of peace in the Lord’s grace, enriched by mercy, and with the maternal protection of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. Do not forget, in the morning when you awake, remember that part of the blessing of God: “Today the Lord makes his face shine upon me”. Everyone! “Today the Lord makes his face shine upon me!” Once again! “Today the Lord makes his face shine upon me.”

Happy New Year. Enjoy your lunch, and do not forget to pray for me. Arrivederci!"

Pope Francis's Homily at Holy Mass on Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
and the opening of the Holy Door in the Basilica of St Mary Major
Friday 1 January 2016 - in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Portuguese & Spanish

"Salve, Mater Misericordiae!
With this invocation we turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Roman Basilica dedicated to her under the title of Mother of God. It is the first line of an ancient hymn which we will sing at the conclusion of this Holy Eucharist. Composed by an unknown author, it has come down to us as a heartfelt prayer spontaneously rising up from the hearts of the faithful: “Hail Mother of mercy, Mother of God, Mother of forgiveness, Mother of hope, Mother of grace and Mother full of holy gladness”. In these few words we find a summary of the faith of generations of men and women who, with their eyes fixed firmly on the icon of the Blessed Virgin, have sought her intercession and consolation.

It is most fitting that on this day we invoke the Blessed Virgin Mary above all as Mother of mercy. The door we have opened is, in fact, a Door of Mercy. Those who cross its threshold are called to enter into the merciful love of the Father with complete trust and freedom from fear; they can leave this Basilica knowing – truly knowing – that Mary is ever at their side. She is the Mother of mercy, because she bore in her womb the very Face of divine mercy, Jesus, Emmanuel, the Expectation of the nations, the “Prince of Peace” (Is 9, 5). The Son of God, made incarnate for our salvation, has given us his Mother, who joins us on our pilgrimage through this life, so that we may never be left alone, especially at times of trouble and uncertainty.

Mary is the Mother of God, she is the Mother of God who forgives, who bestows forgiveness, and so we can rightly call her Mother of forgiveness. This word – “forgiveness” – so misunderstood in today’s world, points to the new and original fruit of Christian faith. A person unable to forgive has not yet known the fullness of love. Only one who truly loves is able to forgive and forget. At the foot of the Cross, Mary sees her Son offer himself totally, showing us what it means to love as God loves. At that moment she heard Jesus utter words which probably reflected what he had learned from her as a child: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23, 24). At that moment, Mary became for all of us the Mother of forgiveness. Following Jesus’ example and by his grace, she herself could forgive those who killed her innocent Son.

For us, Mary is an icon of how the Church must offer forgiveness to those who seek it. The Mother of forgiveness teaches the Church that the forgiveness granted on Golgotha knows no limits. Neither the law with its quibbles, nor the wisdom of this world with its distinctions, can hold it back. The Church’s forgiveness must be every bit as broad as that offered by Jesus on the Cross and by Mary at his feet. There is no other way. It is for this purpose that the Holy Spirit made the Apostles the effective ministers of forgiveness, so what was obtained by the death of Jesus may reach all men and women in every age (cf Jn 20, 19-23).

The Marian hymn continues: “Mother of hope and Mother of grace, Mother of holy gladness”. Hope, grace and holy gladness are all sisters: they are the gift of Christ; indeed, they are so many names written on his body. The gift that Mary bestows in offering us Jesus is the forgiveness which renews life, enables us once more to do God’s will and fills us with true happiness. This grace frees the heart to look to the future with the joy born of hope. This is the teaching of the Psalm: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. […] Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (51, 10,12). The power of forgiveness is the true antidote to the sadness caused by resentment and vengeance. Forgiveness leads to joy and serenity because it frees the heart from thoughts of death, whereas resentment and vengeance trouble the mind and wound the heart, robbing it of rest and peace. What horrible things are resentment and vengeance.

Let us, then, pass through the Holy Door of Mercy knowing that at our side is the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Mother of God, who intercedes for us. Let us allow her to lead us to the rediscovery of the beauty of an encounter with her Son Jesus. Let us open wide the doors of our heart to the joy of forgiveness, conscious that we have been given new confidence and hope, and thus make our daily lives a humble instrument of God’s love.

And with the love and affection of children, let us cry out to Our Lady as did the faithful people of God in Ephesus during the historic Council: “Holy Mother of God!” I invite you to repeat together this acclamation three times, aloud and with all your heart and with all your love: “Holy Mother of God! Holy Mother of God! Holy Mother of God!”"