Pope Francis: Mary goes before us on the journey of life

Pope Francis waves to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for his Angelus address on the solemnity of the Assumption on Aug. 15, 2024. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Aug 15, 2024 / 09:31 am (CNA).

During his Angelus address on the solemnity of the Assumption, Pope Francis reminded Catholics that the Blessed Virgin Mary always “goes before us on the journey.”

Reflecting on the first chapter of the Gospel St. Luke, which recounts the encounter between the Virgin Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, the pope reminded pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square that the Mother of God is not a “motionless wax statue” but a “woman on the move following Jesus as a disciple of the kingdom.”

“In her we can see a sister with worn-out sandals and with so much weariness in her veins for having followed the Lord and meeting brothers and sisters, concluding her journey in the glory of heaven,” the Holy Father contemplated.

The pope said Mary, the young woman from Nazareth, is an example for all Christians who share her same desire to announce the joy of Jesus Christ with those around us.

“This expression of the Gospel is beautiful: “Mary set out and went (Lk 1:39). It means that Mary does not consider the news that she received from the angel as a privilege but, on the contrary, she leaves home and sets out with haste,” he said.    

During his address, Pope Francis also emphasized the reality that each person’s life on earth is a continuous journey toward the final encounter with God, in which we are not alone but accompanied by the Mother of God, who ended her earthly pilgrimage with her Assumption into heaven, where “together with her Son, she enjoys the joy of eternal life forever.”

“The Blessed Virgin is she who goes before us on the journey, reminding us all that our life is also a continuous journey toward the horizon of the final encounter with the Lord,” he said. 

“For this reason, the Blessed Virgin can help us on our journey toward the Lord,” the pope added.

After praying the Angelus in Latin together with groups of pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis prayed for people suffering violence throughout the world, particularly for those in Ukraine, the Middle East, Palestine, Israel, Sudan, and Myanmar.

The Holy Father again renewed his call for world leaders to pursue the path of peace in negotiations and immediately end conflicts causing so much destruction and hardship for vulnerable communities. 

“I continue to follow with concern the very serious humanitarian situation in Gaza, and I call once again for a cease-fire on all fronts, for the release of hostages, and for aid to the exhausted population,” the pope insisted.

“I encourage everyone to make every effort to ensure that the conflict does not escalate and to pursue paths of negotiation so that this tragedy ends soon!” 

The Holy Father also expressed his particular closeness to the victims of wildfires in Greece on the feast of the Assumption and prayed for the solidarity of the affected communities to support one another during this time of tragedy.