Yesterday, in Cuba, Pope Francis in his homily at the National Shrine of the “Virgin de la Caridad del Cobre”, spoke to the congregation exhorting the faithful to be like Mary our Mother in the Visitation!
He said “this is our greatest wealth and the best legacy we can give: to learn like Mary to leave home and set out on the path of visitation. And to learn to pray with Mary, for her prayer is one of remembrance and gratitude; it is the canticle of the People of God on their pilgrimage through history. It is the living reminder that God passes through our midst; the perennial memory that God has looked upon the lowliness of his people, he has come to the aid of his servant, even as promised to our forebears and their children for ever.
Mary was far from “thinking it was all about her”, or thinking that everyone had to come and wait upon her; she left her house and went out to serve. First she goes to help her cousin Elizabeth. The joy which blossoms when we know that God is with us, with our people, gets our heart beating, gets our legs moving and “draws us out of ourselves”.
We are asked to live the revolution of tenderness as Mary, our Mother of Charity, did. We are invited to “leave home” and to open our eyes and hearts to others.”
Read Pope Francis’ entire homily here: http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2015/documents/papa-francesco_20150922_cuba-omelia-santiago.html