Pope Francis: Mary, appears in the Gospel at crucial moments. It was the voice of God that guided her heart and her steps where His presence was needed.
Pope Francis: Pray as Mary did, with an open heart.
"There is no better way to pray than like Mary, who opened her heart to God with humility and trust There is no better way to pray than to put oneself like Mary in an attitude of openness with a heart open to God," this is how Pope Francis expressed it in a message offered during his weekly general audience, which was transmitted live from the library of the Apostolic Palace.
Continuing his series of talks on prayer, Pope Francis reflected on Mary as a model of prayer.
When we speak with God in prayer "it is to put our life in the hands of the Lord, that he may guide us. We can all pray like that, almost without words," said the Pope.
Mary did not orchestrate her life in an autonomous way, said Pope Francis. "She hopes that God will take the reins of her path and guide her wherever she wants to go."
By being docile and willing to be God´s instrument, she prepares the way for "the great events in which God participates in the world," said Pope Francis.
"There is no better way to pray than to put ourselves like Mary in an attitude of openness with a heart open to God", said. "Lord, whatever you want, whenever you want and however you want," said Pope Francis
Those whose lives are inspired by such a prayerful attitude, the Pope said, "do not bother when their days are full of problems," but face reality knowing that if they offer themselves with humble love, "we become instruments of God´s grace.
Pope Francis expressed that "when the angel Gabriel told Mary God´s plan for her, Mary knew how to reject fear, even feeling that her YES would bring tremendously difficult trials. If in prayer we understand that each day given by God is a call, our hearts will widen, and we will accept everything.
People should also pray that the Lord be present at every step of the way, "so that he does not leave us alone, so that he does not abandon us to temptation, so that he does not abandon us in terrible moments," said the Pope.
Mary not only accompanied the whole life of Jesus in prayer, until his death and resurrection, but also accompanied the first steps of the church, praying with "the men and women that her son had called to form his community," said Pope Francis.
"Mary is not a priest among them. She is the mother of Jesus who prays with them in community, as one of the community; she prays with them and for them," said the Pope.
With respect to Mary, Pope Francis stated that "she not only became the mother of God, she also became the mother of the Church by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Her "natural feminine intuition is exalted by her unique union with God in prayer," said Pope Francis. "That is why, reading the Gospel, we notice that she seems to disappear at times, only to reappear at crucial moments: it was the voice of God that guided her heart and her steps where His presence was needed," said the Holy Father.
Pope Francis concluded his catechesis by recalling how Mary´s heart has been compared to a pearl of incomparable splendor, formed and softened by the patient acceptance of God´s will through the mysteries of Jesus meditated upon in prayer. "How beautiful it would be if we too could be a little like our Mother with an open heart to the Word of God, with a silent and obedient heart that lets the word of God grow," said Pope Francis in conclusion.
Pope Francis and Mary´s prayer.
[Source of the video: Vatican News]. Video summary of the catechesis of Pope Francis in general audience in his speech on the Virgin Mary and the prayer in which he teaches us to follow his example to pray with the heart.
Qriswell Quero, Venezuelan, faithful husband and father of a family. Electronic engineer and missionary of the faith. Committed to the proclamation of the Gospel. Solid believer that there are always new beginnings. Whoever has God has nothing to stop him.
