“Mary belongs to a great host of the humble of heart whom the official historians never include in their books, but with whom God prepared the coming of His Son”, the Pope said in today’s general audience, livestreamed from the Apostolic Library, devoted to the figure of Mary, “prayerful woman.” The Holy Virgin “did not autonomously conduct her life: she waits for God to take the reins of her path and guide her where He wants. She is docile, and with her availability she prepares the grand events in which God takes part in the world.”
“There is no better way to pray than to place oneself in an attitude of openness, of a heart open to God: “Lord, what You want, when You want, and how You want”, Francis assured, exhorting in several passages of his unwritten catechesis to pray “with a heart open to God’s will.” “How many believers live their prayer like this!”, he exclaimed: “Those who are the most humble of heart pray like this: with essential humility, with simple humility.” “They pray like this and do not get upset when problems fill their days”, Francis explained, “but they go about facing reality and knowing that in humble love, in love offered in each situation, we become instruments of God’s grace: ‘Lord, what You want, when You want, and how You want.’ A simple prayer, but one in which we place ourselves in the Lord’s hands so that He might guide us. All of us can pray like this, almost without words. A simple prayer: “Lord, what You want, when You want, and how You want.”
“We are restless, we always want things before asking for them, and we want them right away. That’s not what life is about: this restlessness harms us”,
the Pope said. Instead, prayer “knows how to calm restlessness, knows how to transform it into availability”, as the Holy Virgin teaches us: “in those few moments of the Annunciation, she knew how to reject fear, even while sensing that her ‘yes’ would bring her tremendously difficult trials.” “If in prayer we understand that each day given by God is a call, our hearts will then widen and we will accept everything”, Francis assures:
“We will learn how to say: ‘What You want, Lord. Promise me only that You will be present every step of my way.’ This is important: to ask the Lord to be present on every step of our way: that He not leave us alone, that He not abandon us in temptation, that He not abandon us in the bad moments”, as ends the Our Father prayer.
“Mary did not act like a priest. She is Jesus’ Mother.” “She is the first disciple, Mother of the Church”, she “accompanied Jesus’ entire life in prayer, right up to His death and resurrection; and in the end, she continued and she accompanied the first steps of the nascent Church.” “Praying with the nascent Church, she becomes the Mother of the Church, accompanying the disciples on the first steps of the Church”, the Pope added with unprepared remarks: “In silence, always silently. Mary’s prayer is silent. The Gospels recount only one of Mary’s prayers at Cana.” “In and of itself, Mary’s presence is prayer, and her presence among the disciples in the Upper Room, awaiting the Holy Spirit, is in prayer. Thus Mary gives birth to the Church, she is the Mother of the Church.” “Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart”, reads the Gospel of Luke depicting the Holy Virgin’s infancy. “Everything that happens around her ends up being reflected on in the depths of her heart”, the Pope remarked: “the days filled with joy, as well as the darkest moments. Whether it be the gifts of the Magi, or the flight into Egypt, until that terrible passion Friday: The Mother keeps everything and brings it to her dialogue with God.” “How beautiful it would be if we too could be a bit like our Mother!.” The Pope concluded: “With a heart open to God’s Word, with a silent heart, with an obedient heart, with a heart that knows how to receive God’s Word and that allows itself to grow with the seed of good for the Church.”
