Pope at Angelus: Believe as Mary believed, say ‘yes’ to God

By Isabella H. de Carvalho

On Monday, December 8, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the faithful to believe in God as the Blessed Virgin Mary did and thus give “our generous assent to the mission to which the Lord calls us”.

He spoke to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the recitation of the Angelus prayer on this feast day, where the Church celebrates how Mary, at the moment of her conception, was preserved from original sin by a unique grace from God, given in view of the future merits of Christ’s redemption.

“The ‘yes’ of the Mother of the Lord is wonderful, but so also can ours be, renewed each day faithfully, with gratitude, humility and perseverance, in prayer and in concrete acts of love, from the most extraordinary gestures to the most mundane and ordinary efforts and acts of service,” the Pope emphasized.

“In this way, Christ can be known, welcomed and loved everywhere, and salvation can come to everyone.”

The Pope leaves us free to accept what he gives us

In his address, the Pope highlighted how the Lord gave the Virgin Mary “the extraordinary grace of a completely pure heart” in light of the coming of Christ. As the Angel Gabriel greeted her by saying “Hail, full of grace: the Lord is with you,” she discovered and welcomed her mission “with the wonder typical of the humble,” the Pope continued.

“With faith she responded with her ‘yes’: ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word’,” the Pope explained, citing the Gospel of Luke, verse 38.

He emphasized how this grace was able to bear fruit in Mary “because she, in her freedom, welcomed it, embracing the plan of God.” “The Lord always acts in this way: he gives us great gifts, but he leaves us free to accept them or not,” the Pope insisted.

He, in fact, cited St. Augustine, who said “we also believe, because that which came to be [in her] can also benefit us.” Pope Leo thus encouraged the faithful to believe simply as the Blessed Virgin did and welcome whatever mission God calls one to.

The importance of our Baptism

The Pope also highlighted the importance of the sacrament of Baptism in allowing Jesus to enter one’s life: “The miracle, which took place at Mary’s conception, was renewed for us in Baptism: cleansed from original sin, we have become children of God, his dwelling place and the temple of his Spirit.”

He explained that just as Mary, “by means of a special grace,” was able to welcome Christ in herself and then bring him to others, so too the sacrament of Baptism allows Jesus “to live in us and allows us to live united with him, to cooperate in the Church, each according to his or her condition, for the transformation of the world.”

Afternoon appointment in Piazza di Spagna

After having greeted various groups present in St Peter's Square, the Pope reminded the faithful that during the afternoon, he would pay homage to the Virgin Mary at the feet of the Spanish Steps in Rome, where a statue of Our Lady stands.

Every year, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Pope crosses the city bringing a basket of flowers that he lays at the base of the column on which she is placed. Earlier in the day, a team of firemen take their own posy of flowers to the top of the 27-meter column and place it in her arms.