Today's General Audience began at 10:00am in the Paul VI Hall, where the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with groups of pilgrims and the faithful who had come from various parts of Italy and from all corners of the world.
In his catechesis, the Pope continued his teachings on the family, concentrating today on the role of mothers in society and in the Church.
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father addressed greetings to each of the groups of pilgrims that were present today.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, we continue with the catechesis on the Church and we will reflect on Mother Church. The Church is a Mother, our Holy Mother, the Church.
In these days, the liturgy of the Church has placed before our eyes the icon of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God. The first day of the year is the feast of the Mother of God, which is followed by the Epiphany, recalling the visit of the Magi. The evangelist Matthew writes: and going into the house they saw the child with Mary, his Mother, and they fell down and worshipped him (Matthew 2:11). It is the Mother who, after having given birth to him, presents the Son to the world. She gives us Jesus, she shows us Jesus, she makes us see Jesus.
We continue with the catechesis on the family and, in the family is the mother. Every human person owes his life to a mother, and almost always owes her much of his subsequent existence, his human and spiritual formation. A mother, however, though being much exalted from the symbolic point of view – there are so many poems, so many beautiful things that are said poetically about a mother – is seldom listened to and seldom helped in daily life, seldom considered in her central role in society. In fact, advantage is often taken of mothers’ willingness to sacrifice themselves for their children to save social expenses.
It also happens in the Christian community that the mother is not regarded justly, that she is seldom listened to. Yet, at the centre of the life of the Church is the Mother of Jesus. Perhaps mothers, ready for so many sacrifices for their children - and not rarely also for those of others - should be listened to more often. We need to better understand their daily struggle to be efficient in their work and attentive and affectionate in the family; we need to better appreciate what they aspire to express, the best and most authentic fruits of their emancipation. A mother always has problems with her children, always has work to do. I remember at home – we were five children – and while one did one thing, another thought of doing something else, and our poor mother went from one to the other, but she was happy. She gave us so much.
Mothers are the strongest antidote to the spread of egotistical individualism. Individual means that which cannot be divided. Mothers, instead, divide themselves, from the moment they bear a child in order to give him to the world and make him grow. It is they, the mothers, who first and foremost hate wars that kill their sons. I have thought so many times about those mothers who receive the letter: I regret to inform you that your son fell in defence of your homeland … Poor women! How mothers suffer! They are the ones who bear witness to the beauty of life.
Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero said that mothers live a maternal martyrdom. In the homily for the funeral of a priest killed by death squads, he said, echoing Vatican Council II: We must all be ready to die for our faith, even if the Lord does not grant us this honour … to give one’s life does not only mean to be killed; to give one’s life, to have the spirit of martyrdom, is to give in duty, in silence, in prayer, in the honest fulfillment of one’s duty; in the silence of daily life; to give one’s life little by little. Yes, as a mother gives it who, without fear, with the simplicity of maternal martyrdom, conceives a child in her womb, brings him to life, nurses him, helps him grow and attends to him with affection. This is what it means to give one’s life. This is martyrdom. The quotation ends there. Yes, to be a mother does not mean only to bring a child into the world, but it is also a choice for life. What does a mother choose, what is a mother’s choice for life? A mother’s choice for life is the choice to give life, and this is great, this is beautiful.
A society without mothers would be an inhuman society, because mothers are always able to witness, even in the worst moments, tenderness, dedication and moral strength. Mothers also often transmit the most profound meaning of religious practice. The value of the faith is inscribed in the life of a human being in the first prayers, in the first gestures of devotion that a child learns. It is a message that believing mothers are able to transmit without explanations: these will come later, but the seed of the faith is in those first, most precious moments - and the Church is a Mother, with all this, she is our Mother! We are not orphans; we have a Mother! Our Lady, the Mother of the Church, is our Mother. We are not orphans; we are children of the Church, we are children of Our Lady, and we are children of our mothers.
Dearest mothers, thank you; thank you for what you are in the family and for what you give to the Church and to the world. And to you, beloved Church, thank you, thank you for being a Mother. And to you, Mary, Mother of God, thank you for helping us see Jesus. And thank you to all the mothers here present: we greet them with our applause!
The Holy Father's meditation was then summarized in various languages, and the Pope greeted those present at the Audience with particular words of welcome. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including the various groups from Ireland, Finland, Indonesia, Australia and the United States of America. In the joy of this Christmas season, I invoke upon you and your families grace and peace in the Lord Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary, our Mother. God bless you all!
In his catechesis, the Pope continued his teachings on the family, concentrating today on the role of mothers in society and in the Church.
After having summarized his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father addressed greetings to each of the groups of pilgrims that were present today.
The General Audience concluded with the chanting of the Pater Noster and the imparting of the Apostolic Blessing.
Catechesis of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the General Audience
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
Today, we continue with the catechesis on the Church and we will reflect on Mother Church. The Church is a Mother, our Holy Mother, the Church.
In these days, the liturgy of the Church has placed before our eyes the icon of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God. The first day of the year is the feast of the Mother of God, which is followed by the Epiphany, recalling the visit of the Magi. The evangelist Matthew writes: and going into the house they saw the child with Mary, his Mother, and they fell down and worshipped him (Matthew 2:11). It is the Mother who, after having given birth to him, presents the Son to the world. She gives us Jesus, she shows us Jesus, she makes us see Jesus.
We continue with the catechesis on the family and, in the family is the mother. Every human person owes his life to a mother, and almost always owes her much of his subsequent existence, his human and spiritual formation. A mother, however, though being much exalted from the symbolic point of view – there are so many poems, so many beautiful things that are said poetically about a mother – is seldom listened to and seldom helped in daily life, seldom considered in her central role in society. In fact, advantage is often taken of mothers’ willingness to sacrifice themselves for their children to save social expenses.
It also happens in the Christian community that the mother is not regarded justly, that she is seldom listened to. Yet, at the centre of the life of the Church is the Mother of Jesus. Perhaps mothers, ready for so many sacrifices for their children - and not rarely also for those of others - should be listened to more often. We need to better understand their daily struggle to be efficient in their work and attentive and affectionate in the family; we need to better appreciate what they aspire to express, the best and most authentic fruits of their emancipation. A mother always has problems with her children, always has work to do. I remember at home – we were five children – and while one did one thing, another thought of doing something else, and our poor mother went from one to the other, but she was happy. She gave us so much.
Mothers are the strongest antidote to the spread of egotistical individualism. Individual means that which cannot be divided. Mothers, instead, divide themselves, from the moment they bear a child in order to give him to the world and make him grow. It is they, the mothers, who first and foremost hate wars that kill their sons. I have thought so many times about those mothers who receive the letter: I regret to inform you that your son fell in defence of your homeland … Poor women! How mothers suffer! They are the ones who bear witness to the beauty of life.
Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero said that mothers live a maternal martyrdom. In the homily for the funeral of a priest killed by death squads, he said, echoing Vatican Council II: We must all be ready to die for our faith, even if the Lord does not grant us this honour … to give one’s life does not only mean to be killed; to give one’s life, to have the spirit of martyrdom, is to give in duty, in silence, in prayer, in the honest fulfillment of one’s duty; in the silence of daily life; to give one’s life little by little. Yes, as a mother gives it who, without fear, with the simplicity of maternal martyrdom, conceives a child in her womb, brings him to life, nurses him, helps him grow and attends to him with affection. This is what it means to give one’s life. This is martyrdom. The quotation ends there. Yes, to be a mother does not mean only to bring a child into the world, but it is also a choice for life. What does a mother choose, what is a mother’s choice for life? A mother’s choice for life is the choice to give life, and this is great, this is beautiful.
A society without mothers would be an inhuman society, because mothers are always able to witness, even in the worst moments, tenderness, dedication and moral strength. Mothers also often transmit the most profound meaning of religious practice. The value of the faith is inscribed in the life of a human being in the first prayers, in the first gestures of devotion that a child learns. It is a message that believing mothers are able to transmit without explanations: these will come later, but the seed of the faith is in those first, most precious moments - and the Church is a Mother, with all this, she is our Mother! We are not orphans; we have a Mother! Our Lady, the Mother of the Church, is our Mother. We are not orphans; we are children of the Church, we are children of Our Lady, and we are children of our mothers.
Dearest mothers, thank you; thank you for what you are in the family and for what you give to the Church and to the world. And to you, beloved Church, thank you, thank you for being a Mother. And to you, Mary, Mother of God, thank you for helping us see Jesus. And thank you to all the mothers here present: we greet them with our applause!
The Holy Father's meditation was then summarized in various languages, and the Pope greeted those present at the Audience with particular words of welcome. To English-speaking pilgrims, he said:
I greet the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors taking part in today’s Audience, including the various groups from Ireland, Finland, Indonesia, Australia and the United States of America. In the joy of this Christmas season, I invoke upon you and your families grace and peace in the Lord Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary, our Mother. God bless you all!
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