Vatican City, August 15, 2024 / 09:31 a.m.

During his Angelus address for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, Pope Francis reminded Catholics that the Blessed Virgin Mary always goes before us on our journey.

Referring to the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, which describes the encounter between the Virgin Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, the Pope reminded pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square that the Mother of God is not a “motionless wax statue” but a “woman on the move, following Jesus as a disciple of the Kingdom.”

“In her we see a sister with worn-out sandals and with so much weariness in her veins because she followed the Lord, met brothers and sisters and ended her journey in the glory of heaven,” said the Holy Father.

The Pope said that Mary, the young woman from Nazareth, is a model for all Christians who share her desire to proclaim the joy of Jesus Christ to those around us.

“This expression from the Gospel is beautiful: ‘Mary set out and went’ (Lk 1:39). This means that Mary does not consider the message she received from the angel as a privilege, but on the contrary leaves her home and sets off in haste,” he said.

In his address, Pope Francis also stressed that the life of every person on earth is a continuous journey towards the definitive encounter with God. We are not alone in this journey, but are accompanied by the Mother of God, who ended her earthly pilgrimage with her Assumption into Heaven, where she “enjoys the joy of eternal life together with her Son forever”.

“The Blessed Virgin is the one who goes before us on the journey and reminds us all that our life too is a continuous journey towards the horizon of the definitive encounter with the Lord,” he said.

“For this reason, the Blessed Virgin can help us on our journey to the Lord,” the Pope added.

After praying the Angelus in Latin with groups of pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis prayed for those suffering from violence around the world, especially in Ukraine, the Middle East, Palestine, Israel, Sudan and Myanmar.

The Holy Father reiterated his appeal to world leaders to pursue the path of peace in negotiations and to bring an immediate end to the conflicts that are causing so much destruction and suffering to vulnerable communities.

“I continue to follow with concern the very serious humanitarian situation in Gaza and reiterate my call for a ceasefire on all fronts, the release of the hostages and assistance for the exhausted population,” the Pope insisted.

“I encourage everyone to do everything possible to prevent an escalation of the conflict and to pursue negotiation paths so that this tragedy can soon end!”

The Holy Father also expressed his special closeness to the victims of the forest fires in Greece on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and prayed for the solidarity of the affected communities so that they can support one another in this time of tragedy.