On Sunday, December 22, 2024, Pope Francis led the Angelus from the Casa Santa Marta. He apologized to the faithful for not being with them in the square, but mentioned that his health is improving and that precautionary measures must be taken.
Commenting on the Sunday Gospel, he highlighted how today’s reading presents two mothers who are carrying and expecting children, rejoicing in the miraculous gift of motherhood. There’s Mary, expecting Jesus, the Savior of the world, and Elizabeth, who despite her advanced age, carries John, who will prepare the way for the Messiah.
Pope Francis says that these miraculous signs of God’s salvific action should help us understand His presence, His love, and His closeness to us.
Speaking about mothers, especially those who are expecting, Pope Francis urges us not to remain indifferent to their presence. He encourages us to appreciate their beauty as Elizabeth and Mary did, celebrating the beauty of expectant mothers. The Pope calls on us to bless mothers and the miracle of life, sharing anecdotes from his own life that demonstrate this admiration for pregnant women:
“I used to like, because now I cannot do it – when I used to take the bus, in the other diocese, when an expectant mother got on the bus, I would immediately offer her my seat: it is a gesture of hope and respect!”
Pope Francis concluded by encouraging the gathered faithful to reflect on these questions:
“Do I thank the Lord because He made Himself a man like us, to share in all of our existence, apart from sin? Do I praise the Lord and bless Him for every child who is born? When I encounter an expectant mother, am I kind to her? Do I support and defend the sacred value of life from the moment of conception in the womb?”
