Mary at La Salette, Mother of Evangelization

Pope Francis, author of his recent Apostolic Exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel)”.

Many people are, no doubt, well familiar with the warmth of Pope Francis. He is such a genuinely approachable person as witnessed in his visit to the World Youth Conference in Brazil, in his weekly audiences in St. Peter’s Square and his surprising telephone call to various needy individuals around the world.

In keeping with his personable attitudes, his personal Marian spirituality comes through in the conclusion of his recent Apostolic Exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel)”. In fact, if you listen well to his insights, you will hear echoes of Mary’s apparition at La Salette and her call to make the message of her Son known to all her people.

The Pope begins by placing Mary in the midst of her people, present among the disciples in the upper room when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:14). In fact, he says: “She is the Mother of the Church which evangelizes, and without her we could never truly understand the spirit of the new evangelization.”

Mary – Jesus’ Gift To His People

Giovanni Battista Langetti’s Mary Magdalene at the Foot of the Cross

In the famous passage used as the gospel of the La Salette Mass (John 19:26-27), Pope Francis describes that “(Jesus) could feel at his feet the consoling presence of his mother and his friend.” Although the words “Woman, here is your son” and “Here is your mother” are often heard as expressions of concern for his mother, Pope Francis hears them primarily as reminders that “Jesus left us his mother to be our mother. At the foot of the cross, at the supreme hour of the new creation, Christ led us to Mary. He brought us to her because he did not want us to journey without a mother…”

He adds: “She is the friend who is ever concerned that wine not be lacking in our lives. She is the woman whose heart was pierced by a sword and who understands all our pain… As a true mother, she walks at our side, she shares our struggles and she constantly surrounds us with God’s love.”

Likewise Mary at La Salette shows herself as mother of us all, as she invites the fearful children to come closer, as she empathizes with Maximin’s father at his concern for the livelihood of his small but needy family.

Over the countless years of ministry on the Holy Mountain of La Salette, the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette have welcomed untold hundreds of thousand of Mary’s children, from various countries and various faiths, to “Come near” and feel the warmth of Mary’s words of welcome and encouragement.

Pope Francis states that: “There, in these many shrines, we can see how Mary brings together her children who with great effort come as pilgrims to see her and to be seen by her. Here they find strength from God to bear the weariness and the suffering in their lives.”

Mary’s Mandate: Go Forth To Be Evangelizers

From Our Lady of La Salette Church, Pirtleville, Arizona

Mary’s words spoke in formal French are prophetic words of warning. She spoke about two refusals of her people: one concerned her people’s lack of keeping the Sabbath holy. It is supposed to be a day of repose, a day of prayer and celebration. Their second refusal concerned their irreverent and senseless use of the name of her Son. Their respect for his name was upsetting to her.

As Pope Francis says: “There is a Marian “style” to the Church’s work of evangelization. Whenever we look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness. In her we see that humility and tenderness are not virtues of the weak but of the strong who need not treat others poorly in order to feel important themselves… She is the woman of prayer and work in Nazareth, and she is also Our Lady of Help, who sets out from her town “with haste” (Lk 1:39) to be of service to others.”

Her visit at La Salette was certainly an expression of her humility and tenderness (the way she spoke so directly and compassionately with the two children); a call for her people to attain a balance between their need for prayer (daily and in Sunday worship) and the work responsibilities of their daily life; and finally giving her people a mandate – not only the two children standing before her but anyone who hears her words – to “make (her) message known to all (her) people.” Essentially her words are a call to action, an invitation to share the reconciling message of her Son with everyone we meet.

Let Us Pray

With those ideas expressed, Pope Francis concludes with a prayer to Mary, asking her to pray for the Church, and continue to be an example of who we are as a believing, evangelizing people. He prays:

Mary, Virgin and Mother, you who, moved by the Holy Spirit, welcomed the word of life in the depths of your humble faith: as you gave yourself completely to the Eternal One, help us to say our own “yes” to the urgent call, as pressing as ever, to proclaim the good news of Jesus.

Filled with Christ’s presence, you brought joy to John the Baptist, making him exult in the womb of his mother.

Brimming over with joy, you sang of the great things done by God.

Standing at the foot of the cross with unyielding faith, you received the joyful comfort of the resurrection, and joined the disciples in awaiting the Spirit so that the evangelizing Church might be born.

Obtain for us now a new ardor born of the resurrection, that we may bring to all the Gospel of life which triumphs over death.

Give us a holy courage to seek new paths, that the gift of unfading beauty may reach every man and woman.

Virgin of listening and contemplation, Mother of love, Bride of the eternal wedding feast, pray for the Church, whose pure icon you are, that she may never be closed in on herself or lose her passion for establishing God’s kingdom.

Star of the new evangelization, help us to bear radiant witness to communion, service, ardent and generous faith, justice and love of the poor, that the joy of the Gospel may reach to the ends of the earth, illuminating even the fringes of our world.

Mother of the living Gospel, wellspring of happiness for God’s little ones, pray for us. Amen. Alleluia!