During the Mass for the Jubilee on Marian Spirituality, Pope Leo XIV urges faithful to see in the Blessed Mother a beautiful example of how to turn to and follow her Son, Jesus Christ.
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
“Marian spirituality, which nourishes our faith, has Jesus as its center,” Pope Leo XIV reminded the faithful during the Mass for the Jubilee on Marian Spirituality on Sunday morning in the Vatican.
In his homily, the Holy Father reflected on this spirituality, observing, “It is like Sunday, which opens each new week in the radiance of his Resurrection from the dead. “Remember Jesus Christ”: this alone matters; this is what distinguishes human spiritualities from the way of God.
The Pope explained that Marian devotion serves the Gospel and helps the faithful live it more fully.
“Marian spirituality is at the service of the Gospel: it reveals its simplicity,” he said.
Marian spirituality
“Our affection for Mary of Nazareth leads us to join her in becoming disciples of Jesus,” he added. “It teaches us to return to him and to meditate and ponder the events of our lives in which the Risen One still comes to us and calls us.”
He said this spirituality draws the faithful into God’s saving work.
“Marian spirituality immerses us in the history upon which heaven opened,” the Pope said.
“It helps us,” he continued, “to see the proud being scattered in their conceit, the mighty being cast down from their thrones and the rich being sent away empty-handed. It impels us, to fill the hungry with good things, to lift up the lowly, to remember God’s mercy and to trust in the power of His arm.”
Mary’s Magnificat
Reflecting on Mary’s acceptance of God’s will, Pope Leo said that her “yes” was not a one-time act but a daily commitment.
“Jesus invites us to be part of his Kingdom, just as he asked Mary for her ‘yes,’ which, once given, was renewed every day,” he said.
The Pope reflected on the Gospel account of the ten lepers, nine of whom did not return to give thanks after being healed.
“The lepers in the Gospel who do not return to give thanks remind us that God’s grace can touch us and find no response,” he said. “It can heal us, yet we can still fail to accept it. Let us take care therefore not to go up to the temple in such a way that does not lead us to follow Jesus.”
Mass for the Jubilee on Marian Spirituality (@Vatican Media)
A caveat
Pope Leo also warned against religious practices that isolate believers from their neighbours.
“Some forms of worship do not foster communion with others and can numb our hearts,” he said. “In these cases, we fail to encounter the people God has placed in our lives. We fail to contribute, as Mary did, to changing the world, and to share in the joy of the Magnificat.”
He added, “Let us take care to avoid any exploitation of the faith that could lead to labelling those who are different — often the poor — as enemies, ‘lepers’ to be avoided and rejected.”
Following Christ with Mary
The Pope said that Mary’s journey always leads closer to Jesus and to those in need.
“Mary’s path follows that of Jesus, which leads us to encounter every human being, especially the poor, the wounded and sinners,” he said.
Example of love and tenderness
He added that true Marian spirituality reveals God’s tenderness in the life of the Church.
“Authentic Marian spirituality brings God’s tenderness, his way of ‘being a mother,’ to light in the Church,” the Pope said.
Quoting Evangelii Gaudium, he continued, “Whenever we look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness.”
“In her,” he said, “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.”
A path toward social transformation and renewal
Pope Leo said that devotion to Mary leads to action and social transformation, without losing compassion.
“Contemplating Mary, we realize that she who praised God for ‘bringing down the mighty from their thrones’ and ‘sending the rich away empty’ is also the one who brings a homely warmth to our pursuit of justice,” he said.
“In a world seeking justice and peace,” the Pope continued, “let us revive Christian spirituality and popular devotion to the events and places blessed by God that have changed the face of the earth forever. Let us use them as a driving force for renewal and transformation.”
He added that the Jubilee is an invitation is not only a celebration, but a call to deeper change.
“Indeed, the Jubilee we are celebrating calls for a time of conversion and restitution, of reflection and liberation,” he said.
Entrusting ourselves to Mary
Pope Leo XIV concluded his homily with a prayer entrusting the Church to the Blessed Mother.
“May Mary Most Holy, our hope,” he prayed, “intercede for us and continue to lead us to Jesus, the crucified Lord,” he prayed. “In Him, there is salvation for all.”
