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At this time in history, you and I now are present. We, like the apostles, are unreliable and weak and afraid. We are inconstant in our devotion to our Lord. We deny him, we betray him.

But Jesus is I Am. He is constant.

Without prayer, we run the risk of forgetting who we have become and slowly we begin to feel as if God is distant and uninterested. Prayer also prevents us from hiding from God, for through it, we place ourselves before the only one that can perfect us and transform our lives. Every prayer, whether spoken or not, alone or with others, is truly an opportunity to say to Lord, “Fill me with your life. Change me into the person you know me to be.”

Our elders are men and women, fathers and mothers, who came before us on our own road, in our own house, in our daily battle for a worthy life. They are men and women from whom we have received so much. The elder is not an alien. We are that elder: in the near or far future, but inevitably, even if we don’t think it. And if we don’t learn how to treat the elder better, that is how we will be treated.

Mary believes in you. She believes in you, and she loves you more than you can imagine. You are special to her, and for that reason, she is always by your side whether you are aware of it or not. She knows the joy of being a child of God and she wants you to experience that same joy. Mary wants you to feel as though you are a child of God, loved and cherished by him.

The future is in your hands, if you have wings and roots. Have the courage to put on wings, to dream of good things, to dream of a better world, to protest wars. On the other hand, respect the wisdom that you have received from those who are older than you: your parents, your grandparents, the elderly of your country. The future is in your hands. Take the opportunity to make it better.

Humanity is in such need of the Gospel, the source of joy, hope and peace. The mission to evangelize takes priority, for missionary activity is still today the Church’s greatest challenge….

May the Virgin Mary, star of evangelization, obtain for us always a passion for the kingdom of God, so that the joy of the Gospel may reach the ends of the earth, and no periphery be deprived of its light.

I began to reflect upon the infant Jesus, cradled in his Mother’s lap as a little baby boy—so much like the one who was now drawing nourishment and comfort from my body. Think of it—how amazing it is that Mary nourished and comforted her Savior? How remarkable that our Creator should be so humble. God chose to submit to a woman. God decided to have a mother. Our reflections on motherhood and the Church wouldn’t be complete without turning to the woman whom God chose for this incredible task.

Jesus will bring you back to life, not only because his mother has asked for this on your behalf, but also because he loves you. He wants you to be unafraid and to have faith in him. He also wants you to allow Mary to be your mother. He knows that becoming a child of his mother is the surest way to heal from the wounds on your spirit. It will take time and patience, but it will happen if you open your heart to her right now.