Where the mother is, the sense of unity will always triumph

"Celebrating Mary is, first and foremost, remembering our mother, remembering that we are not and never will be an orphaned people," Pope Francis said during the Mass for Latin America, on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico), in St Peter's Basilica Rome, on December 12, 2016. The Holy Father invited us to "learn from that strong and helpful faith that characterizes our Mother," and place ourselves under her gaze.

Pope Francis further meditated on Mary's gaze (referring to the fact that the images of the seer of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saint Juan Diego, and the people surrounding him, were visible in the eyes of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe).

“Let us not be afraid to go out and look upon others with the same gaze. A gaze that makes us brothers and sisters. We do so because, like Juan Diego, we know that our mother is here, we know that we are beneath her shadow and under her protection, which is the source of our joy, that we are within her embrace.”

“We have a Mother! Where there is a mother, there is always the presence and flavor of home. Where there is a mother, brothers and sisters may fight, but the sense of unity will always prevail. Where there is a mother, the struggle for fraternity will not be lacking.”

Pope Francis

Excerpt from his homily on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Vatican Basilica, Monday, December 12, 2016