Marian shrines are places "where one feels at home"

Religious shrines are places where one experiences "the hospitality that opens our hearts to meet God and our brothers," Cardinal Beniamino Stella said in a homily for the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, on December 8, 2018, at the Marian Shrine of the Holy House of Loreto–believed to be the original house of Mary from Nazareth.

The prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy pointed out that shrines are "small oases in which, through prayer, silence, devotion to Mary and the celebration of the sacraments—especially the sacrament of reconciliation—we can experience the joy of encountering the Lord and learn from Him the virtues of love, hospitality, forgiveness and brotherly love that purify and illuminate our relationships and the overall condition of our lives."

A shrine has a homey atmosphere, he continued: "Being at home does not just mean being under a roof and between four walls. For us, this word evokes the family, the warmth of love, the possibility of sharing a meal and our daily concerns, conversing with others, being ourselves, and being welcomed and loved for who are.” A shrine is "a house of mercy," he said in conclusion.

Adapted from Zenit