VATICAN CITY, MAY 17, 2012 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI on Wednesday viewed a private screening of a film on the life of the Virgin Mary. After the screening, the Pontiff thanked the producers of “Mary of Nazareth,” an international collaborative effort.
According to Vatican Radio, the Pope remarked on the difficulty of portraying the maternal figure of Mary on film, saying that while “it is not easy to characterize the figure of any mother, because the riches of the maternal life are difficult to describe, […] this is even more challenging when it comes to Mary of Nazareth, who is the mother of Jesus, the Son of God made man.”
“She is a mother who desired to keep her Son with her, but she knows he is God,” the Holy Father continued. “Her faith and love are so great, she accepts her part in His mission. Mary is saying ‘Here I am, Lord’ from the Annunciation to the Cross.”
Benedict XVI also contemplated the “yes” of Mary and how it is an example on which to model our lives.
“Mary of Nazareth is the woman of ‘Here I am,’ giving herself completely over to the Divine Will,” he said. “In this ‘yes,’ which is repeated even as she suffers the loss of her Son, she finds an overwhelming and profound happiness.”