“May the Mother of God today help humanity to defeat the coronavirus.”
Ahead of the Feast of the Blessed Mother’s Assumption this upcoming Saturday, August 15th, Pope Francis has called again upon her to overcome the pandemic.
During his General Audience privately streamed from his library this morning, the Pontiff recalled to Polish-speaking faithful watching Mary’s role in the Miracle of the Vistula a century ago.
On Aug. 15, 1920, the Polish Army won a decisive victory over Soviet forces at the Battle of Warsaw, which was attributed to Mary’s intercession, reported Vatican News, reminding that the day is also marked as Polish Armed Forces Day.
Imploring Mary to “help humanity to defeat the coronavirus,” the Pope prayed: “May she assure generous blessings for you, your families, and all the Polish people.”
The Argentine Pontiff expressed his spiritual support for the hundreds of Catholics taking part in a pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa.
“May this pilgrimage, undertaken with care due to the pandemic,” he said, “be for all a moment of reflection, prayer, and fraternity in faith and love.”
Time to Prepare
Pope Francis told English speakers following along to prepare themselves to celebrate the feast of the Assumption of Mary.
“May she guide our pilgrimage toward the fullness of Christ’s promises,” he said.
Recalling Our Lady of the Assumption is also patroness of France, he prayed she might “strengthen the faith and hope” of the French people, and help them “always to resist selfishness, indifference, and individualism to build a more fraternal society built on solidarity.”
The upcoming Solemnity “reveals the sublime dignity which God has bestowed upon humanity,” he said in his German-speaking remarks.
“Let us ask the Lord,” he prayed, “for the grace of the humility of His Servant, so that He might do great things in us as well.”
