Castel Gandolfo: Leading the Angelus prayer after the Mass for the Solemnity of the Assumption, Pope Leo XIV invited the faithful to lift their eyes to Mary, the Mother of God, as a guiding light on life’s pilgrimage.
Quoting the Second Vatican Council, the Pope said Mary “shines as an icon of hope for her pilgrim children through the ages.” Drawing on Dante’s Paradiso, he recalled the poet’s description of the Virgin as “the living fountain-head of hope,” linking her example to the Jubilee Year’s theme, Pilgrims of Hope.
Pilgrims, the Pope noted, need a goal that inspires, renews, and rekindles hope when weariness sets in. “The destination of our life’s journey is God Himself,” he said, “and the human heart is naturally drawn to His beauty.”
Reflecting on Mary’s “yes” to God’s call a lifelong pilgrimage with her Son from Bethlehem to the heavenly homeland the Pope urged the faithful to look to her in times of trial. “When faced with hardship as individuals, families, or communities,” he said, “let us turn to our Mother and rediscover the hope that never fails.”