In her solidarity with her son in the "martyrdom of the Cross," Mary lived the Passion "to the depths of her soul" and so was given "the gift of resurrection."
"Christ is the first fruits from the dead and Mary is the first of the redeemed, the first of 'those who are in Christ.'"
"She is our Mother, but we can also say that she is our representative, our sister, our eldest sister, she is the first of the redeemed, who has arrived in heaven."
The final theme of the assumption, Pope Francis taught, is hope: the hope of those who live the struggle between good and evil and who believe in Christ's resurrection.
The Magnificat, Mary's song of praise at the Visitation, he said, is "the song of hope," which is also "the song of many saints … some famous, and very many others unknown to us but known to God: moms, dads, catechists, missionaries, priests, sisters, young people, even children and grandparents."
"These have faced the struggle of life while carrying in their heart the hope of the little and the humble."
The Pope linked hope to persecution and the Cross, saying the Magnificat is "particularly strong" in the places "where the Body of Christ is suffering the Passion."
"If there is no hope, we are not Christian. That is why I like to say: do not allow yourselves to be robbed of hope."
He exhorted his listeners, "may we not be robbed of hope, because this strength is a grace, a gift from God which carries us forward with our eyes fixed on heaven."
He concluded by encouraging Christians to pray the Magnificat with Mary, who accompanies and suffers with us.
"With all our heart let us too unite ourselves to this song of patience and victory, of struggle and joy, that unites the triumphant Church with the pilgrim one, earth with heaven, and that joins our lives to the eternity towards which we journey."
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