Pope draws lessons from Mary’s docility to the Spirit
(June 1, 2009) Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday encouraged Catholics to learn from the
Blessed Virgin how to follow the Holy Spirit with docility and recognize his voice
in daily life. This exhortation of the Pope came in his talk at a traditional evening
Marian celebration in the Vatican Gardens to conclude the Marian month of May. After
a procession and recitation of the Rosary, pilgrims gathered at the Grotto of Our
Lady of Lourdes to hear the Holy Father's address. The Pope said that since this
year’s traditional observance fell on the eve of the feast of Pentecost, it was an
invitation to meditate upon the Virgin Mary’s close, privileged and indissoluble relationship
with the Holy Spirit. "Mary's heart, in perfect consonance with the divine Son is
the temple of the Spirit of truth, where every word and every event are kept in faith,
hope and charity," the Pope said, pointing to the Annunciation, Jesus’ hidden life
in Nazareth as well as his public life up to the Cross on Calvary. The Pontiff affirmed
that in "Mary's school we too learn to recognize the Holy Spirit's presence in our
life, to listen to his inspirations and to follow them with docility." He expressed
the hope that Catholics will "walk with Mary according to the Spirit."