| Madrid (Fides Service) – “Is the Blessed Virgin Mary the Star of Evangelisation because she was with the Apostles in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost? Was it only by chance that she was with them and therefore is this title accidental...? Or is her mission, by divine will, essentially evangelising?”. These are the questions with which Bishop Francisco Perez of Osma-Soria, who is also National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Spain, opens his reflection on “Mary, Star of Evangelisation” published by the review Misioneros Tercer Milenio June 2003, referring to the title given to Mary by Pope Paul VI in the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi.
“Mary cannot fail to be an evangeliser because she is the Mother of in incarnate Word, co-Redemptrix of the human race, Queen of the Apostles and Mother of the Church” says Bishop Perez. His continues his reflection analysing the meaning of the verb to “evangelise”: we must refer to Jesus Christ, “the first evangeliser who bears witness with his word, his life, his passion, death and resurrection to the truth announced and preached”. Christ is therefore the principal agent of evangelisation and Mary is closely united with him: “The life of Christ is so intimately united with that of the Virgin Mary that without her it could not have happened, be written or described della ”. Therefore says Bishop Perez, “not only through her divine maternity but also and mainly through this union with Christ is Mary truly an evangeliser, the Star of Evangelisation ”.
All authentic evangelisation aims for the salvation of mankind and therefore Our Lady is fully evangelising because "she conceives the Son of God, she cares for her Son and she cares for all those destined to be redeemed and saved by Jesus Christ”. Her Fiat is saying yes to God’s plan to save mankind…Mary formally began evangelisation when she said her “be it done unto to me according to your word”.
Bishop Francisco Perez concludes his reflection affirming: “Like the whole life of Jesus, in the same way the existence and life of Mary, intimately united with the life of Christ in the will of the Father and through the will of the Father, is part of the Gospel: she is an evangeliser, the greatest evangeliser , the authentic Star of Evangelisation”. (R.G) (Fides Service 31/7/2003; lines 28 – words 380)
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