Il mondo Shalom
A mother's heart that never stops calling. Discover the eternal message in Cardinal Comastri's book.
Editrice Shalom
Tempo di lettura: 3 min
Autore: Editrice Shalom
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It is a question that has echoed in the hearts of believers and others for centuries, an interrogative that challenges reason and kindles hope: “Why does Our Lady appear?”.
Cardinal Angelo Comastri, who has always been in love with the Virgin, guides us, with the depth of his faith and the sensitivity of his pastoral heart, on a moving journey to discover this mysterious yet utterly real maternal presence in the world. Through the pages of his new book, not only the story of these apparitions is revealed, but also their vibrant and urgent message for our generation.
A love that never abandons
Cardinal Comastri reminds us that, from the moment Jesus entrusted John to her at the foot of the Cross - and, with him, each one of us - Our Lady took her role as universal Mother seriously. Her presence is not merely a memory of the past, but an “active motherhood” that manifests itself in an extraordinary way, especially through the apparitions. It is a love that bends down to the humble, the little ones, and those whom the world often forgets.
Lourdes: the triumph of humility over pride
To understand how the Virgin knows how to be a Mother, one need only immerse oneself in the moving story of Lourdes: on February 11, 1858, the Virgin chose Bernadette Soubirous, the daughter of a failed miller who had fallen into the deepest poverty. A poor and uneducated young girl to whom Mary revealed her name in the local dialect: “I am the Immaculate Conception”. This choice was not accidental: it is a clear message for us all. Lourdes is the place where Our Lady shattered “the proud certainties of the Enlightenment,” reminding us that man is not self-sufficient, that “there is an afterlife, there is God, there is Paradise, and there is a risk of losing Paradise by misusing our freedom”.
And how can one not be moved by the spectacular conversion of Dr. Alexis Carrel, the atheist doctor who went to Lourdes to “expose the alleged healings” but instead found himself falling to his knees, exclaiming: “Blessed Virgin, you have won! You have shattered the armor of my pride. Now I want to believe, and I will spend my life bearing witness to my faith.” A triumph of faith that still challenges contemporary indifference today.
Fatima: a call to conversion that embraces history
Cardinal Comastri then takes us to Fatima, reliving the palpable emotion of May 13, 2000, when Pope John Paul II beatified Jacinta and Francisco before an “endless crowd of pilgrims.” It was a moment when Mary's “Magnificat” appeared “wonderfully true” and “tangible.” There, the “people of the little ones” gathered, the humble who felt they were the fulfillment of the Virgin's words.
A mother's call to the truth of life
As Cardinal Comastri emphasizes, Mary's messages are expressions of “maternal concern.” They remind us of the “truth of life beyond this life: the afterlife exists!”. They speak to us of Heaven, an embrace of goodness and happiness that God desires to give to everyone. And they warn us about Hell: “It is not willed by God, but people can choose it” by choosing to reject Love. It is an appeal not to lose sight of the meaning of life in a world that sometimes seems to forget God.
The affectionate and personal remembrance of Saint John Paul II
The book also includes an appendix dedicated to Saint John Paul II, the “Pope of Fatima,” whose life was a hymn of gratitude and ardent faith. Comastri reveals touching moments, such as the prayer on the young Cardinal Wojtyła’s “bare floor,” which testified to his humility and total dependence on Jesus; his pontificate, which began with the powerful cry, “Open, indeed, throw wide the doors to Christ!”, was a constant entrustment to Mary. The book closes with the moving testimonies left at his tomb, a chorus of hearts invoking his intercession for faith, family, hope, and love.
In these pages, Cardinal Comastri offers us an urgent invitation to rediscover the tenderness and strength of a love that never ceases to callA book that is a hymn to Mary's motherhood, a gift for the soul and a source of hope in the uncertain times we live in. Don't miss the opportunity to let this timeless message touch your heart.
