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00:00Music
00:30We are here in front of the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere.
00:52This is one of the earliest churches, if I don't know more.
00:55We could say that it is the first church of worship,
00:58the first place where official worship has taken place as a church as such here in Rome.
01:05This church was built on top of a tavern.
01:08This was built in the 3rd century in the midst of one of the greatest persecutions of the church.
01:14And it was built, as I said, above a tavern.
01:19This meant that the tavern hid her from the eyes of her pursuers.
01:24It was on the second floor, but the people, the Christians, knew that above this tavern
01:30This church of Santa Maria was located in Trastevere.
01:34A little later, in the 4th century, Pope Julius, the persecution having ended,
01:39This tavern was demolished and the first church dedicated to Saint Mary in Trastevere was built in the 4th century.
01:48We wanted to do this catechesis here because it is very important, especially within the context of the great persecution.
01:55which the church had, especially in the 3rd century, under the rule of Decius,
02:00as the people invoked and had developed a great love for the Blessed Virgin Mary.
02:07It is important, for example, to know that the oldest prayer we have
02:11It is not the Hail Mary as perhaps many of our Catholic Christians might think.
02:16Besides the Lord's Prayer, which was given by our Lord Jesus Christ,
02:21The first prayer we have after the Lord's Prayer is this
02:25Under your protection we seek refuge, Holy Mother of God.
02:29This was probably written at the end of the 2nd century,
02:34probably between the years 180 and 220.
02:37Experts believe that this prayer was written no earlier than the year 220.
02:45This prayer is an indication of the great love for our Blessed Mother.
02:48because the first thing a person, a child, does when they are in danger
02:53Well, it's like calling his mother.
02:55This indicates that Christianity quickly spread.
02:59Love for Mary as a mother gradually developed.
03:02Let us remember that already in the Gospel, it is a late Gospel, the Gospel of John,
03:09By the year 90 of the first century, there was already this strong relationship between the people of God and Mary.
03:17Saint John records these words of our Lord in which he says to himself
03:23This is your mother, and she says to Maria, this is your son.
03:27And it tells us at the end of these verses from the Gospel of John in chapter 19
03:33From that moment on, Juan took her to his house and truly treated her like his mother.
03:39And this obviously caused this relationship to develop rapidly.
03:44If we look at the iconography, we can see how, even from Pentecost onwards
03:50There is this centrality of Mary within the apostolic college.
03:54It is therefore not surprising that the first church to be built
03:58be dedicated precisely within the great persecution of Edesio
04:03to the worship of our Blessed Mother.
04:06The church continued to celebrate as it did at Pentecost
04:09around our Blessed Mother.
04:12Mary has always been present in the development of our church
04:18Because she is the mother, she is the protective mother who welcomes her children.
04:23That's why it's not surprising that we have so many Marian apparitions today.
04:28so many manifestations of Mary in different places around our world.
04:33Among the most important manifestations we have within modern history
04:38Perhaps the most important one is that of Mexico.
04:41In 1531, when the Blessed Virgin Mary came in a very similar situation
04:47to the one we were living in, the one our Christians were living in.
04:51within these first three centuries of the church amidst great persecution.
04:56Maria comes to Mexico to tell us, "Here is your mother."
05:00This is the good mother who always takes care of us, who always protects us.
05:06Later in 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared again, this time in Fatima.
05:11to help their children remember the basic principles of our Christianity,
05:18particularly prayer.
05:20A person who has prayer and penance will therefore have a path that opens directly to God.
05:26In 1917 the Virgin Mary came to remind us, her children.
05:31that we must return to the Christian path.
05:35Perhaps the most recent apparition we could mention was that of Medjugorje.
05:38which again reminds us of the theme of penance and prayer.
05:44Mary is always present in our lives,
05:46She is always attentive to all the needs of this town
05:51as one of our most important prayers says
05:55who always walks in this valley of tears.
05:59I would like to mention one of the ideas that I think are very important
06:04regarding this relationship of our Blessed Mother.
06:07Recently, a few years ago, a statue from Medjugorje was taken to Rome.
06:13to the city of Chivitavecchia.
06:15There, this image began to weep blood.
06:20This obviously caused a great stir within the Christian community.
06:25On one occasion, one of the journalists close to the Vatican
06:29He approached the Pope and asked him
06:31His Holiness, it is true that an image is weeping in Chivitavecchia
06:37who is crying blood
06:38And the Pope, with that wisdom that God gives him
06:42Answer the following
06:44Well, if she cries, it's for a reason.
06:48Therefore, he doesn't really accept that he's crying.
06:51But if she's crying, there must be a reason.
06:54And I believe that this reason, at a certain point, is the great abandonment.
07:00that the Christian community of God has.
07:03The Virgin Mary weeps for her children, for these children who have abandoned the path of the Gospel.
07:10Because of this large Christian community, which no longer seeks God.
07:14I believe that is precisely why we have so many Marian apparitions today
07:20where one of the main characteristics
07:22It is seeing our Blessed Mother cry.
07:27The people of God have abandoned this wonderful path of the Gospel.
07:34It is very likely that a large part of our people are heading in that direction.
07:37Otherwise, it's ruin, or serious problems at trial.
07:41And obviously our Mother, to whom this people has been entrusted, weeps.
07:47We need to return to God.
07:50And Maria is always willing to help us.
07:53The simplest prayer, the prayer of the Rosary
07:55It is one of the strongest elements we have
07:59in order to restore our relationship with God
08:02through prayer.
08:05Mary offers to intercede for us, as she did in Cana.
08:10But it is also necessary for us to do our part.
08:15In the Gospel of Saint John, where it is told to us,
08:19We can see how Mary intervenes,
08:23He certainly intervenes so that Jesus can accomplish the work.
08:26But Jesus asks the servants to fill those jars.
08:31Without human participation, divine action will not occur.
08:38Then Maria does her thing.
08:41Maria invites us.
08:42Mary convinces Jesus.
08:44He does his part.
08:45But now we need to answer it.
08:49We are living through a difficult situation,
08:51very difficult in our world,
08:53where work is lacking,
08:55where security is lacking,
08:57where so many things are lacking in our Christian life.
09:00Probably as happened in those early centuries of the church.
09:05But the Christian people knew they had a Most Holy Mother
09:10And that is why he has built this temple for him.
09:14I think it's time to return to our roots
09:17and turn our eyes once again to the Virgin Mary.
09:21She no longer needs temples.
09:24He has quite a few.
09:25I would like us to build a temple in our hearts,
09:29that we would accept her as Mother
09:31and that we sought that just as in the 3rd century
09:34This temple was built, therefore, in a secret manner.
09:39So that we too may build in our hearts
09:42a temple in which to honor our Most Holy Mother
09:45Let us give the worship that God our Lord deserves.
09:49This will change our lives, it will change our history.
09:51Mary wants us to reach heaven and is always ready to help us.
09:56Let us seek their protection and shelter.
09:59Let us learn to pray with her, and surely our lives will be blessed.
10:03will have a different path.
10:06We will attain grace, peace, and inner harmony.
10:09and finally we will be able to enjoy her eternally in heaven.
10:13Thank you!
10:14Thank you!
10:15Thank you!
10:16Thank you!
10:17Thank you!
10:18Thank you!
10:19Thank you!