On August 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Pope Francis delivered an Angelus address to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
Reflecting on the Gospel reading of the day (Lk. 1:39-56), the Pope said that “service to her neighbor and praise to God” characterized Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth, much as Jesus’ life was one of “glorifying God and serving brethren.”
“Do I make service the ‘springboard’ of my life?” the Pope asked. “And thinking about praise: do I, like Mary, exult in God (cf. Lk 1:47)? … May our Mother, assumed into Heaven, help us to climb higher each day through service and praise.”