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Pope at Regina Coeli: Ask the Lord for the Spirit of peace

Pope Francis encourages us to strive for meekness and harmony in our lives, while we should pray every day, “Lord, give me your peace, give me your Holy Spirit”.

By Thaddeus Jones

Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis recalled the Gospel in today's liturgy when Jesus bid farewell to his disciples at the Last Supper, saying “Peace I leave with you,” and immediately adding “My peace I give to you.” 

"Peace I leave with you"

These words express Jesus' affection and serenity, despite the moment being anything but serene, since Judas left to betray him, Peter is about to deny him and almost others will abandon him, the Pope observed, yet the Lord remains calm and kind to the end. 

These last hours of Jesus' life sum up the essence of his entire life, the Pope explained, and while he feels fear and pain, he does not give way to bitterness or anger; "He is at peace, a peace that comes from his meek heart accustomed to trust."  You cannot leave others peace if you do not have peace within yourself, the Pope added.

“Jesus demonstrates that meekness is possible. He incarnated it specifically in the most difficult moment, and he wants us to behave that way too, since we are heirs of his peace.”

Jesus calls on us to be meek, open and available to listen to others, to defuse tensions and build harmony, the Pope said. And it is our behaviour that counts most, worth more than many words or sermons. As disciples of Jesus, the Pope asked, do we try to ease tensions, defuse conflicts, and react to situations without anger but with kindness? These are all big challenges for us, he acknowledged.

"My peace I give you"

Jesus’ second phrase can help us in our own struggles to be peacemakers, the Pope said. Peace "is first of all a gift of God," the Pope said recalling how Jesus said: “My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.” This peace that the world does not know that the Lord gives us is the Holy Spirit, the Pope explained, the same Spirit of Jesus.

The presence of God in us, is God's "power of peace," that "disarms the heart and fills it with serenity." The peace the Lord gives us reminds us that we are brothers and sisters - not adversaries - the Pope added, and it is the Lord who helps us forgive and start anew so we can become men and women of peace.

Ask for the gift of peace

We must continually ask for the gift of peace from the Holy Spirit, the Pope explained, especially when our hearts are upset, impatient or angry, "the more we need to ask the Lord for the Spirit of peace."  

“Let us learn to say every day: “Lord, give me your peace, give me your Holy Spirit”. And let us also ask this for those who live next to us, for those we meet each day, and for the leaders of nations. May Our Lady help us welcome the Holy Spirit so we can be peacemakers.”

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22 May 2022, 12:25

What is the Regina Coeli?

The antiphon Regina Coeli (“Queen of Heaven”) is one of four traditional Marian antiphons, the others being Alma Redemptoris Mater, Ave Regina Coelorum, and Salve Regina.

It was Pope Benedict XIV who, in 1742, enjoined the recitation of the Regina Coeli in place of the Angelus during Eastertide, that is, from Easter Sunday to the end of Pentecost. It is recited standing as a sign of Christ’s victory over death.

Like the Angelus, the Regina Coeli is said three times a day, at dawn, at noon, and at dusk, in order to consecrate the day to God and the Virgin Mary.

This ancient antiphon arose, according to a pious tradition, in the 6th century; it is attested in documentary sources from the first half of the 13th century, when it was inserted in the Franciscan breviary. It is composed of four short verses, each ending with an “alleluia.” With the Regina Coeli, the faithful turn to Mary, the Queen of Heaven, to rejoice with her at the Resurrection of Christ.

At the Regina Coeli on Easter Monday of 2015, Pope Francis spoke about the spiritual dispositions that should animate the faithful as they recite this Marian prayer:

“In this prayer, expressed by the Alleluia, we turn to Mary inviting her to rejoice, because the One whom she carried in her womb is Risen as He promised, and we entrust ourselves to her intercession. In fact, our joy is a reflection of Mary’s joy, for it is she who guarded and guards with faith the events of Jesus. Let us therefore recite this prayer with the emotion of children who are happy because their mother is happy.”

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Pray with the Pope

Regina Coeli

Regina coeli, laetare, alleluia.
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia.
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia.
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia.
R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.

Oremus:

Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi mundum laetificare dignatus es, praesta, quaesumus, ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae.
Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Regina Coeli 

Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia.

The Son whom you merited to bear, alleluia,
has risen as he said, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia!
For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray

O God, who through the resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, did vouchsafe to give joy to the world; grant, we beseech you, that through his Mother, the Virgin Mary, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord.

Amen.