“The Church’s service to the sick and those who care for them must continue with renewed vigour, in fidelity to the Lord’s command and following the eloquent example of her Founder and Master”. This is the beginning of Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of the Sick that will be celebrated on 11 February on the theme: “Behold, your son… Behold, your mother”. These words, Pope Francis explained, do “not represent a hopeless tragedy, but rather the place where Jesus manifests his glory and shows his love to the end”, a love that becomes “the basis and rule for the Christian community and the life of each disciple”. “Jesus’ words are the source of Mary’s maternal vocation for all humanity”, the Pope noted: “Mary was to be, in particular, the Mother of her Son’s disciples, caring for them and their journey. As we know, a mother’s care for her son or daughter includes both the material and spiritual dimensions of their upbringing”. “The unspeakable pain of the Cross pierces Mary’s soul, but does not paralyze her”, Pope Francis explained: “Quite the opposite. As the Lord’s Mother, a new path of self-giving opens up before her. On the Cross, Jesus showed his concern for the Church and all humanity, and Mary is called to share in that same concern. In describing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Acts of the Apostles show that Mary began to carry out this role in the earliest community of the Church. A role that never ceases”.