Book of Isaiah 60,1-6. Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; But upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory. Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance. Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: Your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses. Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, For the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you. Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
Psalms 72(71) 1-2.7-8.10-11.12-13. O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king's son; He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment.
Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, And the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; The lives of the poor he shall save.
Letter to the Ephesians 3,2-3a.5-6. Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for your benefit, (namely, that) the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier. which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 2,1-12. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage." After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.
SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD POPE FRANCIS
ANGELUS 6 January 2022
Dear brothers and sisters, Buongiorno, Happy Feast!
Today, the Solemnity of the Epiphany, we contemplate the episode of the Magi (cf. Mt 2:1-12). They faced a long and difficult journey to go and adore “the king of the Jews” (v. 2). They were guided by the wondrous sign of a star, and when they finally reached their destination, rather than finding something spectacular, they found a baby with his mother. They could have protested: “How many roads and how many sacrifices, only to find a poor child?” And yet, they were not scandalized. They were not disappointed They did not complain. What did they do? They prostrated themselves. “Going into the house”, the Gospel says, “they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him” (v. 11).
Let us think about these wise, rich, educated, well-known men who prostrate themselves, that is, they bow down on the ground to adore a baby! This seems a contradiction. Such a humble action performed by such illustrious men is surprising. To prostrate oneself before a leader who presented himself with the trappings of power and glory was something normal at that time. And even today this would not be strange. But before the Babe of Bethlehem, it was not simple. It is not easy to adore this God, whose divinity remains hidden and does not appear triumphant. It means welcoming God’s greatness that manifests itself in littleness. This is the message. The Magi humbled themselves before the unheard-of logic of God. They welcomed the Lord not the way they had imagined him to be, but as he was, small and poor. Their prostration is the sign of those who place their own ideas aside and make room for God. It takes humility to do this.
The Gospel stresses this: it does not only say that the Magi worshipped, it emphasizes that they fell down and worshipped. Let us understand this detail: worship and prostration go together. By performing this gesture, the Magi manifest their humble acceptance of the One who presented himself in humility. And so it is that they are open to worship God. The treasures they open are images of their open hearts: their true wealth does not consist in their fame, their success, but in their humility, in considering themselves in need of salvation. This is the example the Magi give us today.
Dear brothers and sisters, if we always remain at the centre of everything with our ideas, and if we presume to have something to boast of before God, we will never fully encounter him, we will never end up worshipping him. If our pretensions, vanity, stubbornness, competitiveness do not fall by the wayside, we may well end up worshipping someone or something in life, but it will not be the Lord! If instead, we abandon our pretence of self-sufficiency, if we make ourselves little inside, we will then rediscover the wonder of worshipping Jesus because adoration comes from humility of heart: those who crave winning do not notice the Lord’s presence. Jesus passes nearby and is ignored, as happened to many at that time, but not to the Magi.
Brothers and sisters, looking at them, let us ask ourselves today: what is my humility like? Am I convinced that pride impedes my spiritual progress? That pride, apparent or hidden, that always dampers the drive toward God. Am I working on docility to be open to God and others, or am I always focused on myself and my demands, with that hidden selfishness which is pride? Do I know how to set aside my own perspective to embrace that of God and others? Finally: do I pray and worship only when I need something, or do I consistently do so because I believe that I am always in need of Jesus? The Magi began their journey looking at a star, and they found Jesus. They walked a lot. Today, we can take this piece of advice: look at the star and walk. Never stop walking, but, do not stop looking at the star. This is the strong advice for today: look at the star and walk, look at the star and walk.
-->May the Virgin Mary, the servant of the Lord, teach us to rediscover our vital need for humility and the vibrant desire to worship. May she teach us to look at the star and walk.
FAUSTI - In this story the "Christmas of the soul" (M. Ecklart) is presented,as the birth of the believer in God and of God in the believer. It is a gradual generation, in five moments: the con-sidering (staying with the stars) of the intelligence that opens up to desire and to follow the personal star, the Scripture that reveals Him whom we desire, the joy of the heart that shows where He is, the adoration and finally the gift of self to Him who has already given Himself. Even if we know the material place where He was born, it is not sufficient. We must personally follow the itinerary of the Magi with a night journey full of fascination and fears, desires and doubts, hopes and uncertainties, under the direction of a star that appears and disappears. Reason makes us looking for the Savior, Revelation says where to find Him: the former component says that He is present, the latter who He is, giving to the reason new criteria of evaluation, the those of God. Jesus is the King of the Jews, the Christ, Light of the Gentiles, born for all in Bethlem of Judea. The light of reason and Revelation brings to Him humanity, which finds its life in Him. The Church is made not only by Jews, but also by pagans who, like the Magi, accomplish the journey of search until they find Him, kiss Him and open their treasure to Him. "They rejoiced very much in great joy" God is Love; God is joy, His perfume, a sign of presence. It is communicated to everyone who loves, to those who discover the treasure (13:44), to those who meet the Living One (28:8). In this place you finally "enter the house" and find the king. The child is to be seen. Where is the Child, if not in the heart of those who love Him, listen to Him and rejoice in Him? The exterior pilgrimage is stopped; with adoration the interior pilgrimage begins. Three times it is said "to adore". You will find the Child if you enter the " home ", and He is always with His Mother. You will find the Son in Israel, in Mary, in the Church, in your brothers and sisters, in yourself, if you love Him and listen to Him! The treasure in Matthew is the heart of man. Where is your treasure, there is your heart. The Magi open their hearts and offer what is in them. Gold, visible wealth, represents what one has; incense, invisible as God, represents what one desires; myrrh, an ointment that heals wounds and preserves from corruption, represents what one is. The kingship, the divinity, the mortality proper of the creature, everything that man has, but especially what he desires and what he lacks, is his treasure. It opens to God his possessions, his desires and his penuries. And God enters into his treasure. Here is "where" the Son is begotten by the Father. By giving what they are, the Magi receive Him who is, and become like Him in themselves. God is born in man, and man in God. Here the pilgrimage is completed. Even the Magi, like Joseph, receive God's message in a dream. God's dream has more influence on history than the power of any powerful person, and it mocks him. They return to the place where they departed. But "by another road". No longer that of those who seek someone that they do not know, but that of those who have found the One they seek. In fact, they are no longer those of the past, they have found "where" the king was born. The "where" of God is the heart of man, and the "where" of man is the heart of God. They withdrew as " anchorites "as the Greek text says, in their own land. They now have with them a new heaven and a new earth, seeds that they will carry everywhere they will go.
Book of Isaiah
RispondiElimina60,1-6.
Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples; But upon you the LORD shines, and over you appears his glory.
Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance.
Raise your eyes and look about; they all gather and come to you: Your sons come from afar, and your daughters in the arms of their nurses.
Then you shall be radiant at what you see, your heart shall throb and overflow, For the riches of the sea shall be emptied out before you, the wealth of nations shall be brought to you.
Caravans of camels shall fill you, dromedaries from Midian and Ephah; All from Sheba shall come bearing gold and frankincense, and proclaiming the praises of the LORD.
Psalms 72(71)
1-2.7-8.10-11.12-13.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king's son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
Justice shall flower in his days,
and profound peace, till the moon be no more.
May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
All kings shall pay him homage,
all nations shall serve him.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
And the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
The lives of the poor he shall save.
Letter to the Ephesians
3,2-3a.5-6.
Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for your benefit,
(namely, that) the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly earlier.
which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit,
that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint Matthew
2,1-12.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,
saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage."
When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.
They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet:
'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"
Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage."
After their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.
They were overjoyed at seeing the star,
and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.
SOLEMNITY OF THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD
RispondiEliminaPOPE FRANCIS
ANGELUS 6 January 2022
Dear brothers and sisters, Buongiorno, Happy Feast!
Today, the Solemnity of the Epiphany, we contemplate the episode of the Magi (cf. Mt 2:1-12). They faced a long and difficult journey to go and adore “the king of the Jews” (v. 2). They were guided by the wondrous sign of a star, and when they finally reached their destination, rather than finding something spectacular, they found a baby with his mother. They could have protested: “How many roads and how many sacrifices, only to find a poor child?” And yet, they were not scandalized. They were not disappointed They did not complain. What did they do? They prostrated themselves. “Going into the house”, the Gospel says, “they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him” (v. 11).
Let us think about these wise, rich, educated, well-known men who prostrate themselves, that is, they bow down on the ground to adore a baby! This seems a contradiction. Such a humble action performed by such illustrious men is surprising. To prostrate oneself before a leader who presented himself with the trappings of power and glory was something normal at that time. And even today this would not be strange. But before the Babe of Bethlehem, it was not simple. It is not easy to adore this God, whose divinity remains hidden and does not appear triumphant. It means welcoming God’s greatness that manifests itself in littleness. This is the message. The Magi humbled themselves before the unheard-of logic of God. They welcomed the Lord not the way they had imagined him to be, but as he was, small and poor. Their prostration is the sign of those who place their own ideas aside and make room for God. It takes humility to do this.
The Gospel stresses this: it does not only say that the Magi worshipped, it emphasizes that they fell down and worshipped. Let us understand this detail: worship and prostration go together. By performing this gesture, the Magi manifest their humble acceptance of the One who presented himself in humility. And so it is that they are open to worship God. The treasures they open are images of their open hearts: their true wealth does not consist in their fame, their success, but in their humility, in considering themselves in need of salvation. This is the example the Magi give us today.
Dear brothers and sisters, if we always remain at the centre of everything with our ideas, and if we presume to have something to boast of before God, we will never fully encounter him, we will never end up worshipping him. If our pretensions, vanity, stubbornness, competitiveness do not fall by the wayside, we may well end up worshipping someone or something in life, but it will not be the Lord! If instead, we abandon our pretence of self-sufficiency, if we make ourselves little inside, we will then rediscover the wonder of worshipping Jesus because adoration comes from humility of heart: those who crave winning do not notice the Lord’s presence. Jesus passes nearby and is ignored, as happened to many at that time, but not to the Magi.
Brothers and sisters, looking at them, let us ask ourselves today: what is my humility like? Am I convinced that pride impedes my spiritual progress? That pride, apparent or hidden, that always dampers the drive toward God. Am I working on docility to be open to God and others, or am I always focused on myself and my demands, with that hidden selfishness which is pride? Do I know how to set aside my own perspective to embrace that of God and others? Finally: do I pray and worship only when I need something, or do I consistently do so because I believe that I am always in need of Jesus? The Magi began their journey looking at a star, and they found Jesus. They walked a lot. Today, we can take this piece of advice: look at the star and walk. Never stop walking, but, do not stop looking at the star. This is the strong advice for today: look at the star and walk, look at the star and walk.
-->May the Virgin Mary, the servant of the Lord, teach us to rediscover our vital need for humility and the vibrant desire to worship. May she teach us to look at the star and walk.
EliminaFAUSTI - In this story the "Christmas of the soul" (M. Ecklart) is presented,as the birth of the believer in God and of God in the believer. It is a gradual generation, in five moments: the con-sidering (staying with the stars) of the intelligence that opens up to desire and to follow the personal star, the Scripture that reveals Him whom we desire, the joy of the heart that shows where He is, the adoration and finally the gift of self to Him who has already given Himself.
RispondiEliminaEven if we know the material place where He was born, it is not sufficient. We must personally follow the itinerary of the Magi with a night journey full of fascination and fears, desires and doubts, hopes and uncertainties, under the direction of a star that appears and disappears.
Reason makes us looking for the Savior, Revelation says where to find Him: the former component says that He is present, the latter who He is, giving to the reason new criteria of evaluation, the those of God.
Jesus is the King of the Jews, the Christ, Light of the Gentiles, born for all in Bethlem of Judea. The light of reason and Revelation brings to Him humanity, which finds its life in Him.
The Church is made not only by Jews, but also by pagans who, like the Magi, accomplish the journey of search until they find Him, kiss Him and open their treasure to Him.
"They rejoiced very much in great joy" God is Love; God is joy, His perfume, a sign of presence.
It is communicated to everyone who loves, to those who discover the treasure (13:44), to those who meet the Living One (28:8). In this place you finally "enter the house" and find the king.
The child is to be seen.
Where is the Child, if not in the heart of those who love Him, listen to Him and rejoice in Him? The exterior pilgrimage is stopped; with adoration the interior pilgrimage begins. Three times it is said "to adore".
You will find the Child if you enter the " home ", and He is always with His Mother.
You will find the Son in Israel, in Mary, in the Church, in your brothers and sisters, in yourself, if you love Him and listen to Him!
The treasure in Matthew is the heart of man. Where is your treasure, there is your heart.
The Magi open their hearts and offer what is in them.
Gold, visible wealth, represents what one has; incense, invisible as God, represents what one desires; myrrh, an ointment that heals wounds and preserves from corruption, represents what one is. The kingship, the divinity, the mortality proper of the creature, everything that man has, but especially what he desires and what he lacks, is his treasure. It opens to God his possessions, his desires and his penuries. And God enters into his treasure.
Here is "where" the Son is begotten by the Father.
By giving what they are, the Magi receive Him who is, and become like Him in themselves.
God is born in man, and man in God. Here the pilgrimage is completed.
Even the Magi, like Joseph, receive God's message in a dream. God's dream has more influence on history than the power of any powerful person, and it mocks him.
They return to the place where they departed. But "by another road".
No longer that of those who seek someone that they do not know, but that of those who have found the One they seek.
In fact, they are no longer those of the past, they have found "where" the king was born.
The "where" of God is the heart of man, and the "where" of man is the heart of God.
They withdrew as " anchorites "as the Greek text says, in their own land.
They now have with them a new heaven and a new earth, seeds that they will carry everywhere they will go.