Having concluded the Mass celebrated inside the Vatican Basilica to mark the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, at noon today local time in Rome (6:00am EST), the Holy Father, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to recite the Angelus with the faithful and with pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square.
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
We are celebrating the Solemnity of the Epiphany, in memory of the Magi who came from the East to Bethlehem, following the star, in order to visit the newborn Messiah. At the end of the gospel story, the Magi are said to have been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, so they returned to their country by another way (Mt 2:12). By another way.
These wise people, coming from distant regions, after traveling a lot, found the one who they wished to know, after having searched for him for a long time, certainly also with hardships and trials. And when they finally reached their goal, they prostrated themselves before the Child, they adored him, they offered him their precious gifts. After which they set off again without delay to return to their land. But that meeting with the Child changed them.
The encounter with Jesus does not hold back the Magi, on the contrary, it infuses them with new energy to return to their country, to tell what they have seen and about the joy they have felt. In this, there is a demonstration of God's style, his way of manifesting himself in history. The experience of God does not block us, but frees us; it does not imprison us, but puts us back on the road, returns us to the usual places of our existence. The places are and will be the same, but we, after the encounter with Jesus, are not the same as we were before. The encounter with Jesus changes us, transforms us. Matthew the evangelist stresses that the Magi returned by another way (Mt 2:12). They are led to change direction by the angel's warning, so as not to run into Herod and his plots for power.
Each experience of meeting with Jesus leads us to take different paths, because from him comes a good source of strength that heals the heart and detaches us from evil.
There is a wise dynamic between continuity and novelty: you return to your country, but by another way. This indicates that it is we who have to change, to transform our way of life even in the usual environment, to change the criteria for judging the reality around us. Here is the difference between the true God and the treacherous idols, such as money, power, success ...; between God and those who promise to give you these idols, like magicians, fortune tellers, sorcerers. The difference is that idols bind us to themselves, make us idol-dependent, and we take possession of them. The true God neither holds us back nor lets himself be held back by us: he opens up ways of novelty and freedom, because He is the Father who is always with us to make us grow. If you meet Jesus, if you have a spiritual encounter with Jesus, remember: you must go back to the same places as always, but in another way, with another style. This is the difference: it is the Holy Spirit, which Jesus gives us, that changes our hearts.
Let us ask the Holy Virgin to help us become witnesses of Christ where ever we are, with new lives, transformed by his love.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I offer a particular thought to our brothers and sisters from the Oriental Churches, Catholic and Orthodox, many of whom will celebrate the Nativity of the Lord tomorrow. For them and for their community, let us wish them light and peace in the Saviour Christ. Let us applaud our Orthodox and Catholic brothers and sisters from the Oriental Churches.
On the day of the Epiphany, we celebrate the World Day of Missionary Childhood. This is the feast of children and young missionaries who are living the universal call to holiness by helping their peers who are most in need, through their prayers and gestures of sharing. Let us pray for them.
I offer my cordial greetings to all of you, Romans and pilgrims. Among you, I greet especially those who have come from South Korea and the students from the Siena College Franciscan Institute in New York; as well as the group of missionaries from Biassono and the faithful from Ferrara.
A special greeting goes to all those who give life to the historical-folkloric procession, inspired by the traditions of the Epiphany and dedicated this year to the territory of Allumiere and the Mignone Valley. And I also extend my greetings to the procession of the Magi taking place in numerous cities and villages in Poland. I would like to greet many popular expressions related to today's festival - I think of Spain, Latin America and Germany - customs that must be kept in their genuine Christian meaning.
I wish you all a good feast day. And please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
prior to the recitation of the Angelus
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
We are celebrating the Solemnity of the Epiphany, in memory of the Magi who came from the East to Bethlehem, following the star, in order to visit the newborn Messiah. At the end of the gospel story, the Magi are said to have been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, so they returned to their country by another way (Mt 2:12). By another way.
These wise people, coming from distant regions, after traveling a lot, found the one who they wished to know, after having searched for him for a long time, certainly also with hardships and trials. And when they finally reached their goal, they prostrated themselves before the Child, they adored him, they offered him their precious gifts. After which they set off again without delay to return to their land. But that meeting with the Child changed them.
The encounter with Jesus does not hold back the Magi, on the contrary, it infuses them with new energy to return to their country, to tell what they have seen and about the joy they have felt. In this, there is a demonstration of God's style, his way of manifesting himself in history. The experience of God does not block us, but frees us; it does not imprison us, but puts us back on the road, returns us to the usual places of our existence. The places are and will be the same, but we, after the encounter with Jesus, are not the same as we were before. The encounter with Jesus changes us, transforms us. Matthew the evangelist stresses that the Magi returned by another way (Mt 2:12). They are led to change direction by the angel's warning, so as not to run into Herod and his plots for power.
Each experience of meeting with Jesus leads us to take different paths, because from him comes a good source of strength that heals the heart and detaches us from evil.
There is a wise dynamic between continuity and novelty: you return to your country, but by another way. This indicates that it is we who have to change, to transform our way of life even in the usual environment, to change the criteria for judging the reality around us. Here is the difference between the true God and the treacherous idols, such as money, power, success ...; between God and those who promise to give you these idols, like magicians, fortune tellers, sorcerers. The difference is that idols bind us to themselves, make us idol-dependent, and we take possession of them. The true God neither holds us back nor lets himself be held back by us: he opens up ways of novelty and freedom, because He is the Father who is always with us to make us grow. If you meet Jesus, if you have a spiritual encounter with Jesus, remember: you must go back to the same places as always, but in another way, with another style. This is the difference: it is the Holy Spirit, which Jesus gives us, that changes our hearts.
Let us ask the Holy Virgin to help us become witnesses of Christ where ever we are, with new lives, transformed by his love.
Following the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father continued:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I offer a particular thought to our brothers and sisters from the Oriental Churches, Catholic and Orthodox, many of whom will celebrate the Nativity of the Lord tomorrow. For them and for their community, let us wish them light and peace in the Saviour Christ. Let us applaud our Orthodox and Catholic brothers and sisters from the Oriental Churches.
On the day of the Epiphany, we celebrate the World Day of Missionary Childhood. This is the feast of children and young missionaries who are living the universal call to holiness by helping their peers who are most in need, through their prayers and gestures of sharing. Let us pray for them.
I offer my cordial greetings to all of you, Romans and pilgrims. Among you, I greet especially those who have come from South Korea and the students from the Siena College Franciscan Institute in New York; as well as the group of missionaries from Biassono and the faithful from Ferrara.
A special greeting goes to all those who give life to the historical-folkloric procession, inspired by the traditions of the Epiphany and dedicated this year to the territory of Allumiere and the Mignone Valley. And I also extend my greetings to the procession of the Magi taking place in numerous cities and villages in Poland. I would like to greet many popular expressions related to today's festival - I think of Spain, Latin America and Germany - customs that must be kept in their genuine Christian meaning.
I wish you all a good feast day. And please, don't forget to pray for me. Enjoy your lunch and good bye!
Testo originale nella lingua italiana
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