Edward Burne-Jones [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
From the Homily of Pope
Benedict XVI for Epiphany, 2011
“On the Solemnity
of Epiphany the Church continues to contemplate and to celebrate the mystery of
the birth of Jesus the Saviour… the Son of God did not only come for the People
of Israel… but also for the whole of humanity, represented by the Magi. And it
is precisely on the Magi and their journey in search of the Messiah (cf. Mt
2:1-12) that the Church invites us to meditate and pray today.”
“…let us follow
the journey of the Magi to Jerusalem… it was logical to seek the new king in
the royal palace, where the wise court advisors were to be found. Yet, probably to their amazement… this
newborn Child was not found in the places of power and culture...”
“They realized
that power, even the power of knowledge, sometimes blocks the way to the
encounter with this Child. The star then guided them to Bethlehem, a little
town; it led them among the poor and the humble to find the King of the world.”
“God’s criteria
differ from human criteria. God does not manifest himself in the power of this
world but... in quite a different way: in Bethlehem, where we encounter the
apparent powerlessness of his love. And it is there that we must go and there
that we find God’s star.”
“The language of
creation enables us to make good headway on the path towards God but does not
give us the definitive light. In the end, it was indispensable for the Magi to
listen to the voice of the Sacred Scriptures: they alone could show them the
way. The true star is the word of God which, amidst of the uncertainty of human
discourses, gives us the immense splendour of the Divine Truth.”
“…let us allow
ourselves to be guided by the star that is the word of God, let us follow it in
our lives, walking with the Church in which the Word has pitched his tent. Our
road will always be illumined by a light that no other sign can give us. And we
too shall become stars for others, a reflection of that light which Christ
caused to shine upon us.”
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