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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Angelus: the path of the Magi is a journey of the soul towards Christ


Vatican City, 6 January 2015 (VIS) – At the end of the Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his study to pray the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.

The Holy Father, returning to the theme of the journey of the wise men, remarked that “with their act of adoration, the Magi testify that Jesus came to earth to save not just one people, but all peoples” and, therefore on the Epiphany “our gaze extends to the horizon of the whole world to celebrate the manifestation of the Lord to all people, that is, the manifestation of God’s love and universal salvation”.

“As the Creator and Father of all, he wishes to be the Saviour of all”, he continued. “This is why we are always required to nurture great trust and hope in every person and in his salvation: even those who appear to be far from the Lord are followed – or rather “pursued” – by His impassioned -and faithful love”.

The Gospel account of the Magi describes their journey from the East as “a journey of the soul, a journey towards the encounter with Christ. They are attentive to the signs that point to His presence; they are tireless in facing the difficulties of their search; they are courageous in coping with the consequences of their encounter with the Lord. ... The experience of the Magi evokes every man’s journey to Christ. … The star that is able to guide every person to Jesus is the Word of God, which is the light that directs our journey, nourishes our faith and regenerates it”. Therefore, Pope Francis emphasised, “We must not forget to read it and to meditate on it every day, so that it may be a flame we carry within us to illuminate our steps and the steps of those who walk beside us, who perhaps struggle to find their way to Christ”.

The Holy Father went on to mention “our brothers and sisters in the Christian East, Catholics and Orthodox, many of whom celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord tomorrow”, and sent them a warm greeting.

Finally, he remarked that today we celebrate the World Day of Missionary Childhood, “dedicated to children who joyfully live the gift of faith and pray that the light of Jesus might reach all the children of the world. I encourage teachers to nurture the missionary spirit in the young so that witnesses of God's tenderness and heralds of His love might be born among them”.




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