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ANGELUS TODAY
At the noontime Angelus today, the Holy Father's mini-homily was drawn from the Mass Reading for today - Micah's prophecy on the destiny of Bethlehem. However, he drew his English messgae from the Gospel of the day:
On this fourth Sunday of Advent, we are filled with joy because the Lord is at hand.
We heard in today’s Gospel about Mary’s journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Just as Mary travelled through the hill country of Judah, to share with her kinswoman the joyful news of Christ’s coming, so too the Church is called to journey through history, proclaiming the wondrous message of salvation.
As the great feast of Christmas draws near, I invoke God’s abundant blessings upon all of you, and upon your families and loved ones at home.
Here is a full translation of the Holy Father's words:
Dear brothers and sisters:
With the fourth Sunday of Advent, the Nativity of the Lord is almost here. The liturgy, with the words of the prophet Micah, invites us to look to Bethlehem, the small town in Judea which was to be the witness to the great event:
"You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times" (Mi 5,1).
A thousand years before Christ, Bethlehem had given birth to the great King David, whom Scriptures agree was to be the ancestor of the Messiah.
The Gospel of Luke narrates that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, because Joseph, spouse of Mary, being of 'the house of David', had to go that little town for the census, and just at that time, she gave birth to Jesus (cfr Lk 2,1-7).
Indeed, Micah's prophecy continues by speaking of a mysterious birth:
"The Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel" (Mic 5,2).
Thus there is a divibe plan which comprehends and explains the time and place of the coming of the Son of God to the world. It is a plan for peace, as the prophet announces, in speaking of the Messiah: \
"He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain. For now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth;
he shall be peace" (Mi 5,30.
It is this last part of the prohecy, that of Messianic peace, which brings us naturally to underscore that Bethlehem is also a place-symbol of peace, in the Holy Land and the entire world.
Unfortunately, in our time, it does not represent an accomplished and stable peace, but a peace that is effortfully sought and awaited.
But God never resigns himself to this state of things, and that is why, even this year, in Bethlehem and the whole world, the mystery of the Nativity is renewed in the Church, a prophecy of peace for every man, which demands that Christians immerse themselves in the closures, tragedies, often unknown and hidden, and conflicts of life, with the sentiments of Jesus, in order to be instruments and messengers of peace everywhere - to bring love where there is hatred, pardon where there is injury, joy where there is sorrow, and truth where there is error, according to the beautiful expressions in a famous Franciscan prayer.
Today, as in the time of Jesus, Christmas is not a fable for cbildren, but the response of God to the tragedy of mankind in search of true peace.
"He himself shall be peace", says the prophet, referring to the Messiah. It falls on us to open wide the doors to welcome him. Let us learn from Mary and Joseph: Let us place ourselves, with faith, at the sevice of the Lord.
Even if we do not fully udnerstand, ket us entrust ourselves to Wisdom and Goodness. Let us seek above all the Kingdom of God, and Providence will help us. A merry Christmas to all.
After the prayers he said this:
I address a special greeting to the staff of L'Osservatore Romano who, during the Christmas season, station a mobile kiosk every Sunday and Wednesday in St. Peter's Square where one can buy the newspaper along with a little icon of the Nativity.
I wish this initiative well, which, besides distributing the Vatican newspaper, is intended to raise money for a school in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In his plurilingual greetings, he had a special message for Poland:
As of yesterday, the Archbishop of Gniezno is now the Primate of Poland. this honorary title this returns to the most ancient metropolis on Polish territory, linked to the cult of St. Adalbert, Patron of Poland.
I thank Cardinal Jozef Glemp for having carried out his primatial mission in the difficult period of transition [from the Communist era].
I wish abundant graces from God for Archbishop Henryk Muszyński, and, from the heart, I bless the entire Church in Poland.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 20/12/2009 22:09] |