Like the Magi, we must worship the Child Jesus, letting Him transform us with His love… abandoning our plans, for His…. and never losing sight of Him, but rather keeping our eyes fixed on Him, in the midst of our daily demands…
Pope Francis stressed this in his homily this morning at the Mass for the Solemnity of the Epiphany in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Reflecting on how the Wise Men set out when they saw a star, the Pontiff underscored that worship was the end and goal of their journey. «Indeed, when they arrived in Bethlehem, they saw the child with Mary, His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him,'» he recalled, pointing out: «once we lose the sense of worship, we lose our direction in the Christian life.»
This, he stressed, is since it’s a journey towards the Lord, not towards ourselves.
«Through worship,» the Pope continued, «we discover that the Christian life is a love story with God, where what really matters is not our fine ideas, but our ability to make him the center of our loves, as lovers do with those whom they love. This is what the Church ought to be, a worshiper in love with Jesus, Her spouse.»
As we begin the New Year…
«As we begin the New Year,» Francis encouraged, «may we discover anew that faith demands worship. If we can fall on our knees before Jesus, we will overcome the temptation to set off on our own path. For worship involves making an exodus from the greatest form of bondage: slavery to oneself.»
Worship, he stressed, means putting the Lord at the center, not ourselves.
Means Making God’s Plan More Important Than Ours & Our Things…
«It means,» Francis elaborated, «giving things their rightful place, and giving the first place to God. Worship means making God’s plan more important than our personal time, our entitlements and our spaces. It is to accept the teaching of Scripture: “You shall worship the Lord your God” (Mt 4:10). Your God: worship means realizing that you and God belong together to one another. It means being able to speak to Him freely and intimately.»
«It means,» he underscored, «bringing our lives to Him and letting Him enter into them.»
Worship, Francis said, means going to Jesus without a list of petitions, but with one request alone, namely «to abide with Him.» In worship, Francis said, we discover joy and peace increasing with praise and thanksgiving, and «allow Jesus to heal and change us.»
«In worship,» he continued, «we make it possible for the Lord to transform us by his love, to kindle light amid our darkness, to grant us strength in weakness and courage amid trials. Worship means concentrating on what is essential…»
The Holy Father reminded those in St. Peter’s that worship is an act of love that changes our lives, noting it is to do what the Magi did. «To bring gold to the Lord and to tell Him that nothing is more precious than He is.»
Pope Francis departed from his prepared remarks to emphasize how we must grow in adoration. He stressed that we may know many things about the faith or pastoral closeness, but if we do not have first of all, adoring and worshiping Christ, it is not significant.
«Dear brothers and sisters, today each one of us can ask: “Am I a Christian who worships?” Many Christians pray but they do not worship.»
Let us ask ourselves….
«Let us ask ourselves this question: Do we find time for worship in our daily schedules and do we make room for worship in our communities?» he said.
«It is up to us, as a Church,» the Pope highlighted, «to put into practice the words we prayed in today’s Psalm: “All the peoples on earth will worship you, O Lord.”
«In worshiping,» Pope Francis concluded, «we too will discover, like the Magi, the meaning of our journey. And like the Magi, we too will experience ‘a great joy.'»
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On ZENIT’s Web page:
Full Homily: https://zenit.org/articles/popes-homily-for-solemnity-of-epiphany-3/
