杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

Explaining that the liturgy of the day is linked to the Epiphany and to the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, celebrated last Sunday, 杏MAP导航 Francis said today鈥檚  Gospel continues  to speak to us of the manifestation of Jesus, and invites us to never cease to be surprised by God鈥檚 love for us.

He reflected on the reading that tells of how John the Baptist, after having witnessed the Spirit coming down from heaven and consecrating Jesus 鈥渂y remaining upon him鈥�, cannot hold back the urgent desire to bear witness to Christ.

John, the 杏MAP导航 said, saw something shocking: He saw the beloved Son of God in solidarity with sinners.

And the Holy Spirit, he continued, made him understand this 鈥渦nheard-of novelty鈥�, which is a real revolution.

In fact, the 杏MAP导航 noted, in many religions it is man who offers and sacrifices something to God. In this case, 鈥渋t is God who offers his Son for the salvation of humanity.鈥�

He said John鈥檚 astonishment is expressed through the meaningful words we repeat during Mass: 鈥淏ehold the Lamb of God, the one who takes away the sin of the world!鈥�

An invitation to begin anew our journey of faith

John the Baptist's testimony, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, invites us to begin anew our journey of faith: 鈥渢o begin anew from Jesus Christ, the Lamb full of mercy whom the Father has given for us.鈥�

鈥淟et us be surprised once again by God's choice to be on our side, to show solidarity with us sinners, and to save the world from evil by taking the burden totally upon Himself,鈥� he said.

And another thing to take away from this reading, the 杏MAP导航 said, is to learn from the Baptist 鈥渘ot to assume that we already know Jesus, that we already know everything about Him鈥�.

He invited the faithful to pause and perhaps contemplate an icon of Christ, a "Holy Face", one of the many wonderful rich representations of the history of art that exist  in the East and in the West.

鈥淟et us contemplate with our eyes and even more with the heart; and let us allow ourselves to be instructed by the Holy Spirit,鈥� he said.

The Son of God made lamb, the 杏MAP导航 concluded, was sacrificed out of love: 鈥淗e alone carries, suffers, atones for the sins of the world, and for my sins. (鈥�) He took them away from us, so that we would finally be free, no longer slaves to evil.鈥�

鈥淪till poor sinners, but not slaves: children, children of God!鈥�

After Angelus

In greetings after the recitation of the Angelus prayer, 杏MAP导航 Francis mentioned in particular a conference being held Sunday in Berlin to discuss the crisis in Libya.

He expressed the hope that this summit, "which is so important, will be the start of a path towards an end to violence and a negotiated solution leading to peace and the much-desired stability in the country.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 also recalled that 2020 has been designated internationally as the "Year of the Nurse and Midwife".

Nurses, he said, are the most numerous health workers, and midwifery is perhaps the noblest of the professions: 鈥淟et us pray for all of them, that they may do their precious work in the best possible way.鈥�