杏MAP导航 at Angelus: Be open to God who loves to dwell among us
By Devin Watkins
杏MAP导航 Francis prayed the Angelus on the second Sunday during Christmastide, and , recited in the traditional Marian prayer: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
He told the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square—and those across the world joining the broadcast—that these words contain a paradox.
Opposites reconciled in Jesus
The Eternal Word and human flesh were polar opposites before the Incarnation, said the 杏MAP导航.
He added that “heaven and earth”, “infinite and finite”, “spirit and matter”, and “light and darkness” are other opposites that apparently have nothing to do with each other.
Yet, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, in Jesus all of these polar opposites come together and are reconciled in the Incarnation of the Son of God.
Dwelling in our midst
杏MAP导航 Francis said the Gospel uses these polarities to announce God’s “splendid” way of acting.
When God is confronted with our frailties, He does not pull back and retreat into His eternal, infinite light.
Rather, God “descends into darkness, and dwells in lands that are foreign to Him,” said the 杏MAP导航.
Incarnate in our poverty
The 杏MAP导航 noted that we often keep our distance from God because we doubt our worthiness. Christmas, however, invites us to see things from God’s point of view.
“God wishes to be incarnate,” he said, urging us to overcome our fears by drawing near to Jesus.
The Gospel, he noted, uses the word “to dwell”, which expresses great intimacy and “total sharing.”
Living in our ‘inner stables’
杏MAP导航 Francis therefore called on Christians to welcome the Christmas message by making space for Jesus in our hearts, no matter their sinful condition.
He said we can welcome Jesus by pausing for a moment before a Nativity Scene.
A creche, said the 杏MAP导航, “shows Jesus who came to dwell in all our real, ordinary life, where not everything goes well, where there are many problems.”
God, concluded 杏MAP导航 Francis, is there in the midst of all the situations of our daily lives, waiting for us to speak with Him about them.
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here
