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: 鈥淭he Word became flesh and dwelt among us.鈥�
He told the crowds gathered in St. Peter鈥檚 Square鈥攁nd those across the world joining the broadcast鈥攖hat 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 鈥渉eaven and earth鈥�, 鈥渋nfinite and finite鈥�, 鈥渟pirit and matter鈥�, and 鈥渓ight and darkness鈥� 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鈥檚 鈥渟plendid鈥� way of acting.
When God is confronted with our frailties, He does not pull back and retreat into His eternal, infinite light.
Rather, God 鈥渄escends into darkness, and dwells in lands that are foreign to Him,鈥� 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鈥檚 point of view.
鈥淕od wishes to be incarnate,鈥� he said, urging us to overcome our fears by drawing near to Jesus.
The Gospel, he noted, uses the word 鈥渢o dwell鈥�, which expresses great intimacy and 鈥渢otal sharing.鈥�
Living in our 鈥榠nner stables鈥�
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, 鈥渟hows Jesus who came to dwell in all our real, ordinary life, where not everything goes well, where there are many problems.鈥�
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.
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