杏MAP导航

By Devin Watkins

鈥淭he star speaks to us of God鈥檚 dream that men and women everywhere, in all their rich variety, will together form one family that can live harmoniously in prosperity and peace.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis offered that reminder on Monday as he presided at Mass in St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica on the feast of the Epiphany.

, the Holy Father focused his remarks on three characteristics of the star that guided the Magi to the newborn baby Jesus.

He noted first that the star is 鈥渂right,鈥� recalling that many rulers in Jesus鈥� time referred to themselves with luminary imagery, often in connection with the sun.

Rather than imitating their cold and artificial splendour, the star that points to Jesus at Christmas illumined others by allowing itself to be consumed, an image of selfless love.

鈥淭his light is the love of God, who became man and gave Himself to us by sacrificing His life,鈥� said the 杏MAP导航.

In a similar way, we too are called to lead others to Christ by embodying His love in closeness, compassion, and tenderness.

鈥淲e can do this without the need for extraordinary means or sophisticated methods,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut simply by making our hearts bright with faith, our gazes generous in welcome, our gestures and fraternal words full of gentleness and kindness.鈥�

A sign to inspire all people

杏MAP导航 Francis then noted that the star was 鈥渧isible to all,鈥� which shone to draw everyone to Christ, not just a priviledged few.

Anyone who seeks Him with a sincere heart, added the 杏MAP导航, will find guidance along their journey.

By becoming man, the Son of God embraced every ethnic group, language, and people, entrusting all with the same universal mission.

鈥淕od calls us to reject anything that discriminates, excludes or discards people,鈥� said the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渁nd instead to promote, in our communities and neighbourhoods, a strong culture of welcome, in which the narrow places of fear and denunciation are replaced by open spaces of encounter, integration and sharing of life.鈥�

Far from remaining inaccessible, he added, the star鈥檚 light shows that God never forgets His people but rather delights in seeing us build bridges of peace to encounter one another.

Pilgrims on the journey

The 杏MAP导航 went on to note that the star鈥檚 third characteristic is that it 鈥減oints the way,鈥� tying it in to the Jubilee of Hope and our invitation to undertake pilgrimage.

The light of the star, he said, 鈥渇rees our hearts from all that is not charity, in order to encounter Christ fully, professing our faith in him and receiving the abundance of his mercy.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded his homily by inviting us to embrace our early Christian moniker as followers 鈥渙f the Way.鈥�

Each of us, he said, should always seek to be generous in welcoming one another and humble in walking together, so that we may encounter Christ and do Him homage.