杏MAP导航

By Alessandro Di Bussolo and Isabella Piro

The wonder before God鈥檚 newness鈥攖he mystery of the Incarnation鈥攊s 鈥渢he first movement of the heart to awaken鈥� as we journey toward the celebration of the Lord鈥檚 birth at Christmas and prepare to cross the Jubilee Door with renewed hope.

We are called to learn from the wonder of Mary after the angel Gabriel鈥檚 announcement, who 鈥渓ets herself be naturally drawn鈥� into God鈥檚 plan and desired to 鈥減articipate in it freely and consciously.鈥� In order to do so, we must first dissolve the rigidity of our hearts, saying 鈥榥o鈥� to all that risks closing us off and weighing us down: fear, resignation, and cynicism. Only then 鈥渃an we see everything with new eyes, recognizing those seeds of the Gospel already present in reality鈥� and ready to bring God鈥檚 hope into the world.

Father Roberto Pasolini, a Capuchin Franciscan friar and the new Preacher to the Papal Household, offered this inspiration on Friday morning to 杏MAP导航 Francis and members of the Roman Curia in Vatican's Paul VI Hall.

The theme chosen for the three Advent Sermons is 鈥淭he Doors of Hope: Toward the Opening of the Holy Year through the Prophecy of Christmas.鈥�

Opening the Door of Wonder

After expressing his heartfelt gratitude to his predecessor, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, the 鈥減reacher of the joy and light of the Gospel鈥� to the Papal Household for 44 years, Fr. Pasolini invited everyone to open 鈥淭he Door of Wonder,鈥� the theme of his first meditation.

He began by focusing on the voices of the prophets, the 鈥渃ourage to dissent鈥� of Elizabeth, and the 鈥渉umility to adhere鈥� of Mary. The prophets, those who 鈥渄eeply understand the meaning of historical events,鈥� point us, according to Fr. Pasolini, toward the challenge of Advent: 鈥渢o notice God鈥檚 presence and action within history and to awaken wonder before what He not only can do but above all desires to accomplish still in our lives and the history of the world.鈥�

Voices of the prophets: Admonition leading to hope

Highlighting how the liturgy immerses us in many prophetic texts during this season, Fr. Pasolini emphasized that their voices can never leave us indifferent.

As Jeremiah teaches, they produce two effects in us: admonition, which then opens us to hope because 鈥淕od reaffirms His faithful love and offers His people a new opportunity.鈥�

These are words we find hard to hear, especially 鈥渨hen God鈥檚 voice seeks to reopen channels of hope,鈥� as 鈥渁ccepting good news is not easy, especially when reality has long been marked by suffering, disappointment, and uncertainty. The temptation to believe that nothing new can happen often creeps into our hearts.鈥�

Yet voices like Isaiah鈥檚鈥斺�淪ee, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?鈥濃�攔each us precisely where we are tempted to think that reality can no longer offer new glimmers of light.

The challenge, then, is to reawaken 鈥渨onder鈥� before what God desires 鈥渢o still accomplish in our lives and the history of the world.鈥�

Example of Elizabeth and Mary

To prepare ourselves to listen to these prophetic voices, Fr. Pasolini pointed to two female figures, Elizabeth and the Virgin Mary, who embody the two fundamental attitudes needed to generate a dynamic of salvation within us.

Elizabeth courageously said 鈥榥o鈥� to the apparent continuity of things and relationships, while Mary of Nazareth exemplified the need to say 鈥榶es鈥� to God鈥檚 newness, formulating a free and joyful consent to His will.

Fr. Pasolini reflected on the story of Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah, as told by the evangelist Luke. Zechariah, an elderly priest, is 鈥渦nable to trustfully accept the announcement of a long-desired but seemingly impossible event鈥�: the birth of a son.

Because of his lack of faith, he is rendered mute until John鈥檚 circumcision, the name indicated by the angel. When relatives suggest naming the child after his father, Elizabeth intervenes: 鈥淣o, he will be called John.鈥�

Zechariah means 鈥淕od remembers,鈥� while John means 鈥淕od is merciful.鈥� The new name, Fr. Pasolini explained, shifts attention to the present and 鈥渟uggests that history, though influenced by its legacies, is always capable of transcending itself and opening to new possibilities when God acts.鈥�

Zechariah writes his agreement to the name John on a tablet and regains his voice.

Discovering that the best is yet to come

For the papal preacher, Elizabeth鈥檚 reaction suggests that 鈥渁t times, it is necessary to interrupt the flow of events to open oneself to God鈥檚 newness.鈥�

鈥淭oday more than ever, in an extraordinary time in human history,鈥� Fr. Pasolini noted, 鈥渨e need to recover this kind of spiritual perspective on reality,鈥� in which 鈥渁longside grave injustices, wars, and violence afflicting every corner of the world, new discoveries and promising paths of liberation are emerging.鈥�

Focused as we are on the present, 鈥渨e struggle to invest in the future and tend to imagine tomorrow as a mere photocopy of today.鈥�

Elizabeth鈥檚 鈥榥o,鈥� however, which entrusts her son John鈥檚 destiny to God, 鈥渞eminds us that nothing and no one is conditioned solely by their history and roots but is continually reconditioned by God鈥檚 grace.鈥�

Mary: Humility to assent

Lastly, reflecting on Mary鈥檚 response to God鈥檚 call, Fr. Pasolini reread the Gospel of the Annunciation, drawing out details that 鈥渃an help us recover some wonder toward the mystery of the Incarnation.鈥�

He explained that, in Luke鈥檚 Gospel, the angel Gabriel鈥檚 task is to 鈥渆nter Mary鈥檚 heart without forcing her willingness in any way because their dialogue must occur in complete freedom鈥� and 鈥渋n a climate of trust.鈥�

Mary is commanded to rejoice, recognizing 鈥渢hat something is already present: the Lord is with her.鈥� This, Fr.Pasolini explained, is 鈥渢he grace of Advent,鈥� which allows us 鈥渢o realize there are more reasons to rejoice than to grieve, not because life is easy, but because the Lord is with us, and anything can still happen.鈥�

Yet Mary responds to the angel鈥檚 words with 鈥済reat wonder,鈥� for at least two reasons. First, 鈥渨hen someone manifests love to us, it is always a surprise. Love is never a given,鈥� and 鈥渨e need to feel recognized and accepted for who we are.鈥�

Second, her heart senses that it is time 鈥渢o be fully redefined by God鈥檚 word,鈥� as though 鈥淕od鈥檚 word were writing on a sheet where many other statements have already accumulated and organized themselves over time, leaving little room for further declarations.鈥�

In Advent, said Fr. Pasolini, waiting and listening allow God鈥檚 voice to 鈥渞eenter us, retelling who we are and can be before His face.鈥�

Mary鈥檚 call to an impossible pregnancy by human standards exposed her to misunderstanding and judgment under the Law of Moses.

Fr. Pasolini said this means that 鈥渆very call from God necessarily exposes us to death because it contains the promise of a life wholly given to God and the world.鈥�

Such fear 鈥渂efore this kind of responsibility鈥� can only be overcome by 鈥渃ontemplating the beauty and greatness of what awaits us.鈥� But to embrace this fully, Fr. Pasolini stressed, 鈥渨e cannot limit ourselves to saying those 鈥榶eses鈥� that cost us nothing and deprive us of nothing.鈥�

Every 鈥渁uthentic Gospel decision鈥� costs us our entire life and risks losing our privileges and certainties. Saying 鈥榶es鈥� to God, he noted, risks 鈥渄ying to the balances we have reached and in which we try to remain.鈥� Yet this is precisely 鈥渢he path that helps us rediscover ourselves.鈥�

Behold the Servant of the Lord

To the angel, Mary responded with her 鈥渉oly wonder,鈥� asking, 鈥淗ow will this be since I do not know man?鈥�

She 鈥渄oes not seek to understand God鈥檚 plan in detail鈥� but simply desires to 鈥減articipate in it freely and consciously.鈥� The angel does not explain how she will conceive the Son of God鈥檚 flesh but announces that the Holy Spirit will be her faithful guardian.

With her words, 鈥淏ehold the handmaid of the Lord: let it be to me according to your word,鈥� Mary 鈥渄eclares her complete enthusiasm for the call she has just received.鈥�

Fr. Pasolini said it is as though she told the angel, 鈥淲hat you have asked me to accept, I now desire and choose for myself.鈥�

According to Fr. Pasolini, 鈥渆very annunciation we receive on life鈥檚 journey鈥� should end in this way. 鈥淲hen God鈥檚 light manages to show us that within the fear of what lies ahead, there is the faithfulness of an eternal promise, wonder arises within us, and we find ourselves able to finally say, 鈥楬ere I am.鈥欌��