In the homily of the Mass for the Solemnity of Epiphany, Pope Francis says: “We need to learn even better to contemplate the Lord”, learning from the example of the Magi.
By Christopher Wells
“In our day, it is particularly necessary for us, as individuals and communities, to devote more time to worship,” said Pope Francis at the Epiphany Mass. “We need to learn better and better to contemplate the Lord”, following the example of the Magi, who came to Bethlehem to worship the Baby Jesus. “Like them,” said the Pope, “we want to bow and worship the Lord.”
Following the example of the liturgical readings of the day, Pope Francis focused on three phrases “that can help us to understand more fully what it means to be a worshiper of the Lord: ‘look up’, ‘start a journey’ and ‘to see’ ”.
To lift our eyes
The first expression is taken from the prophet Isaiah, who encouraged the people of Israel, after returning from exile, to “look up” and look around, despite their problems.
This prophetic call to “look around” does not mean ignoring difficulties and problems, much less denying reality. Instead, “it is a matter of seeing problems and anxieties in a new way, knowing that God is aware of our problems, attentive to our prayers and not indifferent to the tears we shed.”
This is an invitation to continually trust in God, which in turn leads to “filial gratitude,” said the Pope. “When we raise our eyes to God, our problems do not go away, but we are sure that the Lord gives us the strength to deal with them.” Filial gratitude and joy based on trust in God “awakens in us the desire to worship the Lord”.
To start a journey
Pope Francis noted that before the Magi could worship Jesus in Bethlehem, they had to make a long journey. “A journey,” he said, “always involves a change.” For us too, our journey through life involves many changes, even mistakes and failures that can, however, become learning experiences. “Over time,” said the Pope, “the trials and difficulties of life, the experience of faith, help to purify our hearts, making them more humble and therefore more open to God”.
Instead of being discouraged by the difficulties we experience in life, he continued, “We must give them opportunities to progress towards the Lord Jesus … Keeping our eyes fixed on the Lord, we will find the strength to persevere with renewed joy”.
To see
This leads to the third sentence: “to see”. When the magicians arrived in Bethlehem and found Jesus with his mother Mary, “they fell down and worshiped him”.
Pope Francis highlighted how remarkable this was: “Worship was an act of homage reserved for sovereigns and high dignitaries.” But although the Magi knew that Jesus was the King of the Jews, they saw only “a poor child and his mother”. “They were able to ‘see’ beyond appearances,” said the Pope.
To worship the Lord, Pope Francis explained, we, too, “need to ‘see’ beyond the veil of visible things, which often prove to be misleading.” In the Gospel, Herod and the people of Jerusalem “represent a worldliness enslaved to immediate appearances and attractions” and are therefore unable to recognize Jesus for who He really is.
“Theological Realism”
The Magi, however, look at things differently, with an approach that the Pope describes as “theological realism”: “a way of perceiving the objective reality of things … a way of ‘seeing’ that transcends the visible and makes worship possible the Lord, who often hides in everyday situations, in the poor and on the outskirts … a way of seeing things that is not impressed by sound and fury, but seeks in every situation what really matters ” .
Pope Francis concluded his homily with a prayer that the Lord “may make us true worshipers, capable of showing with life his plan of love for all humanity”.