To seek God, to find God, to accept God, humility is needed: to look with humility for the grace to break the mirror of vanity, of pride, of looking at ourselves.
Vatican City (23/12/2021 14:32, Gaudium Press) During the General Audience on Wednesday 22nd, a few days before the celebration of Christmas, Pope Francis spoke about the birth of Jesus, “an event from which history cannot disregard”.
The symbolism of the angel, the star, the shepherds and the Magi
The Holy Father highlighted the role of the angel, who announced the birth of Jesus, the star that indicated the way to the Magi and the shepherds. “The angel is a messenger of God. The star reminds us that God created light and that that Child will be ‘the light of the world’. The shepherds personify the poor of Israel, humble people who inwardly live with the awareness of their own helplessness. They were the first to see the Son of God made man, and this encounter changes them profoundly,” he explained.
Referring to the Magi, the Pontiff stressed that they represent the pagan peoples, in particular “all those who throughout the centuries have sought God and set out to find him. They also represent the rich and the powerful, but only those who are not slaves to possession, who are not ‘possessed’ by the things they think they possess.”
Without humility, we are ‘cut off’ from understanding God
Pope Francis then stressed that “humility is the path that leads us to God and, at the same time, leads us to the essentials of life, to its true meaning, to the most reliable reason why life is worth living. Only humility opens us to the experience of truth, of genuine joy, of knowledge that counts.”
“Without humility, we are ‘disconnected’ from understanding God and ourselves. The Magi could have been great according to the logic of the world, but they become small, humble, and for this very reason they succeed in finding Jesus and recognizing him. They accept the humility of searching, of setting out, of asking, of risking, of making mistakes,” he added.
Invitation to approach the crib and ask for the grace of humility
The Pontiff invited the faithful to go to the grotto of Bethlehem to adore the Son of God made man: “Approach the crib set up in your home, in the Church or wherever you are, and make an interior adoration: ‘I believe that you are God, that this child is God. Please give me the grace of humility to be able to understand'”.
As we approach the manger we must ask for the grace of humility, not to think we are self-sufficient, and not to believe we are the centre of the universe. “Without humility we will never find God. We will find ourselves. Because the person who lacks humility has no horizons before him, he has only one mirror: he looks at himself,” he stressed.
“To seek God, to find God, to accept God, we need humility: to look with humility for the grace to break the mirror of vanity, of pride, of looking at ourselves. To look at Jesus, to look at the horizon, to look at God who comes to us and touches our hearts with that restlessness that leads us to hope. Happy and holy Christmas!” he concluded. (EPC)
