This morning, Pope Benedict XVI presided at Mass for the Solemnity of the Epiphany in St. Peter's Basilica, followed by a further reflection before praying the Angelus with the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square. The Mass will be rebroadcast by EWTN two times today, at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (12:00 noon Eastern, 6:00 p.m. Rome) and 4:00 p.m. Pacific (7:00 p.m. Eastern, 1:00 a.m. tomorrow Rome). To watch online, from the EWTN homepage, hold your cursor over "Television", choose "Live TV - English" and then choose Real Video or Windows Media. For Live TV - Spanish, check the online schedule, which may include rebroadcasts at different hours of the day.
An article about the Pope's homily is available from Asia News. Translations are available from the Vatican, Zenit, and Papa Ratzinger Forum.
An article about the Angelus is available from Asia News. Translations are available from the Vatican, Zenit and from Teresa Benedetta at Papa Ratzinger Forum.
In his homily, the Pope spoke of the present day's Magi as the politicians, scientists, and leaders of non-Christian religions, in a world of globalization while justice and peace eludes us, and vast media expansion while the ability to synthesize the information is lacking. He spoke of the need for world leaders to be the "promoters of order and peace", remembering that God alone can "incline hearts to renounce those evil passions which beget war and misfortune." He called upon scientists to seek the truth and not make do with pragmatism. He called upon religious leaders not to fear the message of Christ, who came to fulfill what God's hand has written in the religious history of civilization. Lastly, he called on Christians to show Jesus to men and to remain united with Him, not allowing their message to be reduced to activism and sentimentalism.
Here is an excerpt from the homily translated by Asia News, addressed to men of thought and of science:
"Continue your search without tiring and without ever despairing of the truth. Recall the words of one of your great friends, St. Augustine: 'Let us seek with the desire to find, and find with the desire to seek still more.' Happy are those who, while possessing the truth, search more earnestly for it in order to renew it, deepen it and transmit it to others. Happy also are those who, not having found it, are working toward it with a sincere heart. May they seek the light of tomorrow with the light of today until they reach the fullness of light."
In his words before the Angelus, the Pope spoke of the importance of Epiphany as signifying the message of Christ to people of all nations and cultures. Here is an excerpt from Teresa Benedetta's translation:
"Why is this event so important? Because with it begins the adherence of pagan peoples to faith in Christ, according to the promise made by God to Abraham, about which the Book of Genesis says: 'In you all the communities of the earth will find themselves blessed' (Gen 12,3).
"If Mary, Joseph and the shepherds of Bethlehem represent the people of Israel welcoming the Lord, the Magi are the first of the Gentiles called to be part of the Church, the new people of God, based no longer on ethnic, linguistic or cultural homogeneity, but only on common faith in Jesus, Son of God."
Picture: Adoration of the Magi, by Andrea Mantegna, about 1495 to 1505 (museum information).
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