A great silence, permeated by attentive reflection and prayer, greeted the words of Benedict XVI as he finished his profound homily during Mass in the Basilica of St Peter to celebrate the feast of the Epiphany. This is one of the novel aspects introduced by this pope, that the liturgy is an encounter with the mystery of Jesus, not a show to be watched.
In effect, the pope’s words are a composition of doctrine and of beauty which leave one breathless, provoking an awed silence. The Epiphany (a Greek word which means ‘manifestation’) recalls the arrival of the Magi from the east to the hut in Bethlehem to adore Jesus, manifested as the King of Kings.
Benedict XVI defined the Epiphany as “a mystery of light” that of Christ, which “radiates on earth, spreading as though in concentric circles”: to the Virgin Mary and to Joseph; to the “shepherds of Bethlehem”, representative of the “rest of Israel, the poor, the anawim”; and “finally reaching the Magi, who constitute the first fruits of the pagan people”. “The palaces of power of Jerusalem remain in the shadows,” continues the pope. “Paradoxically, the news of the Messiah’s birth is delivered there by the very Magi, provoking not joy but fear and hostile reactions. A mysterious divine plan: “The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil” (Jn 3:19)
The pope “counts on” children’s prayers and their mission to help other children and to draw them to the Christian faith. Benedict XVI revealed this before the Angelus prayer this morning, addressing a crowd of around 50,000 people gathered to mark the feast of the Epiphany, when the Church celebrates the manifestation of Jesus to the pagan peoples, represented by the Magi Kings.
Benedict XVI recalled that today is “Children’s Mission Day”, promoted by the Pontifical Missionary Works which hold thousands of activities “with the motto ‘children helping children’”, educating children and youth “to openness to the world” and to the plight of so many of their peers in “disadvantaged situations”. And he added: “I too count on the prayers of children and on their active participation in the mission of the Church”.
Benedict XVI also recalled the World Youth Day which took place in Cologne in August 2005; its theme was based precisely on the quote from the Magi, “We have come to worship him."
Vested in gold for the feast of the Epiphany, Pope Benedict was surrounded by other prelates who concelebrated the Mass in the Vatican basilica. The Mass stressed the missionary work of the Church through international participation. The prayers of the faithful were read in Portuguese, Greek, German, and French; the offerings were brought forward by families from Korea, Italy, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Peru.
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