At that point "they resume their journey, and once more they see the star;   
   the evangelist says that they 'rejoiced exceedingly'. Coming to Bethlehem,   
   they found 'the child with Mary His mother'. After that of Jerusalem, this was   
   their second great temptation: to reject this smallness. But instead, 'they   
   fell down and worshipped Him', offering him their precious symbolic gifts.   
   Again, it is the grace of the Holy Spirit which assists them. That grace,   
   which through the star had called them and led them along the way, now lets   
   them enter into the mystery. The star which led them on the journey allows   
   them to enter into the mystery. Led by the Spirit, they come to realise that   
   God's criteria are quite different from those of men, that God does not   
   manifest himself in the power of this world, but speaks to us in the   
   humbleness of His love. God's love is great. God's love is powerful. But the   
   love of God is humble, very humble. The wise men are thus models of conversion   
   to the true faith, since they believed more in the goodness of God than in the   
   apparent splendour of power".   
    "And so we can ask ourselves", continued the Holy Father, "what is the   
   mystery in which God is hidden? Where can I find Him? All around us we see   
   wars, the exploitation of children, torture, trafficking in arms, human   
   trafficking ... In all these realities, in these, the least of our brothers   
   and sisters who are enduring these difficult situations, there is Jesus. The   
   crib points us to a different path from the one cherished by the thinking of   
   this world: it is the path of God's self-abasement, that humility of God's   
   love by which He abases himself, He completely lowers himself, His glory   
   concealed in the manger of Bethlehem, on the cross upon Calvary, in each of   
   our suffering brothers and sisters".   
    "The wise men entered into the mystery", he concluded. "They passed from   
   human calculations to the mystery: this was their conversion. And our own? Let   
   us ask the Lord to let us undergo that same journey of conversion experienced   
   by the wise men. Let us ask Him to protect us and to set us free from the   
   temptations which hide the star. To let us always be aware of the   
   uncomfortable question: 'Where is the star?', whenever - amid the deceptions   
   of this world - we lose sight of it. To let us know ever anew God's mystery,   
   and not to be scandalised by the 'sign', that sign spoken of by the angels,   
   which points to 'a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger', and   
   to have the humility to ask the Mother, our Mother, to show Him to us. To find   
   the courage to be liberated from our illusions, our presumptions, our   
   'lights', and to seek this courage in the humility of faith and in this way to   
   encounter the Light, Lumen, like the holy wise men. May we enter into the   
   mystery. May it be so".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Angelus: the path of the Magi is a journey of the soul towards Christ   
    Vatican City, 6 January 2014 (VIS) - At the end of the Eucharistic   
   celebration in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis appeared at the window of his   
   study to pray the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.   
    The Holy Father, returning to the theme of the journey of the wise men,   
   remarked that "with their act of adoration, the Magi testify that Jesus came   
   to earth to save not just one people, but all peoples" and, therefore on the   
   Epiphany "our gaze extends to the horizon of the whole world to celebrate the   
   manifestation of the Lord to all people, that is, the manifestation of God's   
   love and universal salvation".   
    "As the Creator and Father of all, he wishes to be the Saviour of all", he   
   continued. "This is why we are always required to nurture great trust and hope   
   in every person and in his salvation: even those who appear to be far from the   
   Lord are followed - or rather "pursued" - by His impassioned -and faithful   
   love".   
    The Gospel account of the Magi describes their journey from the East as "a   
   journey of the soul, a journey towards the encounter with Christ. They are   
   attentive to the signs that point to His presence; they are tireless in facing   
   the difficulties of their search; they are courageous in coping with the   
   consequences of their encounter with the Lord. ... The experience of the Magi   
   evokes every man's journey to Christ. ... The star that is able to guide every   
   person to Jesus is the Word of God, which is the light that directs our   
   journey, nourishes our faith and regenerates it". Therefore, Pope Francis   
   emphasised, "We must not forget to read it and to meditate on it every day, so   
   that it may be a flame we carry within us to illuminate our steps and the   
   steps of those who walk beside us, who perhaps struggle to find their way to   
   Christ".   
    The Holy Father went on to mention "our brothers and sisters in the Christian   
   East, Catholics and Orthodox, many of whom celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord   
   tomorrow", and sent them a warm greeting.   
    Finally, he remarked that today we celebrate the World Day of Missionary   
   Childhood, "dedicated to children who joyfully live the gift of faith and pray   
   that the light of Jesus might reach all the children of the world. I encourage   
   teachers to nurture the missionary spirit in the young so that witnesses of   
   God's tenderness and heralds of His love might be born among them".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    The Holy See intensifies its fight against the Ebola virus   
    Vatican City, 7 January 2014 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council "Justice and   
   Peace" today publishes its document "Expanding the Catholic Church's   
   commitment to the Ebola emergency response", in which it describes for the   
   first time its pastoral response to a relatively new disease which has   
   devastated communities above all in the countries of Western Africa,   
   especially Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.   
    According to the document, "The Holy See wishes to express its appreciation   
   to the local Catholic Church in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone for its   
   timely response to the Ebola crisis. In order to strengthen these efforts, and   
   as a practical response to the emergency, the Holy See is making a financial   
   contribution. The funds will support Church-sponsored structures with a view   
   to increasing the assistance they offer via healthcare institutions, community   
   initiatives and pastoral care of patients and healthcare professionals. The   
   Holy See encourages other donors, whether private or public, to add to these   
   funds as a sign of solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are suffering   
   gravely in the areas affected by the disease.   
    "The monies contributed by the Holy See will be used to purchase much-needed   
   protective supplies, to assist with the transport of patients, and to pay for   
   the renovation of buildings, among other things. A portion of the Holy See's   
   contribution will be directed towards residents in targeted communities so as   
   to develop and enhance strategies needed to stop the spread of Ebola. Funds   
   are also earmarked for the support of afflicted families and orphaned   
   children. As part of a pastoral response, the Holy See will contribute to the   
   care of people in affected areas by training and supporting clergy, men and   
   women religious as well as lay pastoral workers, ensuring that they are better   
   equipped to attend to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the sick   
   and the suffering. The Holy See will focus on parishes,because so much of the   
   Church's work takes place at the level of the parish, and it is an important   
   grass-roots institution in fighting the Ebola-related stigma now emerging as a   
   serious problem, particularly for survivors".   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
    Other Pontifical Acts   
    Vatican City, 7 January 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:   
    - Bishop Jose Antonio Peruzzo of Palmas - Francisco Beltrao, Brazil, as   
   archbishop of Curitiba (area 5,751, population 2,444,000, Catholics 1,821,000,   
   priests 405, permanent deacons 64, religious 1,549), Brazil.   
    - appointed Fr. Leomar Antonio Brustolin as auxiliary of the archdiocese of   
   Porto Alegre (area 13,530, population 3,395,000, Catholics 2,527,000, priests   
   362, permanent deacons 58, religious 1,487), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born   
   in Caxias do Sul, Brazil in 1967 and was ordained a priest in 1992. He studied   
   philosophy at the University of Caxias do Sul and theology at the Pontifical   
   University of Rio Grande do Sul, and holds a licentiate in systematic theology   
   from the Jesuit faculty (FAJE) at Belo Horizonte and a doctorate in theology   
   from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Rome. He has   
   served in a number of pastoral and academic roles, including parish vicar of   
   the Cathedral of Caxias do Sul, professor of theology at the Pontifical   
   University of Rio Grande do Sul at Porto Alegre, coordinator of the licentiate   
   course in theology at the same university, director of the course in theology   
   for laypersons and director of the Centre for Theology of Caxias do Sul. He is   
   currently parish priest of the St. Teresa of Avila Cathedral in Caxias do Sul.   
      
   ___________________________________________________________   
      
   For more information and to search for documents refer to the site:   
   www.visnews.org and www.vatican.va   
      
   Copyright (VIS):  the news contained in the services of the Vatican   
   Information Service may be reproduced wholly or partially by quoting   
   the source:  V. I. S. - Vatican Information Service.   
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    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)