In Wednesday’s audience, the Pontiff began his reflection on the topic of Jesus’ childhood. He explained the meanings related to the genealogy, which includes some women’s names and is found at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew: “No one gives life to himself, but receives it from others as a gift.” For Christmas, he invited people to have the nativity scene at home: “An important element of spirituality and culture.” Prayer for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Myanmar.
Vatican City () – Throughout the jubilee year, the cycle of catechesis titled “Jesus Christ, our hope” that Pope Francis inaugurated this morning will take place in the general audiences on Wednesdays. Today the audience took place in the Paul VI Hall of the Vatican and was attended by nearly 7,000 faithful. Christ is “the goal of our pilgrimage and He Himself is the way, the path that we must travel,” he stated, when there are just a few days left until the beginning of the Holy Year, whose motto is “Pilgrims of hope.” After reading in several languages the Gospel according to Matthew on the “genealogy of Jesus” (Mt 1,1-3,15-16), the Pope spoke about the childhood of Christ and the meaning of genealogy at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew.
“The Infancy Gospels recount the virginal conception of Jesus and his birth from the womb of Mary; They remember the messianic prophecies that are fulfilled in Him and speak of the legal paternity of Joseph,” Bergoglio explained. And immediately afterwards he pointed out the differences between the evangelist Luke, who narrates “with the eyes of Mary,” and Matthew, who does so “with those of Joseph.” The second “opens his Gospel and the entire New Testament canon with “the genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1).” A list where “some, so to speak, problematic names are present”, which ends and “flowers” in Mary and Jesus Christ.
Through the genre of genealogy it can be understood that “no one gives life to himself, but receives it as a gift from others; In this case, it is about the chosen people, and those who inherit the deposit of faith from their fathers.” But, regarding the genealogies of the Old Testament, the one that begins the entire New Testament canon also contains names of women, in a culture in which “the father is the one who imposes the name on the son.” There are five female names: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary of Nazareth. “The first four women are united not by the fact of being sinners, as is sometimes said, but by the fact of being foreigners with respect to the people of Israel,” the Pope explained. These “are mentioned along with the man who was born to them or the one they fathered. But Mary, on the contrary, takes on a special role,” he added.
“It marks a new beginning, it itself is a new beginning, because in its history it is no longer the human creature that is the protagonist of the generation, but God himself.” The verb “was born” is the one that suggests this value linked to the presence of Mary. “Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus, called Christ, was born (Mt 1:16),” says the passage. Jesus is “true God and true man.” Francis concluded the catechism by telling those present: “Let us awaken in ourselves a grateful memory of our ancestors. And, above all, let us give thanks to God, who through Mother Church has engendered us for eternal life, the life of Jesus, our hope.”
At the end of the audience, addressing the Italian-speaking pilgrims, the Pontiff recalled Christmas, which is now very close. “Now it is close and I like to think that you have a manger in your homes,” he said, remembering the tradition started by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1223, who performed the first representation of the nativity. “This important element of our spirituality and our culture is a suggestive way of remembering Jesus who came to live among us.”
Finally, there was no shortage of calls for world peace. “Let us pray for peace. Let us not forget the peoples who suffer from war: Palestine, Israel, and all those who suffer, Ukraine, Myanmar… – he said -. Let us not forget to pray for peace, so that wars end. Let us ask the Prince of Peace, the Lord, to grant us this grace: peace, peace in the world. War, let us not forget, is always a defeat, always! War is always a defeat.” These words were received with long applause.
Add Comment