Gulf Pine Catholic

6 Gulf Pine Catholic • January 5, 2024 Thanks to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and St. Jude, for prayers answered. LD At Christmas, God shows love through ‘littleness,’ not power, pope says BY JUSTIN MCLELLAN VATICAN CITY ( CNS ) -- More than two millennia after the Holy Family was denied a room at the inn and Jesus was born in a manger, war once again renders his birthplace in the Holy Land inhospitable, Pope Francis said. “Tonight, our hearts are in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is once more rejected by the futile logic of war, by the clash of arms that even today prevents him from finding room in the world,” the pope said Dec. 24 during his homily for Christmas Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. The nighttime liturgy began with prepa- ratory prayers that included Old Testament readings telling of the Messiah’s coming, invocations of the Savior and the proclama- tion of His birth. Children, who entered the basilica as part of the procession dressed in traditional garments from different conti- nents, placed flowers around a figurine of Jesus that rested in front of the basilica’s main altar. In his lengthy homily, the pope reflected on Jesus’ birth occurring after Caesar decreed a census in which “the whole world should be enrolled,” as recounted in St. Luke’s Gospel. The census, he said, “manifests the all- too-human thread that runs through history: the quest for worldly power and might, fame and glory, which measures everything in terms of success, results, numbers and figures, a world obsessed with achieve- ment.” By becoming human, however, Jesus chooses the way of “littleness.” “He does not eliminate injustice from above by a show of power, but from below, by a show of love,” the pope said. “He does not burst on the scene with limit- less power but descends to the narrow confines of our lives. He does not shun our frailties but makes them his own.” At Christmas, Pope Francis encouraged Christians to shun the image of a mighty and lofty God, “because there is always a risk that we can celebrate Christmas while thinking of God in pagan terms, as a powerful potentate in the sky; a god linked to power, worldly success and the idolatry of consumerism.” The pope, using a wheelchair, greeted representa- tives of other Christian denominations as he entered the basilica. Although the 87-year-old pope delivered his homily while seated, he showed no signs of difficulty while reading the long text and only stopped occasionally to clear his throat. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, was the main cel- ebrant at the altar. To God, “who changed history in the course of a census, you are not a number, but a face,” Pope Francis told the 6,500 people gathered inside the basilica, as well as those following the Mass on screens in St. Peter’s Square outside. “If you look to your own heart and think of your own inadequacies and this world that is so judgmental and unforgiving, you may feel it difficult to celebrate this Christmas,” he said. “You may think things are going badly or feel dissatisfied with your limitations, failings and problems, for your sins.” On Christmas, however, the pope encouraged Christians to “let Jesus take the initiative.” “He became flesh; He is looking not for your achievements but for your open and trusting heart,” he said. “In Him, you will rediscover who you truly are: a beloved son or daughter of God. After the Mass, Pope Francis carried the figurine of the baby Jesus in his lap while an aide pushed him in his wheelchair toward the Nativity scene at the back of the basili- ca. Flanked by children on either side, the pope went to the crèche, and the Jesus figurine was placed in the manger. The pope stopped to greet the crowd as he left the basili- ca, led by the children who were jumping and clapping along the way. Pope Francis holds his crosier as the Gospel is read during his Christmas Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican December 24. CNS photo/Lola Gomez Heavenly Father, bless Your Church with an abundance of holy and zealous priests, deacons, brothers and sisters. Give those You have called to the married state and those You have chosen to live as single persons in the world the special graces that their lives require. Form us all in the likeness of Your Son so that in Him, with Him and through Him we may love You more deeply and serve you more faithfully, always and everywhere. With Mary, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Prayer for Vocations