Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “With the feast of Christmas just a few days away, we are invited to fix our gaze upon the ineffable mystery that Mary carried for nine months in her virginal womb: the mystery of God who becomes man. This is the first hinge of Redemption. The second is Jesus' death and resurrection, and these two inseparable hinges manifest a single divine plan: to save humanity and its history, assuming it to the very end by completely taking on all the evil that oppresses it.” With these words, recalling the Gospel of the day, which reminds us of the Annunciation of the angel to the Virgin Mary, the Holy Father Benedict XVI offered a reflection prior to the recitation of the Angelus on Sunday, December 21, Fourth Sunday of Advent.
The Pope mentioned that “Beyond the historical dimension of this mystery of salvation, there is a cosmic dimension: Christ is the sun of grace who, with his light, 'transfigures and inflames the universe with expectation.' The time of the Christmas feast is linked with the winter solstice, when the days of the northern hemisphere begin to get longer again.” Benedict XVI then focused his reflection on the giant obelisk in Saint Peter's Square, which functions as a meridian, reminding us of the function of astronomy in marking the times of prayer: “The Angelus, for example, is recited in the morning, at noon and in the evening. The meridian, which in the past served for helping one to know " true noon," was the standard for clocks.”
The Holy Father then greeted “all those who are participating in various ways in the events of the International Year of Astronomy, 2009, marking the 4th centenary of Galileo Galilee's first observations with his telescope,” and recalled that among his Predecessors, there have been practitioners of this science, concluding by stating that “even the laws of nature, which in the course of centuries many men and women of science have helped us to understand better, are a great stimulus to contemplating the works of the Lord with gratitude.”
Finally, he invited the faithful gathered in Saint Peter's Square to pray the Angelus, “contemplating of Mary and Jesus, who await the birth of Jesus, and learn from them the secret of recollection for tasting the joy of Christmas. Let us prepare to welcome with faith the Redeemer who comes to be with us, the Word of God's love for humanity of every age.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 22/12/2008)
