Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican Media
Dili (Agenzia Fides) - The second day of Pope Francis in East Timor ends with a Holy Mass on the esplanade of Taci Tolu. The Pope presided over the rite in the same place where the Eucharist with John Paul II took place in 1989. More than 600,000 people were present, arriving at dawn on the outskirts of the capital. The Mass was celebrated in Portuguese in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, around whom the homily also revolves. The most important passages follow:
God lets his saving light shine through the gift of a child. All over the world, the birth of a child is a bright moment of joy and a moment of celebration that awakens good desires: for renewal in goodness, for a return to purity and simplicity.
The sight of a newborn child fills even the hardest heart with warmth and tenderness.
The weakness of a child contains a message so powerful that it touches even the most hardened hearts, restoring harmony and serenity. It is wonderful what happens when a child is born!
East Timor is beautiful because there are so many children: you are a young country where you can see life pulsating and blossoming in every corner. And that is a great gift: so many young people and so many children constantly renew the freshness, energy, joy and enthusiasm of your people.
But more than that, it is a sign, because when we give space to the little ones, welcome them, care for them and also humble ourselves before God and before one another, these are precisely the attitudes that open us to the Lord's action. By making ourselves small, we allow the Almighty to do great things for us.
Let us not be afraid of making ourselves small before God and each other, of missing out on our lives, giving away our time, revising our plans or giving up something. Let us also not be afraid of making our plans smaller if necessary, not to diminish them, but to make them even more beautiful by giving ourselves away and accepting others.
All of this is well symbolized by two beautiful traditional pieces of jewelry from this country: the Kaibauk and the Belak. Both are made of precious metal. That means that they are meaningful!
The first piece of jewelry symbolizes the light of the sun. It stands for strength, energy and warmth and can represent the life-giving power of God. It reminds us that with the light of God's word and the power of his grace, we too can participate in the great plan of salvation through our decisions and actions.
The second jewel, the Belak, worn on the chest, is a complement to the first. It recalls the delicate glow of the moon at night. It represents peace, fertility and sweetness and symbolizes the tenderness of the mother who, with the delicate reflection of her love, makes everything she touches shine with the same light that she receives from God.
Kaibauk and Belak, strength and tenderness of father and mother: this is how the Lord shows his kingship, which is made of love and mercy.
And so, in this Eucharistic celebration, we ask together - each of us, as men and women, as the Church and as a society – to be able to reflect in the world the strong and tender light of the God of love (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 10/9/2024)
