In his homily to 6,500 believers in St. Peter's Basilica and 6,000 in St. Peter's Square, the Pope recalled that Jesus is neither a God of achievement nor of unlimited power, but who delves into our limitations and weaknesses. “Our hearts are this evening in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is still rejected by the lost logic of war, with the battle of arms that, even today, prevents him from finding a place in the world,” affirmed the Holy Father .
Delphine Allaire – Vatican City
Citing the historical context of Christ's birth, that of the census across the earth, the pope highlighted a striking contrast: “While the emperor counts the inhabitants of the world, God goes in almost in secret; While the commanders strive to become the greats of history, the king of history chooses the path of the small. No one in power notices, just a few shepherds who are pushed to the margins of social life.”
According to the Holy Father, this path of smallness is also confirmed in Jesus' attitude towards the census. “He does not approve of the census and humbly allows himself to be counted. We do not see an angry God who punishes, but the merciful God who became man, entering weakly into the world with the proclamation: “Peace to men on earth” preceding him.
Jesus is not the God of performance but of the incarnation
“And our hearts are tonight in Bethlehem, where the Prince of Peace is still rejected by the lost logic of war, with the battle of arms that, even today, prevents him from finding a place in the world,” affirmed the successor Peter, considering that the counting of the entire earth, in short, manifests, on the one hand, the all-too-human thread that runs through history: “that of a world in search of power and might, of fame and honor, where everything becomes measured by achievements and results, numbers and figures. It's the obsession with performance, he says. But at the same time, the census highlights the path of Jesus who visits us through the Incarnation. “He is not the God of achievement, but the God of the Incarnation. He does not remove injustice from above with violence, but from below with love; it does not unfold with unlimited force, but penetrates our boundaries; He doesn’t avoid our weaknesses, but accepts them.”
“Our hearts are in Bethlehem tonight, where the Prince of Peace is still rejected by the lost logic of war, with the battle of arms that, even today, prevents him from finding a place in the world.”
The Bishop of Rome continued his sermon by asking the faithful: “Which God do we believe in?” To the God of the Incarnation or the God of Performance? Yes, because there is a danger of experiencing Christmas with a pagan idea of God. As if he were a mighty lord in heaven, a god associated with power, worldly success and the idolatry of consumerism.
Beware of false images of a God of immediacy
This, according to Francis, is the false image of a distant and sensitive God who behaves well towards the good and gets angry towards the bad; “A God created in our image and serving only to solve our problems and remove our evils.” On the contrary: “He does not use a magic wand, He is not the commercial God of “everything and immediately”; He does not save us by pressing a button, but rather he manages to change reality from within,” the Pope added, deploring this secular idea of a distant and controlling God, rigid and powerful, who helps his people , to assert oneself over others, as many believe.
“God doesn’t use a magic wand, he’s not the commercial God of “everything and instant””
And the Pope urges us to turn to the “living and true God,” who transcends all human calculations and yet can be counted by our standards; to Him who revolutionizes history by inhabiting it; to Him who respects us so much that He allows us to reject Him. “He so longs to embrace our existences that, infinite, he becomes finite for us; big, it becomes small; righteous, he dwells in our iniquities,” remarked Peter’s successor. This, in his opinion, is the miracle of Christmas: “Not a mixture of sentimental affections and worldly comforts, but the unparalleled tenderness of God who saves the world by becoming human.” Let us look at the child, let us look at his manger, let us look at the manger, which the angels call “the sign.”
God looks at the face and the heart, not the performance
The Pope then reflected on the flesh in which the Word became flesh. A term that reminds us of the fragility of human existence, which God has penetrated out of love for us.
“To God, who changed history through the census, you are not a number but a face; Your name is written in his heart,” emphasized Francis, speaking deeply to every person's heart: “If you look at your heart, at your achievements that do not meet the requirements, at the world that judges and does not forgive, then “Perhaps you are living badly.” At Christmas, think that you are not well, and harbor feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction because of your weaknesses, your downfalls, and your problems.
“He who became flesh does not expect your achievements, but your open and trusting heart,” the pope said, recalling that Christ does not look at numbers but at faces. Conversely, he asks: “Who looks at him, amidst the countless things and the hectic hustle and bustle of a world that is always busy and indifferent?”
Rediscover worship
One answer to this lies in worship, like Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and then the wise men. “Worship is the way to welcome the incarnation.” “Let us rediscover worship, because worship is not wasting our time but allowing God to inhabit our time. It is about allowing the seed of the incarnation to blossom within us; it is about participating in the work of the Lord, who like leaven changes the world. It's about interceding, repairing and allowing God to set history right.” And the Pope concluded with a quote from the great Christian author Tolkien: “I offer you the only great thing on earth to love “There you will find charm, fame, honor, loyalty and the true path of all your loved ones on earth” (JRR Tolkien, Letter No. 43, March 1941).
“Let us rediscover worship because worship is not wasting our time but allowing God to indwell our time.”
Pope Francis' Christmas Eve Mass