The friend of the bridegroom. Third Sunday of Advent (B)Pope Francis has not only celebrated his birthday this Sunday, he also prayed the Angelus and delivered a meditation on the Gospel of the day. On this occasion, the Pontiff focused his words on the figure of St. John the Baptist, "an extraordinary man".
The Holy Father pointed out the reason why so many people came to see John. He was a man who attracted by his "coherent and sincere" way of being. Thanks to this, his testimony attracted attention, for "the frankness of his language, the honesty of his behavior and the austerity of his life".
Francis explained why people like John are important in our lives. "Luminous figures" are people who "inspire us to rise above mediocrity and in turn to be models of good living for others."
But St. John the Baptist is not the only personage like this in history. "The Lord sends such men and women in every age," and it is up to us to learn to recognize them. For this reason, the Pope invited everyone to ask themselves whether we learn from the witness of these people, whether we question ourselves.
Now, where does the light of St. John and those like him come from? The Pope has answered, following the words of the Baptist himself. "The light is Jesus, the Lamb of God, 'God who saves,' as his name says. He alone redeems, liberates, heals and enlightens." In short, John "is a lamp, while the light is Christ."
Lamps of Christ
Thanks to the light that St. John transmits, thanks to his witness, we learn two things that Francis pointed out. "First of all, that we cannot save ourselves. We need God to give us life. "Secondly, that each one of us, with service, consistency, humility, with the witness of life - always with the grace of God - can be a lamp that shines and helps others to find the way to meet Jesus."
The Pope concluded his meditation by inviting everyone to reflect on two questions:
- "How can I, in the environments in which I live, not some distant day, but already, now, this Christmas, be a witness of light, a witness for Christ?"
- "How can I, in the many meetings, in the conversations, in the celebrations of the coming days, bear witness to 'the true light,' that is, to the Lord Jesus, who shines in my life, so that others may also know Him and rejoice in Him?"
And, as usual, Pope Francis turned to the intercession of Mary, "mirror of holiness," to help Catholics "to be men and women who reflect Jesus, the light that comes into the world."
After the Angelus, the Holy Father celebrated the beatification of "Cardinal Eduardo Pironio, humble and zealous pastor, witness of hope, defender of the poor". He also remembered "the thousands of migrants who try to cross the Darien jungle between Colombia and Panama". And to all those "who suffer because of war, in Ukraine, Palestine and Israel and other areas of conflict".
