Pope at Epiphany Mass: Star calls all to seek Christ in pilgrimage

By Devin Watkins

“The star speaks to us of God’s dream that men and women everywhere, in all their rich variety, will together form one family that can live harmoniously in prosperity and peace.”

Pope Francis offered that reminder on Monday as he presided at Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on the feast of the Epiphany.

In his homily, the Holy Father focused his remarks on three characteristics of the star that guided the Magi to the newborn baby Jesus.

He noted first that the star is “bright,” recalling that many rulers in Jesus’ time referred to themselves with luminary imagery, often in connection with the sun.

Rather than imitating their cold and artificial splendour, the star that points to Jesus at Christmas illumined others by allowing itself to be consumed, an image of selfless love.

“This light is the love of God, who became man and gave Himself to us by sacrificing His life,” said the Pope.

In a similar way, we too are called to lead others to Christ by embodying His love in closeness, compassion, and tenderness.

“We can do this without the need for extraordinary means or sophisticated methods,” he said, “but simply by making our hearts bright with faith, our gazes generous in welcome, our gestures and fraternal words full of gentleness and kindness.”

A sign to inspire all people

Pope Francis then noted that the star was “visible to all,” which shone to draw everyone to Christ, not just a priviledged few.

Anyone who seeks Him with a sincere heart, added the Pope, will find guidance along their journey.

By becoming man, the Son of God embraced every ethnic group, language, and people, entrusting all with the same universal mission.

“God calls us to reject anything that discriminates, excludes or discards people,” said the Pope, “and instead to promote, in our communities and neighbourhoods, a strong culture of welcome, in which the narrow places of fear and denunciation are replaced by open spaces of encounter, integration and sharing of life.”

Far from remaining inaccessible, he added, the star’s light shows that God never forgets His people but rather delights in seeing us build bridges of peace to encounter one another.

Pilgrims on the journey

The Pope went on to note that the star’s third characteristic is that it “points the way,” tying it in to the Jubilee of Hope and our invitation to undertake pilgrimage.

The light of the star, he said, “frees our hearts from all that is not charity, in order to encounter Christ fully, professing our faith in him and receiving the abundance of his mercy.”

Pope Francis concluded his homily by inviting us to embrace our early Christian moniker as followers “of the Way.”

Each of us, he said, should always seek to be generous in welcoming one another and humble in walking together, so that we may encounter Christ and do Him homage.