Here the scriptures are fulfilled:
the Child Jesus has come back
Gospel: Matthew, Chap 2, verses 1-12
January 6, 2022
Solemn Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord
Homily of the Pontiff Samuel
(Draft)
At Christ’s birth we celebrate “the Word who became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (Jn 1:14). On the Feast of the Epiphany, we celebrate the manifestation of Christ the Lord to all the peoples, to all those who want to welcome Him into their hearts and are animated by good will (Jn 1:12). The Light has come down from Heaven (Jn 1:9) to enlighten the hearts, souls and minds of those who live in expectation of the ultimate fulfilment, the Epiphany of the Son of God (Mt 24:30). For all Christians, the Scriptures have been fulfilled here: the waiting for the Son of God, who has come down, has returned to bring completeness (Acts 1:11). Here is His coming among us. Here the Child God has placed His Tent and dwells with His sons (Rev 21:3).
Here is the Emmanuel, God with us (Mt 1:23), He who is Light (Ps 26:1), that true Light that enlightens every human being, that dazzles and warms (Jn 8:12). The Light dazzles where illusions manifest a distorted reality (1Jn 1,5). The true Light manifests the face of the Father, of the true God and true Man, who has come down to this Land of Love (Rev 21:23) to uniform all hearts in the only true Love, an orderly, holy and pure Love: a Love that frees from all slaveries, that loosens every chain where the more is and will be alive the sincerity in every heart that wants to adore the Child Jesus, the Son sent by the Father to re-establish his House (Rm 11:26-27). A welcoming, holy and shining Home, that welcomes the love of all sons, of all brothers (Jn 13:35), to show in the only Love the true countenance of God the Father Almighty.
Through Christ who is Love, Light of all peoples (Lk 2:30-32), here in this Place, the Father unties every chain, loosens every tie (Jn 8:32), to unite us all to His Heart by His loving embrace, which is purity, charity, holiness. This means being reborn in the Heart of the Child Jesus and being one with His Heart (Jn 15:9-10) so to live His and our Christmas every day, under the banner of true Love, true Peace, true Sincerity in heart, and so to live the true and intimate Joy that only God in His Truth gives and will always give (Jn 14:17) to those yearning to seek it, to live it and above all to practice it (Jn 17:17).
This is the essence of being reborn in Christ (Jn 3:3) in the awareness of living the manifestation of His return. Consequently, “Christmas” is practicing the true Love every day, striving to go against our “self” and thus to put at the centre the Child Jesus, the Son of God, who here, in the likeness of a Child, wants to give that pure, light and holy joy, so allowing God’s sons to live their childhood so to be children in heart and spirit (Mt 18:3), but with a mature, pure and holy faith (Heb 10:22).
Today I want to transmit this to your heart, Little Remnant of the new Israel of God (Is 10:20; Jer 31:7; Mi 2:12), people blessed by the Father, with whom the Father has sealed again His eternal Covenant (Jer 31:31; Heb 8:8): the people loved, defended and protected by God, so that this people may be the expression of His face as Father, that is the holy image that the Holy Father wants to imprint in the hearts of all those who hold their hearts open (Jn 17:21-23) to welcome His pure and essential, true and substantial will: His holy Will as Father, as Son and as Holy Spirit.
Here is the example of Mary, the Eternal Maiden, She who incarnated, lived and manifested the Father’s Will in perfection (Lk 1:38), without ever bartering it with the will of the world; but always living God and his Will as the only supreme Good to be placed before everything and everyone (Is 45:6), even before the dearest human affections (Mt 10:37), including all that is world. A world that, now as then, passes and will pass without welcoming the Father’s Will. A world in trouble, which is savouring its ineptitude and in its delirium of omnipotence presumes to live without God, having once again wanted to discard the Man God who came down here, has returned, but that has not been accepted (Jn 1:10-11). The words of Jesus are fulfilled once again, when He said: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on Earth?” (Lk 18:8b). The Child Jesus has returned (Mk 14:62) but the true faith on this Earth is only of a few.
Blessed are you who have welcomed the manifestation of the Son of God; blessed are those who persevere to the end in the true faith (Mt 24:13), without ever looking back so to not be incinerated and petrified (Gn 19:26) by the fire of Heaven that overwhelmed Sodom and Gomorrah (Gn 19:24-25) and from the winds of war that blow ever so stronger in this world.
Return today to worship the true God, on the example of the humble shepherds (Lk 2:15-18) and of those three wise men who came from distant lands, who found God because they wanted to find Him, and undertook the journey of their lifetime (Mt 2:1-2.10-11). Ward off all prejudice and personally experience the Place of God’s manifestation, where Christ the Lord is true Man and manifests in His divinity the substantiality of the Father (Jn 14:9). Here the Child Jesus nourishes His sons with His Milk and Honey (Dt 26:9.15), to restore Spirit and Life (Jn 6:63) to those who have lost them, to fill everyone with His infinite Grace (Ps 32:22), to allow everyone to experience the infinite goodness of a God (Ps 25:3) who once again has stooped down on this arid humanity that has lost the faith and the Way and has apostatized from the only Truth that saves and gives true Life (Jn 3:15).
Unloose every chain by your courage and your will, so to be determined to face everything and everyone for the love of God, for the love of Christ, for the love of Mary (1Jn 5: 1). Christ is Love (Rom 8:39). Mary is Love. Love has descended Here to free us from the yoke of sin (Rm 6:14.18.22) and fill us with His infinite mercy (Wis 4:15). Be reborn in the living Spirit (Jn 3:5) Who manifests Himself here to give everyone His infinite Love (2Tm 1:7), so that sin may no longer be for many a daily agony but that everyone may live the joy of Love that rises you up and sets you free, by that freedom that only Christ the Lord can give you: true freedom, in heart, in soul and spirit (2Cor 3:17).
In order to do this, take the hands of the Son of God, tighten them with all your might to receive true Life (Jn 1:4), which frees from all that is world and humanism, to receive the Christian and Marian lymph that allows you to love God and your brothers above everything (Lk 10:27), serving the Church and your brothers, this Church willed by the Father, Church of Christ, re-established in the Love of the Son of God (1Jn 4:9).
On the example of the humble shepherds and the three Wise Men, who came from distant lands, follow the Star (Mt 2:10), Mary, and come haste to contemplate the divine Child who dwells in this Cradle (Lk 2:12). Give all you can to the Child Jesus. Give your heart and your life, on the example of the humble shepherds (Lk 2:15); give your gold, your frankincense and your myrrh, on the example of the three kings who came from the east (Mt 2:11). Now more than ever, everyone’s help is needed to manifest the essence and the substance of this Church.
On the example of Jesus, dear brothers and sisters, dear faithful and to you, dear young people, I say again: “Love one another just as Christ loves you (Jn 13:34). Be holy, be strong and at the same time be humble, charitable and obedient so to keep your heart pure and continue to see God (Mt 5:8) and manifest His Countenance to all peoples”.
This is what I wish to instil today in your hearts on this solemn Feast of the Epiphany, entrusting and consecrating you all again to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so that Mary’s Love may reign in your hearts and in the hearts of everyone, of all those who want to follow the Star, of all those who live raising their eyes to Heaven to look at the Star that has risen (Mt 2:2) and wants to lead everyone again to this second and last Grotto where God’s Love is manifested and where the Child‑God dwells (Ez 37:27). Raise your eyes to Heaven, don’t be hesitant, follow Mary, love Her with all your might and follow Her Light. Mary is the Way that leads to He who is the Way, the Truth and Life (Jn 14:6).
And as a great saint full of love for Mary has prophesied: “it is through the Holy Virgin Mary that Jesus Christ came into the world and it is still through Her that He will reign in the world“. These words are fulfilled and today we thank the Father for having given us Mary, uniting us with Jesus in thanking Mary with the prayer that Jesus revealed here to His Maiden: “We thank You, Mary, for having given us Your Son Jesus; We praise You, Mary, for having accepted us as Your children; We bless You, Mary, for all the Love You have for us; and at Your feet we plead forgiveness for all the sins of the world; at Your feet we pray that every war and injustice may cease; at Your feet we cry out: Mary, send Your Jesus to reign with You among us” (Rev 12.1.5).
Here, in this Land of Love, everything is being accomplished. And every word will not pass until it is completely fulfilled (Mt 5:18).
And so be it.
