Busquemos la estrella

Rev. Noah Carter • January 8, 2023

(Además de las Escrituras, el contenido citado a continuación se recopila de varios sermones y discursos de nuestro difunto Papa Benedicto XVI.)


El viaje que hacemos

Nuestro Evangelio de hoy dice: “Y he aquí, la estrella que habían visto en su salida los precedía, hasta que llegó y se detuvo sobre el lugar donde estaba el niño”.

Los Reyes Magos, hombres de prominencia, saber y sabiduría, comenzaron todos por emprender un viaje. “Los Reyes Magos partieron por un profundo deseo que los impulsó a dejarlo todo y emprender una aventura. Era como si siempre hubieran estado esperando esa estrella. Era como si el viaje siempre hubiera sido parte de su destino y finalmente estuviera a punto de comenzar”.

“Como los Reyes Magos, todos los creyentes, y en particular los jóvenes, han sido llamados a emprender el camino de la vida en busca de la verdad, la justicia y el amor”. “Debemos buscar esta estrella, debemos seguirla. La meta última del camino sólo puede encontrarse a través de un encuentro con Cristo, un encuentro que no puede tener lugar sin la fe”.

 

La respuesta que encontramos

Nuestro Evangelio continúa: “Al entrar en la casa, vieron al niño con María su madre, y se postraron y lo adoraron”.

Una vez que lleguemos a la cúspide de nuestro viaje, debemos detenernos y pasar tiempo con el Señor. “Para encontrar al Salvador hay que entrar en la casa, que es la Iglesia”.

Esta no es una historia lejana que tuvo lugar hace mucho tiempo. Está con nosotros ahora. Aquí en el [tabernáculo] está presente ante nosotros y en medio de nosotros. Como entonces, ahora está velado misteriosamente en un silencio sagrado; como en ese tiempo, es aquí donde se revela el verdadero rostro de Dios”.

“Los Reyes Magos de Oriente son solo los primeros de una larga procesión de hombres y mujeres que han tratado constantemente de mirar el rostro de Dios en sus vidas, yendo en busca del Dios que se ha acercado a nosotros y nos muestra el camino”.

 

El viaje interior de los Reyes Magos

“Exteriormente, el viaje de los Magos ya había terminado. Habían alcanzado su objetivo. Pero en este punto comenzó para ellos un nuevo camino, un peregrinaje interior que cambió toda su vida. Su imagen mental del rey infante que esperaban encontrar debe haber sido muy diferente.

“El nuevo Rey, a quien ahora rendían homenaje, era bastante diferente a lo que esperaban. De esta manera tuvieron que aprender que Dios no es como solemos imaginar que es”.

 

El don de la adoración

Nuestro Evangelio describe lo que hicieron después de postrarse: “Entonces abrieron sus tesoros y le ofrecieron presentes de oro, incienso y mirra”.

“Estos tres reyes y gobernantes habían venido para ponerse al servicio de este Rey, para modelar su propia realeza sobre la suya”. “Incluidos en esto estaban sus regalos: oro, incienso y mirra, regalos ofrecidos a un Rey considerado divino. Su adoración tiene un contenido y se trata de dar. A través de este acto de adoración, estos hombres de Oriente querían reconocer al niño como su Rey y poner a su disposición su propio poder y potencial, y en esto ciertamente estaban en el camino correcto”. Nosotros también debemos no sólo mirarlo, sino adorarlo y entregarnos a nosotros mismos.

 

Una lección de poder

Nuestro Evangelio también habla del malvado rey Herodes, quien dice: “Id y buscad con diligencia al niño. Cuando lo hayas encontrado, avísame, para que yo también pueda ir a rendirle homenaje."

“Los Reyes Magos sabían que para cambiar el mundo es necesario tener poder. Por lo tanto, era poco probable que buscaran al niño prometido en otro lugar que no fuera el palacio del Rey. Sin embargo, ahora se inclinaban ante el hijo de gente sencilla y común, y pronto se dieron cuenta de que Herodes, el rey al que habían consultado, tenía la intención de usar su poder para tenderle una trampa, obligando a la familia a huir al exilio. ”

“Ahora pudieron ver en el pequeño bebé que el poder de Dios no es como el de los poderosos de este mundo. Los caminos de Dios no son como los imaginamos o como desearíamos que fueran. Dios no entra en competencia con los poderes terrenales en este mundo. … Él contrasta el poder ruidoso y ostentoso de este mundo con el poder indefenso del amor, que sucumbe a la muerte en la Cruz y muere siempre de nuevo a lo largo de la historia; sin embargo, es este mismo amor el que constituye la nueva intervención divina que se opone a la injusticia y anuncia el Reino de Dios”.

 

Rumbo a casa

Nuestro Evangelio termina con esta línea: “Y advertidos en sueños que no volvieran a Herodes, se fueron a su tierra por otro camino.

“En su viaje de regreso a casa, los Reyes Magos seguramente tuvieron que lidiar con peligros, cansancio, desorientación, dudas. ¡La estrella ya no estaba allí para guiarlos! La luz estaba ahora dentro de ellos. Su tarea era custodiarla y alimentarla en la memoria constante de Cristo, de su Santo Rostro, de su Amor inefable”. Nosotros también, mis hermanos y hermanas, tenemos la luz de la presencia de Dios en medio de nosotros y también en nuestros corazones para ser guardados y alimentados. Que nunca perdamos su presencia confiando en nuestra propia fuerza y poder.


“Que Jesús, rostro del Señor misericordioso para cada persona, siga iluminando nuestro camino, como la estrella que guió a los Reyes Magos, y nos llene de su alegría”.

Pastor's Ponderings

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We reflect this weekend on Christ's appearance to two of his disciples as they journey from Jerusalem to the town of Emmaus. They do not recognize him until he celebrates the Eucharist in their home. And then he disappears from their midst. One of the most iconic Eucharistic hymns of the Roman Catholic Church is St. Thomas Aquinas' "Adoro Te Devote." I have given a translation below from the famous English poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, hoping that it can serve as a subject for your personal prayer.  Adoro Te Devote by Saint Thomas Aquinas (Translated by Gerard Manley Hopkins) Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore, Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more, See, Lord, at Thy service low lies here a heart Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art. Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived: How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed; What God’s Son has told me, take for truth I do; Truth Himself speaks truly or there’s nothing true. On the cross Thy godhead made no sign to men, Here Thy very manhood steals from human ken: Both are my confession, both are my belief, And I pray the prayer of the dying thief. I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see, But can plainly call thee Lord and God as he; Let me to a deeper faith daily nearer move, Daily make me harder hope and dearer love. O thou our reminder of Christ crucified, Living Bread, the life of us for whom he died, Lend this life to me then: feed and feast my mind, There be thou the sweetness man was meant to find. Bring the tender tale true of the Pelican; Bathe me, Jesu Lord, in what Thy bosom ran Blood whereof a single drop has power to win All the world forgiveness of its world of sin. Jesu, whom I look at shrouded here below, I beseech thee send me what I thirst for so, Some day to gaze on thee face to face in light And be blest for ever with Thy glory’s sight. Amen.
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