Catholic World News News Feature

Christ's birth was a "cosmic revolution," Pope says at Epiphany Mass January 06, 2009

Jesus is "the center of the universe and history," Pope Benedict XVI said in his homily as he celebrated Mass for the feast of the Epiphany, which is observed in Rome on the traditional date, January 6.

Recalling the voyage of the Magi to see the Christ Child, the Pope said that the star which guided the wise men to Bethlehem was a signal of a "cosmic revolution" that took place with the birth of the Son of God. Pagans looked to the sky for omens, believing that their fates were influenced by the blind movements of the heavens, the Pope observed. But with the Incarnation of Christ, the faithful came to realize that the universe is controlled not by anonymous forces but by a loving personal God.

"The fundamental and universal law of creation is divine love, made flesh in Christ," the Holy Father said. The faithful should hold fast to that realization, no matter what problems they face, he said: "No matter how dark things may be, there is no darkness that can blot out the light of Christ."

With that confidence, the Pope continued, Christians should be prepared to confront the challenges of the present day. He spoke of the need to rid the world of the "poison and pollution" that threaten us today and imperil the future of mankind, and the "hatred and destructive violence that do not cease to cause bloodshed."