Pope: like the Magi, worship God and not money, consumption, success, ourselves

Rediscovering adoration as a "requirement" of faith, because "once we lose the sense of worship, we lose our direction in the Christian life, which is a journey towards the Lord, not towards ourselves".  "Theology and pastoral effectiveness mean little or nothing unless we bend the knee; unless we kneel down like the Magi, who were not only knowledgeable about planning a journey, but also capable of setting out and bowing down in worship".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Rediscovering adoration as a "requirement" of faith, to learn "reject what should not be worshiped: the god of money, the god of consumerism, the god of pleasure, the god of success, the god of self.Worship means bending low before the Most High and to discover in his presence that life’s greatness does not consist in having, but in loving".  This is what the Magi do, going to worship the Child, it is what others do not do, starting from Herod, showing that "man, when he does not worship God, is led to worship himself".

The meaning of the adoration of God was at the center of Pope Francis' homily on the day of the Lord's Epiphany, because "once we lose the sense of worship, we lose our direction in the Christian life, which is a journey towards the Lord, not towards ourselves".  “So too, the Christian life, when it fails to worship the Lord, can become a discreet way of affirming ourselves and our own abilities. This is a grave risk: we use God instead of serving him. How many times we have confused the interests of the Gospel with our own? How many times we have we cloaked in religiosity the things we find convenient? How many times have we confused God’s power, which is for serving others, with power of this world, which is for serving ourselves!".

"In the Christian life, it is not enough to be knowledgeable: unless we step out of ourselves, unless we encounter others and worship, we cannot not know God. Theology and pastoral effectiveness mean little or nothing unless we bend the knee; unless we kneel down like the Magi, who were not only knowledgeable about planning a journey, but also capable of setting out and bowing down in worship. Once we worship, we come to realize that faith is not simply a set of fine doctrines, but a relationship with a living Person whom we are called to love. It is in encountering Jesus face to face that we come to see him as he is. Through worship, we discover that the Christian life is a love story with God, where what really matters is not our fine ideas but our ability to make him the centre of our loves, as lovers do with those whom they love. This is what the Church ought to be, a worshiper in love with Jesus her spouse".

 “If we can fall on our knees before Jesus, we will overcome the temptation to set off on our own path. For worship involves making an exodus from the greatest form of bondage: slavery to oneself. Worship means putting the Lord at the centre, not ourselves. It is means giving things their rightful place, and giving the first place to God. Worship means making God’s plan more important than our personal time, our entitlements and our spaces. It is to accept the teaching of Scripture: “You shall worship the Lord your God” (Mt 4:10). Your God: worship means realizing that you and God belong together to one another. It means being able to speak to him freely and intimately. It means bringing our lives to him and letting him enter into them. It means letting his consolation come down to earth. Worship means discovering that, in order to pray, it is enough to say: “My Lord and my God!”, and to let ourselves be pervaded by his tender love. Worship means going to Jesus without a list of petitions, but with one request alone: to abide with him. It is about discovering that joy and peace increase with praise and thanksgiving".

"Worship means recognizing that we are all brothers and sisters before the mystery of a love that bridges every distance: it is to encounter goodness at the source; it is to find in the God of closeness the courage to draw near to others. Worship means being silent in the presence of the divine Word, and learning to use words that do not wound but console. Worship is an act of love that changes our lives. It is to do what the Magi did. To bring gold to the Lord and to tell him that nothing is more precious than he is. To offer him incense and to tell him that only in union with him can our lives rise up to heaven. To present him with myrrh, balm for the bruised and wounded, and to promise him that we will aid our marginalized and suffering neighbours, in whom he himself is present.".