Pope Francis: Humanity Seeks God, and the Magi Show Us Where to Find Him

Pope: Humanity Seeks God, and the Magi Show Us Where to Find Him VATICAN CITY — In a restless age when humanity fails to find the answer to their continuous searching, the Magi who go out looking for Christ only to find him in a humble stable in Bethlehem are a key example of where to turn, Pope Francis has said.
“Like the Magi, countless people, in our own day, have a restless heart which continues to seek without finding sure answers,” the Pope said in his Jan. 6 homily for the Feast of the Epiphany. “They too are looking for a star to show them the path to Bethlehem.” Read more

Pope Francis Makes Surprise Visit to Site of the First Nativity Scene VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis made a surprise visit Monday to the Italian hill town of Greccio, where, centuries earlier, St. Francis of Assisi created the first Nativity scene. The Jan. 4 visit included a stop at the sanctuary of the manger scene (Santuario del Presepe), where the Pope met with members of the Franciscan order. There, he prayed before a 15th-century fresco depicting the Nativity scene of Greccio on one side and the Nativity of Greccio on the other. Read more

Pope Francis to Pilgrims: Throw Open the Door of Your Heart to Christ VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis led the first Marian prayer of the new year with swarms of pilgrims gathered at the Vatican Sunday, urging an openness to Jesus in our hearts so that evil won't prevail in our lives.
Speaking to a packed St. Peter's Square Jan. 3, the Pope reflected on the day's reading from the first chapter of St. John's Gospel, where “the Word” was “made flesh and dwelt among us.”
But despite the reality of Christ's presence on earth, St. John “does not hide the dramatic nature of the incarnation of the Son of God” — since the “gift of the love of God is matched with the non-reception on the part of men,” the Pope said. Read more