Pope's Intentions
Value of Silence. That people today, often overwhelmed by noise, may rediscover the value of silence and listen to the voice of God and their brothers and sisters.
Persecuted Christians. That Christians suffering persecution in many parts of the world may by their witness be prophets of Christ's love.
Saturday of the Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time
Commentary of the day
Origen (c.185-253), priest and theologian
Treatise on First Principles, II,6,2 ; PG 11, 210 (trans. Robert Daly, SJ)
"Its meaning was hidden from them"
But of all Christ's miracles and mighty acts, this far exceeds the limits of human wonder. It goes far beyond the weak power of the human mind to perceive or comprehend how it is supposed to believe that the divine majesty, that very Word of the Father (Jn 1,1) and Wisdom of God in which "all things were created, visible and invisible" (cf. Col 1:15), was held within the confines of that man who appeared in Judaea and, even more, that the Wisdom of God entered into the womb of a woman and was born a baby which cried and wailed like all little babies. And it is further reported that he suffered the anguish of death, as he himself admitted by saying: "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death" (Mt 26:38 par); and in the end he was led to that death which is reputed to be the most shameful among men, even though he did rise again on the third day...
To present this to human ears and explain it in words far surpasses our poor merits... Indeed the explanation of this mystery is probably beyond the grasp even of the whole creation of heavenly powers.