God reveals himself to humble hearts, says pope

God reveals himself to humble and meek hearts, said Pope Francis at morning Mass.

"Many can know science, theology as well. But if they do not do this theology on their knees, that is, humbly, like the little ones, they will not understand anything. They will tell us many things, but they will not understand anything," he said Dec. 2 in his homily during the Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae where he lives.

In the day's Gospel reading, Luke 10:21-24, Jesus praises God the father for having "hidden these things from the wise and the learned ... and revealed them to the childlike."

"Only those who have a heart like a child are capable of receiving this revelation, those who have a humble, meek heart, who feel the need to pray, to open themselves to God, who feel poor; only those who live according to the first Beatitude -- the poor in spirit," the pope said, according to Vatican Radio.

In a similar way, he said, "Jesus comes not like a captain, an army general, a powerful governor, no, no. He comes like a shoot," he said, referring to the day's first reading from Isaiah 11:1-10, which describes the coming of the Messiah as a "shoot" that will "sprout from the stump of Jesse."

"He is a shoot. He is humble. His is meek and he came for the humble and for the meek, to bring salvation to the sick, the poor and the oppressed," the pope said of Jesus.

The grandeur of the mystery of God is only known "in the mystery of Jesus," he said. "And the mystery of Jesus is precisely a mystery of condescension, of abasement, of humiliation (which) brings salvation to the poor, to those who are humiliated by sickness, sin and difficult situations. The mystery of Jesus cannot be understood outside this frame."

The pope concluded his homily with a prayer that Christians may draw closer to the mystery of God during Advent, following "to the path he wills for each person -- the path of humility, the path of meekness, the path of poverty and the path of feeling like sinners."

"In this way, he will come to save us, to free us. May the Lord give us this grace," Pope Francis said.