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Pope Benedict XVI- Messages - Christmas |
Pope Benedict XVI's Urbi et Orbi Christmas Message
"God Still Kindles Fires in the Night of the World"
His Holiness Benedict XVI
December 25, 2009
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and throughout the world,
and all men and women, whom the Lord loves!
"Lux fulgebit hodie super nos,
quia natus est nobis Dominus.
A light will shine on us this day,
the Lord is born for us"
(Roman Missal, Christmas, Entrance Antiphon for the Mass at
Dawn)
The liturgy of the Mass at Dawn reminded us that the night is
now past, the day has begun; the light radiating from the cave
of Bethlehem shines upon us.
The Bible and the Liturgy do not, however, speak to us about a
natural light, but a different, special light, which is somehow
directed to and focused upon "us", the same "us" for whom the
Child of Bethlehem "is born". This "us" is the Church, the great
universal family of those who believe in Christ, who have
awaited in hope the new birth of the Saviour, and who today
celebrate in mystery the perennial significance of this event.
At first, beside the manger in Bethlehem, that "us" was almost
imperceptible to human eyes. As the Gospel of Saint Luke
recounts, it included, in addition to Mary and Joseph, a few
lowly shepherds who came to the cave after hearing the message
of the Angels. The light of that first Christmas was like a fire
kindled in the night. All about there was darkness, while in the
cave there shone the true light "that enlightens every man" (Jn
1:9). And yet all this took place in simplicity and hiddenness,
in the way that God works in all of salvation history. God loves
to light little lights, so as then to illuminate vast spaces.
Truth, and Love, which are its content, are kindled wherever the
light is welcomed; they then radiate in concentric circles, as
if by contact, in the hearts and minds of all those who, by
opening themselves freely to its splendour, themselves become
sources of light. Such is the history of the Church: she began
her journey in the lowly cave of Bethlehem, and down the
centuries she has become a People and a source of light for
humanity. Today too, in those who encounter that Child, God
still kindles fires in the night of the world, calling men and
women everywhere to acknowledge in Jesus the "sign" of his
saving and liberating presence and to extend the "us" of those
who believe in Christ to the whole of mankind.
Wherever there is an "us" which welcomes God's love, there the
light of Christ shines forth, even in the most difficult
situations. The Church, like the Virgin Mary, offers the world
Jesus, the Son, whom she herself has received as a gift, the One
who came to set mankind free from the slavery of sin. Like Mary,
the Church does not fear, for that Child is her strength. But
she does not keep him for herself: she offers him to all those
who seek him with a sincere heart, to the earth's lowly and
afflicted, to the victims of violence, and to all who yearn for
peace. Today too, on behalf of a human family profoundly
affected by a grave financial crisis, yet even more by a moral
crisis, and by the painful wounds of wars and conflicts, the
Church, in faithful solidarity with mankind, repeats with the
shepherds: "Let us go to Bethlehem" (Lk 2:15), for there we
shall find our hope.
The "us" of the Church is alive in the place where Jesus was
born, in the Holy Land, inviting its people to abandon every
logic of violence and vengeance, and to engage with renewed
vigour and generosity in the process which leads to peaceful
coexistence. The "us" of the Church is present in the other
countries of the Middle East. How can we forget the troubled
situation in Iraq and the "little flock" of Christians which
lives in the region? At times it is subject to violence and
injustice, but it remains determined to make its own
contribution to the building of a society opposed to the logic
of conflict and the rejection of one's neighbour. The "us" of
the Church is active in Sri Lanka, in the Korean peninsula and
in the Philippines, as well as in the other countries of Asia,
as a leaven of reconciliation and peace. On the continent of
Africa she does not cease to lift her voice to God, imploring an
end to every injustice in the Democratic Republic of Congo; she
invites the citizens of Guinea and Niger to respect for the
rights of every person and to dialogue; she begs those of
Madagascar to overcome their internal divisions and to be
mutually accepting; and she reminds all men and women that they
are called to hope, despite the tragedies, trials and
difficulties which still afflict them. In Europe and North
America, the "us" of the Church urges people to leave behind the
selfish and technicist mentality, to advance the common good and
to show respect for the persons who are most defenceless,
starting with the unborn. In Honduras she is assisting in
process of rebuilding institutions; throughout Latin America,
the "us" of the Church is a source of identity, a fullness of
truth and of charity which no ideology can replace, a summons to
respect for the inalienable rights of each person and his or her
integral development, a proclamation of justice and fraternity,
a source of unity.
In fidelity to the mandate of her Founder, the Church shows
solidarity with the victims of natural disasters and poverty,
even within opulent societies. In the face of the exodus of all
those who migrate from their homelands and are driven away by
hunger, intolerance or environmental degradation, the Church is
a presence calling others to an attitude of acceptance and
welcome. In a word, the Church everywhere proclaims the Gospel
of Christ, despite persecutions, discriminations, attacks and at
times hostile indifference. These, in fact, enable her to share
the lot of her Master and Lord.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, how great a gift it is to be part of
a communion which is open to everyone! It is the communion of
the Most Holy Trinity, from whose heart Emmanuel, Jesus, "God
with us", came into the world. Like the shepherds of Bethlehem,
let us contemplate, filled with wonder and gratitude, this
mystery of love and light! Happy Christmas to all!
© Copyright 2009 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Look at the One they
Pierced!
This page is the work of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and
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