My dear children: may Jesus watch over my daughters and sons for me!
In just a few days we will celebrate Christmas: the birth of Christ, the Son of God, who assumed our humanity to its fullest extent, except for sin. So great is God’s love for us that he even chose to become a Child: weak, defenseless, and in need of Mary and Joseph’s care.
This Child who we contemplate in the manger will spend most of his life as just another person in the Jewish community of Egypt and then, in Nazareth, living with his family and friends, participating in the celebrations and hardships of his people, learning and working alongside Saint Joseph in the workshop.
The Nativity scene is a faithful reflection of the universality of redemption: shepherds and kings, so different outwardly, are united by their desire to adore the Messiah. The salvation our Lord offers us is not limited to a privileged few, but is for everyone: men and women, young and old, from all ethnic groups and backgrounds. In this world so in need of peace (our hearts now turn to so many places ravaged by war and so many homes fractured by conflict), we Christians are called to proclaim the universality of the salvation offered by Jesus.
During the Christmas season, the great joy of Christ’s birth contrasts sharply with the suffering of the Holy Innocents and the hardships of a sudden flight. Thus, from the very beginning, Jesus’ mission is marked by the sign of the cross. Saint Josemaría, when speaking of the need to unite, to understand, to forgive, pointed to our Lord’s attitude on Calvary: “Christ’s Cross is to keep silent, to forgive and to pray for one another, so that all may attain peace” (The Way of the Cross, Eighth Station, no. 3). During this season of peace, let us strive to ensure that no barrier comes between us and those around us. If any of our relationships are damaged by conflict or resentment, let us ask for the humility needed to ask for forgiveness and to forgive, remembering that God is the first one to readily offer us his forgiveness when we approach him in repentance. He will help us with his grace to forge a merciful heart, open to everyone, like that of his Son.
As we contemplate the Holy Family in the stable in Bethlehem, we are reminded of the plight of so many people who, like Mary and Joseph, lack what is needed to care for their children. Let us recall the words of Pope Leo XIV in his apostolic exhortation Dilexi te: “No sign of affection, even the smallest, will ever be forgotten, especially if it is shown to those who are suffering, lonely or in need” (no. 4). I encourage you to try to ensure that during the Christmas season, your families take specific steps to assist those most in need, recognizing in each person the same Jesus who was born in Bethlehem.
May the Child Jesus renew in us the virtue of a hope that does not disappoint, and may the Holy Family teach us to look to the future with the serene trust of those who know they are in God’s hands.
Your Father,
Rome, December 15, 2025