Rome, 16 December 2018
My dearest children: May Jesus take care of my daughters and sons for me!
At Christmas, so soon now, we will again hear the angels proclaim: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men with whom he is pleased!” (Lk 2:14). Every year the echo of this song fills the whole world, stirring up a joyful hope within us. Above all because peace has come close, and we can contemplate it in the face of a Child: “He is our peace” (Eph 2:14), as St Paul wrote some time later, as he considered the mystery of Jesus Christ.
The world is very much in need of peace. Each of us, our families, our workplaces, our surroundings, all need the Child whom the angels proclaim as the Saviour (cf. Lk 2:11). Without Him, all efforts to bring peace to hearts are insufficient. And so the Church does not stop talking to people about Jesus, as the shepherds did after seeing him in the manger (cf. Lk 2:16-18). We too want to proclaim him; in the apostolate, “It is Christ we must talk about, not ourselves” (Christ is Passing By, no. 163).
During these days of Christmas, let’s contemplate the great mystery of God’s love in this Child who has been born to us (cf. Is 9:5). How easy it is to discover and rediscover peace and serenity while praying before the Crib, letting ourselves be captivated by Jesus in the manger, with Mary and Joseph close beside! As we contemplate this mystery of love, Our Lord will also give us new inspirations about how to pass it on to others.
Christmas greetings, and a most affectionate blessing from
your Father
