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!