Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Catechesis given by the Holy Father Benedict XVI during his General Audience on Wednesday, December 17, was dedicated to the mystery of Christmas. “We are now in the Novena of Christmas,” the Pope said, “which in many Christian communities is celebrated with liturgies rich in biblical texts, all oriented toward nourishing hope for the birth of the Savior. The entire Church, in effect, turns its gaze of faith toward this approaching feast...”
The Holy Father then reflected on the “universal” value of the feast of Christmas, including for those who do not profess the faith, as they can perceive “something extraordinary and transcendent, something intimate that speaks to the heart.” “It is the feast that sings of the gift of life. The birth of a child moves us and causes tenderness. Christmas is the encounter with a newborn who cries in a miserable cave. Contemplating him in the manger, how can we not think of so many children who even today see the light from within a great poverty in many regions of the world? How can we not think of the newborns who are not welcomed and are rejected, of those who do not survive because of a lack of care and attention? How can we not think, too, of the families who desire the joy of a child and do not see this hope fulfilled? Under the influence of a hedonistic consumerism, unfortunately, Christmas runs the risk of losing its spiritual significance to be reduced to a mere commercial occasion to buy and exchange gifts. In truth, nevertheless, the difficulties and the uncertainties and the very economic crisis that in these months so many families are living, and which affects all of humanity, can be a stimulus to discover the warmth of simplicity, friendship and solidarity -- characteristic values of Christmas. Stripped of consumerist and materialist incrustations, Christmas can thus become an occasion to welcome, as a personal gift, the message of hope that emanates from the mystery of the birth of Christ.”
These are not the only reasons behind the true meaning of Christmas, which celebrates the central landmark event of history: the Incarnation of the Divine Word for the redemption of the world, which is reflected on by Saint Leo the Great in his many Christmas homilies, Saint Paul in his Letters, and especially Saint John in the Prologue to the Fourth Gospel, which long formed a part of the Christmas liturgy.
“At Christmas, then, we are not limited to commemorating the birth of a great personality; we do not celebrate simply and in the abstract the mystery of the birth of man or in general, the birth of life; neither do we celebrate only the beginning of a great season. At Christmas, we remember something very concrete and important for man, something essential for Christian faith...It is a historical event that the Evangelist Luke concerns himself with situating in a very determined context: in the days in which the decree of the first census of Caesar Augustus was issued, when Quirinius was already governor of Syria (cf. Luke 2:1-7). It is therefore a night dated historically, in which was verified the salvation event that Israel had been awaiting for centuries.”
In order to open our hearts to the truth of “a good God...who has made himself close to us and to our neighbor, who has time for each one of us and who has come to stay with us...it is necessary to yield the mind and recognize the limits of our intelligence. In the cave at Bethlehem, God shows himself to us as a humble 'infant' to overcome our pride. Perhaps we would have submitted more easily before power, before pride; but he does not want our submission. He appeals, rather, to our heart and to our free decision to accept his love. He has made himself little to free us from this human pretension of greatness that arises from pride; he has incarnated himself freely to make us truly free, free to love him.”
The Holy Father concluded his Catechesis by recalling that “Christmas is a privileged opportunity to meditate on the meaning and value of our existence” and inviting all people to prepare for this feast “with humility and simplicity, readying ourselves to receive the gift of light, joy and peace that irradiates from this mystery. Let us welcome the nativity of Christ as an event capable of today renewing our existence. May the encounter with the Child Jesus make us people who do not think only of ourselves, but rather open to the expectations and necessities of our brothers. In this way we too become testimonies of the light that Christmas radiates over the humanity of the third millennium.”
At the end of the greetings to the pilgrims, in various languages, the Pope addressed the importance of the nativity scene with these words: “In just a few days, it will be Christmas and I assume that in your homes you already putting the finishing touches on the nativity scene, which is one of the best reminders of the Mystery of Christ's Birth. I hope that this reality that is so important not only for our faith, but also in culture and Christian art, will continue forming a part of this great Solemnity. It is truly a simple and eloquent means of remembering Jesus, who in becoming Man, has come to 'dwell among us,' and through the nativity scene, He truly dwells among us.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 18/12/2008)
