Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has highlighted various points and tips in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
1.- THE CELEBRATION THAT GOD LIKES
Pope Francis warned against reducing Christmas to a gift exchange. He says it is so much more.
“The advertisements invite you to always give new gifts to surprise each other. However, I ask myself: is this the celebration that God likes?”
'Christmas is preferring the silent voice of God to the turmoil of consumerism. This is the invitation for Christmas. Take some time, stand in front of the manger and be silent.'
2.- GOD IS LOVE
Contemplating the Nativity scene in silence gives us a better understanding of God's nature and helps us correct certain distortions of the faith.
'How often do we think that God is good if we are good, and punishes us if we are bad. Yet, that is not how He is.'
3.- CHRISTMAS IS HOPE
Pope Francis explains that once we realize that God is kind and merciful, we are able to see life from a different perspective. He says it's a perspective that opens a door to hope, which helps us face problems with a different attitude.
'Hope is always on the move, and it makes us be on the move. We can ask ourselves, 'Do I journey in hope, or is my interior life stopped, shut down? Is my heart a closed drawer or an open drawer, open to the hope that helps us journey, not alone, but with Jesus?' It is a good question to ask ourselves.'
4.- CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR CHANGE
Christmas is a time for conversion. One has only to look at the messages Pope Francis addresses to the Curia in preparation for this period. He tends to be demanding and asks them to run from the temptation to focus on making a career out of their vocation. He says that feeds the ego and draws them away from God.
'It is the sickness of people who live a double life. People who relentlessly seek to expand their power, even if they have to slander, defame and discredit others, even in newspapers and magazines.'
5.- UNDERSTANDING
Another important aspect of Christmas is spending time with family, but also sharing and accepting opinions different from our own.
'Fraternity among people with different ideas, yet capable of respecting and listening to one another. Fraternity among persons of different religions. Jesus came to reveal the face of God to all those who seek Him.'
6.- AN END TO WAR
Pope Francis frequently, and especially around Christmas time, calls for an end to all war, for example, in the Middle East, Ukraine, Syria and Yemen. He emphasizes the need to end war at the global level.
'May Baby Jesus heal the wounds of the beloved Syrian people, who for a decade now have been exhausted by war and its consequences.'
7.- HOLINESS IN DAILY LIFE
The Christmas season also helps Catholics work on the small but profound details to walk toward sainthood in every moment.
'It is normal to get tired at work. But if one reflects just a little bit on the holiness of Jesus, a little is enough. It is a small ray - a smile, attention, a courtesy, an apology - then the whole work environment becomes more 'breathable.' Isn't it true? We thin out the heavy climate that sometimes we men and women create with our loftiness.'
The Pope's presence makes Christmas in Rome particularly special. Through his actions and words, he will again put the profound meaning of Christmas at the center of this year's celebrations.
BSB
TR: CT
