May the light of Christmas
shine again in the Holy Land and inspire Israelis and Palestinians to
peace, console Iraqi Christians, bring security and respect for human
rights to Afghanistan and Pakistan, foster reconciliation between the
Koreas, encourage Chinese Catholics "not to lose heart because of the
limitations on their freedom of religion and conscience".
These are just
some of the Benedict XVI’s wishes this Christmas delivered in his Urbi
et Orbi message, to Rome and the world, addressed before 50 thousand people who crowded St Peter's Square.
At the end of the message Benedict XVI sent a Christmas
greeting in 65 languages, including Russian, Mongolian, Kazakh, Turkish,
Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic, Armenian, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali,
Burmese, Urdu, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Sinhalese, Thai,
Indonesian, Cambodian, Tagalog.
This is the text of the Pope's message for Christmas 2010:
“Verbum caro factum est” – “The Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14).
Dear brothers and sisters listening to me here in Rome and
throughout the world, I joyfully proclaim the message of Christmas: God
became man; he came to dwell among us. God is not distant: he is “Emmanuel”, God-with-us. He is no stranger: he has a face, the face of Jesus.
This message is ever new, ever surprising, for it surpasses even our most daring hope. First
of all, because it is not merely a proclamation: it is an event, a
happening, which credible witnesses saw, heard and touched in the person
of Jesus of Nazareth! Being in his presence, observing
his works and hearing his words, they recognized in Jesus the Messiah;
and seeing him risen, after his crucifixion, they were certain that he
was true man and true God, the only-begotten Son come from the Father,
full of grace and truth (cf. Jn 1:14).
“The Word became flesh”.
Before this revelation we once more wonder: how can this be?
The Word and the flesh are mutually opposed realities; how can the eternal and almighty Word become a frail and mortal man? There is only one answer: Love. Those
who love desire to share with the beloved, they want to be one with the
beloved, and Sacred Scripture shows us the great love story of God for
his people which culminated in Jesus Christ.
God in fact does not change: he is faithful to himself.
He
who created the world is the same one who called Abraham and revealed
his name to Moses: “I am who I am … the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob …
a God merciful and gracious, abounding in steadfast love and
faithfulness (cf. Ex 3:14-15; 34:6). God does not change; he is Love, ever and always. In himself he is communion, unity in Trinity, and all his words and works are directed to communion. The Incarnation is the culmination of creation. When
Jesus, the Son of God incarnate, was formed in the womb of Mary by the
will of the Father and the working of the Holy Spirit, creation reached
its high point.
The ordering principle of the universe, the Logos, began to exist in the world, in a certain time and space.
“The Word became flesh”.
The light of this truth is revealed to those who receive it in faith, for it is a mystery of love. Only those who are open to love are enveloped in the light of Christmas. So it was on that night in Bethlehem, and so it is today. The Incarnation of the Son of God is an event which occurred within history, while at the same time transcending history. In
the night of the world a new light was kindled, one which lets itself
be seen by the simple eyes of faith, by the meek and humble hearts of
those who await the Saviour. If the truth were a mere mathematical formula, in some sense it would impose itself by its own power. But if Truth is Love, it calls for faith, for the “yes” of our hearts.
And what do our hearts, in effect, seek, if not a Truth which is also Love? Children
seek it with their questions, so disarming and stimulating; young
people seek it in their eagerness to discover the deepest meaning of
their life; adults seek it in order to guide and sustain their
commitments in the family and the workplace; the elderly seek it in
order to grant completion to their earthly existence.
“The Word became flesh”.
The proclamation of Christmas is also a light for all peoples, for the collective journey of humanity. “Emmanuel”, God-with-us, has come as King of justice and peace. We know that his Kingdom is not of this world, and yet it is more important than all the kingdoms of this world. It
is like the leaven of humanity: were it lacking, the energy to work for
true development would flag: the impulse to work together for the
common good, in the disinterested service of our neighbour, in the
peaceful struggle for justice.
Belief in the God who
desired to share in our history constantly encourages us in our own
commitment to that history, for all its contradictions. It
is a source of hope for everyone whose dignity is offended and
violated, since the one born in Bethlehem came to set every man and
woman free from the source of all enslavement.
May the light of Christmas shine forth anew in the Land where
Jesus was born, and inspire Israelis and Palestinians to strive for a
just and peaceful coexistence.
May the comforting message
of the coming of Emmanuel ease the pain and bring consolation amid their
trials to the beloved Christian communities in Iraq and throughout the
Middle East; may it bring them comfort and hope for the future and bring
the leaders of nations to show them effective solidarity. May
it also be so for those in Haiti who still suffer in the aftermath of
the devastating earthquake and the recent cholera epidemic.
May
the same hold true not only for those in Colombia and Venezuela, but
also in Guatemala and Costa Rica, who recently suffered natural
disasters.
May the birth of the Saviour open horizons of lasting peace and
authentic progress for the peoples of Somalia, Darfur and Côte
d’Ivoire; may it promote political and social stability in Madagascar;
may it bring security and respect for human rights in Afghanistan and in
Pakistan; may it encourage dialogue between Nicaragua and Costa Rica;
and may it advance reconciliation on the Korean peninsula.
May the birth of the Saviour strengthen the spirit of faith,
patience and courage of the faithful of the Church in mainland China,
that they may not lose heart through the limitations imposed on their
freedom of religion and conscience but, persevering in fidelity to
Christ and his Church, may keep alive the flame of hope.
May
the love of “God-with-us” grant perseverance to all those Christian
communities enduring discrimination and persecution, and inspire
political and religious leaders to be committed to full respect for the
religious freedom of all.
Dear brothers and sisters, “the Word became flesh”; he came to dwell among us; he is Emmanuel, the God who became close to us.
Together
let us contemplate this great mystery of love; let our hearts be filled
with the light which shines in the stable of Bethlehem!
To everyone, a Merry Christmas!
SIC: AN/INT'L