Every year on Christmas Day, the Pope shares a message and a blessing for Rome and the world. You can watch the entire proclamation here:
“Verbum caro factum est” – “The Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14).
The Pope opened up with this verse from Holy Scripture. He reminded us that God is not far away, but very near, close to us. He emphasized that God is no stranger, but that "He has a face, the face of Jesus."
One of the most beautiful points Pope Benedict made is that God's love affair with humanity culminated in Jesus Christ. The Word was made Flesh, for one reason: LOVE. "Those who love, desire to share with the beloved, they want to be one with the beloved." When we love someone, we want to spend time with that person. We want to share our lives with that person. We never want to be apart from that person. In this yearning for mankind, God came into the world to become one of us.
The rest of the Pope's message focused on how we must use this Love of God to change situations in the world that need healing. He mentioned the Iraqi Christians, and their recent persecutions by militant islamic radicals. He mentioned the situation in China, where Catholics cannot worship in freedom. He mentioned parts of the world that have seen devastation through natural disasters and disease.
I am reminded to pray for all these, as, so often, I feel like they are distant and too far away from my own personal life, that sadly, I don't remember them. How much we could change the world with our prayers!
You may read the entire message here:
I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas!
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