http://www.zenit.org/article-21341?l=english
A Christless Christmas Is Senseless, Says Pope
Notes That Without God-Made-Man, It's an "Empty Holiday"
VATICAN CITY, DEC. 19, 2007 (Zenit.org).- A Christmas celebrated
without mention of the birth of Christ is an "empty holiday," said
Benedict XVI in a meditation given during the final days of
Advent.
"What sense does it make to celebrate Christmas if we don't
acknowledge that God has become man," the Pope asked today upon
delivering a reflection on Christmas at the general audience in
Paul VI Hall.
The Holy Father began his address with a commentary on justice. "We
all await justice," he said, but "the Christian significance of
waiting for justice, implies that we begin to live under the eyes
of the Judge, according to the criteria of the Judge."
Being vigilant during Advent, said the Pontiff, "means to live
under the eyes of the Judge and to prepare ourselves and the world
for justice. By living under the eyes of the God-Judge, we can open
the world to the arrival of his Son, preparing our heart to welcome
'the Lord who comes.'"
Benedict XVI continued: "The Child, adored 2,000 years ago by the
shepherds in a cave of Bethlehem, never stops visiting us in our
daily life as we, like pilgrims, walk toward the Kingdom.
"As he waits, the believer becomes the spokesperson for the hopes
of all humankind; humanity longs for justice, and thus, though
often unaware, waits for God, waits for the salvation that only God
can give us."
Come!
The wait "is marked by assiduous prayer," said the Pope, so that
the arrival of the Son of God comes more quickly.
"This faith in the Creator Logos, in the Word that created the
world, in the one who came like a Child, this faith and its great
hope seem to be far from our daily public and private reality," the
Pontiff lamented. "The world is becoming more chaotic and violent:
We witness this every day. And the light of God, the light of
Truth, is being put out. Life is becoming dark and without a
compass."
"It is therefore very important that we are true believers, and as
believers, that we reaffirm forcefully, with our lives, the mystery
of salvation that comes with the celebration of Christ's birth," he
said. "In Bethlehem, the Light which illumines our life was made
manifest to the world; the Way which leads to the fullness of our
humanity was revealed to us."
Best wishes
The Holy Father continued with various Christmas wishes: "We ask
God that violence be defeated by the power of love, that opposition
be replaced by reconciliation, that the desire to dominate be
transformed into desires for forgiveness, justice and peace.
"May the wishes of kindness and love that we exchange in these days
reach all sectors of our daily lives. May peace be in our hearts,
so that we can be open to the action of God's mercy. May peace live
in all families and may they spend Christmas united before the crib
and the tree decorated with lights.
"May the Christmas message of solidarity and welcome contribute to
create a deeper sensibility toward old and new types of poverty,
and toward the common good that we are all called to share."
"May all family members," he added, "especially the children and
the elderly -- the weakest ones -- feel the warmth of this feast,
and may that warmth spread out through every day of the year. May
Christmas be a celebration of peace and joy: joy for the birth of
the Savior, Prince of peace."
"Like the shepherds," said the Holy Father, "we hasten our steps
toward Bethlehem. In the heart of the Holy Night we will be able to
contemplate the 'infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a
manger,' together with Mary and Joseph."
