“I think of children devoured by wars” – Corriere.it

Pope Francis In Saint Peter’s Basilica Christmas Mass. The Holy Father arrived in a wheelchair. According to what was reported by the media office, they are 7 thousand are in the basilica To attend Christmas Eve Mass 2022. Mass is broadcast on five continents thanks to the global broadcast. In the afternoon, Pope Francis wrote in a tweet: “If we really want to celebrate Christmas, let us rediscover wonder in front of God who makes himself small who is not born in the glories of appearanceBut in stable poverty. To meet him, you need to get to him there, where he is; It is necessary to lower oneself down, to make oneself small.” War, poverty, and contradiction to power were the subjects touched upon by Francis in his sermon

manger, “gluttonous to eat” men. “For while the animals in the stable consume food, the men of the world, thirsty for power and money, also eat their neighbors and brothers. How many wars! How many places, even today, Trampled dignity and freedom! And the main victims of human greed are always the weak and the weak.” Francis presides over Christmas Eve mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, a war Christmas, “The Holy Father is heartbroken.” said Cardinal Moner Konrad Krajewski of Ukraine, who was sent by the Pope to celebrate among the people of Kyiv. Until this Christmas, humanity insatiable with money, power, and pleasure does not make room, as was the case for Jesus, for the youngest, for the many unborn children, the poor, the forgotten. I think above all of the children devoured by war, poverty and injustice“,” Francis says in the basilica: « But Jesus comes there, a baby in a manger growling and rejected. In him, the son of Bethlehem, every child. A call to Look at life, politics and history through the eyes of children ».

In San Pietro, it is celebrated from 7:30 pm, as it started in 2020 due to the pandemic and curfew, two hours earlier than the traditional time. But never mind, as the Pope always reminds us of the essentials: “What does this night still say to our lives? Two thousand years after the birth of Jesus, Yet so many birthdays celebrated amid decorations and gifts, yet so much consumption That concludes the mystery we celebrate, there’s a danger: We know many things about Christmas, however Forget its meaning. So, how do we rediscover the meaning of Christmas? And above all, where do we go to look for him? ».

Francesco thinks about itThe image of the manger as a sign of “closeness, poverty and materialism”. Closeness to the sufferings of the least and, above all, victims of wars, injustice and misery: “In the manger of rejection and inconvenience, God takes his place: he comes there, because there lies the problem of mankind, the indifference generated by the fierce haste to possess. and consume. Christ was born there and we discover Him nearby in that manger. He comes to touch our hearts and tells us that the only force that can change the course of history is love. He says to you, “If you feel drained by events, if your guilt and inadequacy eat you up, if you hunger for justice, then I, God, am with you. I know what you live, I experienced it in that manger. I know your tragedies and your history. I was born to tell you that I Close to you and I will always be.”

But the manger also speaks of poverty: «Jesus was born there and the manger reminds us that he was surrounded only by those who loved him: Mary, Joseph and some shepherds; All poor people are united by affection and amazement, not by wealth And great potential. So the poor manger brings out the true wealth of life: Not money and power, but relationships and people». The Pope looks on: «But do we want to be on his side? Do we approach him and love his poverty? Or do we prefer to remain comfortable with our interests? Above all, we visit him wherever he is In the poor managers of our world? There he is. And we are called to be a church that adores the poor Jesus and serves Jesus in the poor.”

Francis quoted by Oscar RomeroThe bishop who defended the poor and denounced the horror of the thousands of losers killed by death squads, killed by a hitman with a shotgun in the neck on March 24, 1980, while raising the cup of the Blessed Sacrament, and himself declared the saint: «The Church supports and blesses efforts to transform structures of injustice and sets one condition Only this Social, economic and political transformations are due to achieving real benefit for the poor». Of course, as the Pope says, “It is not easy to leave the warmth of worldly life to embrace the naked beauty of the Grotto of Bethlehem, but let us remember that It really isn’t Christmas without the poor. Without them we celebrate Christmas, but not the feast of Christ ».

Thus the third thing that the manger says is “realism,” Francis explains: “The child in the manger presents a startling spectacle, even crude. It reminds us that God really became flesh. Thus, theories, beautiful ideas, and pious feelings are no longer enough about him. Jesus, who was born poor, will live poor and die poor, He didn’t make many sermons about poverty, but he lived it to the fullest for us. Thus, he is not satisfied with appearances. He doesn’t just want goodwill. Look for concrete faith, consisting of worship and love, not gossip and outward appearances.

Ten days ago, during the public interview, The Pope called on the faithful to “lower the level of Christmas expenses a little.” and “We send what we save to the Ukrainian people in need.” Meanwhile, Cardinal sent Krajewski with a truckload of, among other things, generators and thermal shirts. And so Francis concludes: «It is he who He sits naked in the manger and appears naked on the cross, asking us for the truth, to go into the bare reality of things, and put excuses, justifications, and hypocrisy at the foot of the manger. God does not want appearance, but realism. Let’s not let Christmas go by without doing something good. Since it’s his party, his birthday, let’s give him welcome gifts! God is tangible at Christmas: in his name we revive a little hope for those who have lost it ».