Principal Messages
A Prayer for Christmas Eve
May you be filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of angels, the eagerness of the
shepherds, the determination of the magic, and the peace of Christ the child. Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit bless you now and forever.
Amen
Catholic Culture News
Francis' Focus – Who better to help guide us in the true depth and meaning of our Catholic faith than the charismatic and authentic leader of our Church, Pope Francis. Below, Pope Francis reflects upon Sunday’s Gospel and what our preparation through Advent calls us to be as we move towards the celebration and true meaning of Christmas – may our hearts be opened by the Grace of God to the loving presence of Christ so that, in turn, we can open our hearts with love towards the needs of one another:
‘The voice of the Baptist still cries in the deserts of humanity today’, says Pope Francis. There is, the Pope observes, a desert of indifference in our world filled with ‘closed minds and hardened hearts.’
During Advent we are all called to heed the Baptist’s cry. Christians, the Pope suggests, should therefore repent from any selfish inaction on our part. We cannot simply affirm that ‘we’re okay’ because we are Christian and that ‘things are fine as they are and we don’t need any kind of conversion.’
Rather, the Pope encourages us to ask ourselves whether ‘we have within us the same feelings that Jesus has? Is it true that we feel as Christ feels?’ Do we see the needs of others – for forgiveness, companionship, or aid – or are we focused on ourselves?
Having heard the cry, we are also called to share the Baptist’s mission to make Jesus known. And the best way to preach the Gospel, the Pope advises, ‘is to open a door.’
We open a door to belief when our faith is lived authentically and we are attentive to those around us. We must ‘lay low the mountains of pride’, the Pope affirms, ‘fill in the ravines dug by indifference and apathy’, and ‘make straight the paths of our laziness and our compromises.’
