miniZibaldone

From 2023 Christmas Midnight Mass Homily of Pope Francis Let the seed of the Incarnation bloom within us Brothers and sisters, tonight we might ask ourselves: Which God do we believe in? In the God of incarnation or the god of achievement? Because there is always a risk that we can celebrate Christmas while thinking of God in pagan terms, as a powerful potentate in the sky; a god linked to power, worldly success, and the idolatry of consumerism. With the false image of a distant and petulant deity who treats the good well and the bad poorly; a deity made in our own image and likeness, handy for resolving our problems and removing our ills. God, on the other hand, waves no magic wand; he is no god of commerce who promises “everything all at once”. He does not save us by pushing a button, but draws near us, in order to change our world from within.... Dear brother, dear sister, to God, who changed history in the course of a census, you are not a number, but a face. Your name is written o...

   From 12-20-2023 Audience But where did this Christmas joy come from? [O]ne characteristic of the Nativity scene is that it was conceived as a school of sobriety. And this has a great deal to say to us. Today, in fact, the risk of losing sight of what counts in life is great and paradoxically increases precisely at Christmas—the mentality of Christmas is changed—immersed in a consumerism that corrodes its meaning. The consumerism of Christmas. It's true, that you want to give presents, that’s fine, that’s one way, but that frenzy to go shopping that draws attention elsewhere and there is not that sobriety of Christmas. Let us look at the crib: that awe before the crib. Sometimes there is no inner space for astonishment, but only to organise the parties, to have the parties. And the Nativity scene was created to bring us back to what matters: to God Who comes to dwell among us.  [full text]

He is present here and now: here and now!  Emmanuel                           Nothing is useless; nothing is extraneous                                                                                               you become tireless  

From the homily At Christmas, the question is this: “Do I allow myself to be loved by God? Do I abandon myself to his love that comes to save me?” The grace of God has appeared. Tonight we realize that, when we failed to measure up, God became small for our sake; while we were going about our own business, he came into our midst. Christmas reminds us that God continues to love us all, even the worst of us. To me, to you, to each of us, he says today: “I love you and I will always love you, for you are precious in my eyes”. God does not love you because you think and act the right way. He loves you, plain and simple. His love is unconditional; it does not depend on you. You may have mistaken ideas, you may have made a complete mess of things, but the Lord continues to love you. How often do we think that God is good if we are good and punishes us if we are bad. Yet that is not how he is. For all our sins, he continues to love us. His love does not change. It is not fickle; i...

                                                            La Sagrada Familia, Nativity facade

From the homily Mary is a cure for solitude and dispersion. She is the Mother of consolation: she stands “with” those who are “alone”. She knows that words are not enough to console; presence is needed, and she is present as a mother. Let us allow her to embrace our lives. “All who heard were amazed at what the shepherds told them” (Lk 2:18). To be amazed: this is what is asked of us today, at the conclusion of the Octave of Christmas, as we continue to contemplate the Child born for us, lacking everything yet abounding in love. Amazement is what we should feel at the beginning of each year, for life is a gift that constantly gives us a chance to make a new start. Today is also a day to be amazed by the Mother of God. [link]

From the Angelus Christmas is to celebrate the unheard-of God , or better, it is to celebrate an unprecedented God , who overturns our logic and our expectations. . . . Please, let us not make Christmas worldly! Let us not put the One celebrated aside . In six days, it will be Christmas. The trees, the decorations and the lights everywhere recall that this year also there will be a celebration. Advertising invites to keep exchanging newer and newer gifts to have surprises. However, is this the celebration that pleases God? What Christmas would He want, what presents and surprises? We look at the first Christmas of history to discover God’s tastes. That Christmas was full of surprises . It begins with Mary, who was Joseph’s promised bride: the Angel arrives and changes her life. From being a virgin, she will be a mother. It continues with Joseph, called to be the father of a son without generating Him . . . . However, it’s on Christmas Eve that the greatest surprise arrives...

From a homily With faith everything is possible In this second week of Advent, Pope Francis continued, “we ask for the grace to prepare ourselves with faith to celebrate Christmas.” He noted that Christmas is often marked in a worldly or pagan fashion, but reiterating the Lord’s request that we do so with faith, the Pope said “it's not easy to keep the faith, it's not easy to defend the faith… it's not easy!” “It will do us good today, and also tomorrow, during the week, to take chapter 9 of the Gospel of John and read this beautiful story of the boy who was blind from birth”. “From the bottom of our hearts” he concluded “utter an act of faith and say: I believe Lord. Help me in my faith. Defend my faith from worldliness, from superstitions, from all that is not faith. Keep it from being reduced to theory, be it theological or moral…  Faith in You, Lord”.

The shepherds grasped this in that night. They were among the marginalized of those times. But no one is marginalized in the sight of God and it was precisely they who were invited to the Nativity. Those who felt sure of themselves, self-sufficient, were at home with their possessions; the shepherds instead “went with haste” (cf. Lk 2:16) From the homily The Child who is born challenges us: he calls us to leave behind fleeting illusions and go to the essence, to renounce our insatiable claims, to abandon our endless dissatisfaction and sadness for something we will never have. It will help us to leave these things behind in order to rediscover in the simplicity of the God-child, peace, joy and the meaning of life. Let us allow the Child in the manger to challenge us, but let us also allow ourselves to be challenged by the children of today’s world, who are not lying in a cot caressed with the affection of a mother and father, but rather suffer the squalid “mangers that devour d...

O God, Who by the Leading of A Star Thomas Attwood O God, who by the leading of a star  didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles,  mercifully grant that we who know thee now by faith,  may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead,  through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

From the angelus Instead we are called to throw open the door of our heart to the Word of God, to Jesus, in order thus to become His children. This solemn beginning of the Gospel was already proclaimed on: Christmas today; today it is proposed to us once more. It is the invitation of Holy Mother Church to welcome this Word of salvation, this mystery of light. If we welcome Him, if we welcome Jesus, we will grow in understanding and in the love of the Lord, we will learn to be merciful as He is. Especially in this Holy Year of Mercy, let us make sure that the Gospel becomes ever more incarnate in our own lives too. [full text]

Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah For the lord God omnipotent reigneth Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah For the lord God omnipotent reigneth Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah For the lord God omnipotent reigneth Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah  (For the lord God omnipotent reigneth) Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah  For the lord God omnipotent reigneth  (Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah) Hallelujah  The kingdom of this world;  Is become  The kingdom of our Lord, And of His Christ  And of His Christ  And He shall reign for ever and ever And he shall reign forever and ever And he shall reign forever and ever And he shall reign forever and ever King of kings forever...

From an angelus And this is a great mystery, God is humble! It is we who are proud, filled with vanity and we believe ourselves to be something great, [but] we are nothing! He, the great, is humble and is made a child. This is a real mystery! God is humble. This is beautiful! [...]  During the Christmas season, we remember His childhood. To grow in faith, we need to contemplate Baby Jesus more often. [...]  As you see, we know little of the Child Jesus, but we can learn a lot from Him if we look at the lives of children. It is a good habit that parents, grandparents, have, to look at children, what they do. [...]  And it is necessary for us to put Jesus at the center of our lives and to know, even if it could seem paradoxical, that we have a responsibility to protect Him. He wishes to be in our arms, wishes to be cared for and to be able to fix His gaze on us. Also, make Baby Jesus smile by demonstrating to him our love and joy because He is in our midst. His smile is ...

Once in Royal David's City  Once in royal David's city Stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a mother laid her Baby In a manger for His bed: Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little Child. He came down to earth from heaven, Who is God and Lord of all, And His shelter was a stable, And His cradle was a stall; With the poor, and mean, and lowly, Lived on earth our Savior holy. And through all His wondrous childhood He would honor and obey, Love and watch the lowly maiden, In whose gentle arms He lay: Christian children all must be Mild, obedient, good as He. For he is our childhood's pattern; Day by day, like us He grew; He was little, weak and helpless, Tears and smiles like us He knew; And He feeleth for our sadness, And He shareth in our gladness. And our eyes at last shall see Him, Through His own redeeming love; For that Child so dear and gentle Is our Lord in heaven above, And He leads His ...

Reiterating his appeal to all believers to reject violence in the name of God, Pope Francis has sent his condolences to the families of those killed on the island of Mindanao in the Southern Philippines. The killings were perpetrated by a  breakaway Muslim rebel group who killed nine Christian civilians in a series of attack on Christmas eve. [full text]

Little Drummer Boy Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum  A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum  Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum  To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,  rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum,  When we come.  Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum  I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum  I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum  That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum,  rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,  Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum,  On my drum?  Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum  The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum  I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum  I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum,  rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,  Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum  Me and my drum.

From a message Jesus is the radiant “day” which has dawned on the horizon of humanity.  A day of mercy, in which God our Father has revealed his great tenderness to the entire world.  A day of light, which dispels the darkness of fear and anxiety.  A day of peace, which makes for encounter, dialogue and reconciliation.  A day of joy: a “great joy” for the poor, the lowly and for all the people (cf. Lk 2:10). [full text]

Adeste fideles læti triumphantes, Venite, venite in Bethlehem. Natum videte Regem angelorum: Venite adoremus (3×) Dominum. Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine Gestant puellæ viscera Deum verum, genitum non factum. Venite adoremus (3×) Dominum. Cantet nunc io, chorus angelorum; Cantet nunc aula cælestium, Gloria, gloria in excelsis Deo, Venite adoremus (3×) Dominum. Ergo qui natus die hodierna. Jesu, tibi sit gloria, Patris æterni Verbum caro factum. Venite adoremus (3×) Dominum. O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold him Born the King of Angels: O come, let us adore Him, (3×) Christ the Lord. God of God, light of light, Lo, he abhors not the Virgin's womb; Very God, begotten, not created: O come, let us adore Him, (3×) Christ the Lord. Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation, Sing, all ye citizens of Heaven above! Glory to God, glory in ...

Julian Carron writes to the editor of the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera . A New Gaze on Others Christmas for believers: acts of human kindness that move hearts. [full text]

From the homily All sadness has been banished, for the Child Jesus brings true comfort to every heart. Today, the Son of God is born, and everything changes. The Saviour of the world comes to partake of our human nature; no longer are we alone and forsaken. The Virgin offers us her Son as the beginning of a new life. The true light has come to illumine our lives so often beset by the darkness of sin. Today we once more discover who we are! Tonight we have been shown the way to reach the journey’s end. Now must we put away all fear and dread, for the light shows us the path to Bethlehem. We must not be laggards; we are not permitted to stand idle. We must set out to see our Saviour lying in a manger. This is the reason for our joy and gladness: this Child has been “born to us”; he was “given to us”, as Isaiah proclaims (cf. 9:5). [full text]