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Christmas in Bethlehem, the ancient dream of cold clear night made gloriant by a glorias star
the smell of incense, shepherds and wise man fall into their knees in adoration of the sweet baby, the incarnation of perfect love.
My dear brothers, Merry Christmas to all of you,
this season in particular should be a season for all of us a time of great joy
a time when we recognize the power of Gods love in our lives
a time when we see God that does not care about our faults, God forgives anything that may devious and from keeping us from coming back to him,
God reaches out stoops slow, bends down in order to raise us up, that we might discover our dignity, our two nature as children of God, as brothers and sisters, one to another,
responsible for each other and for the entire world,
This should perhaps be our Christmas message this year, that we are brothers and sisters of one family,
United in the baby Jesus, the birth, the incarnation of Jesus who comes into our world once again this Christmas, in order to remind us of our destiny
To remind us of our origin, to remind us of our responsibility to call us back to be the one family of God
This is the good news, that God never give up on us, never give up on me, never give up on you, never gives up on anyone around us.
God remain always faithful, and will come to us even if we do not ask God to our lives, God still comes to reach in our lives.
Its time for us to rejoice, its time for us to forgive, its time for us to love and renew our hope in God, in life,
in the gift of brothers that surround us in our fraternity and in the world that God have given to us as a place of celebration.
Its also a time of deep prayer, we need to take time this season to pray for peace in the world
We are reminded of these days of South Sudan, where violence has broken out afresh, only after several years of peace,
We pray for the people of South Sudan, pray for all Christians and all people. We pray for our Franciscan brothers there.
Remember also our brothers in the Central African Republic and all the people of the Central African Republic in their search for peace and
reconciliation at this season of God’s given peace. We pray for our brothers and sisters in Eastern Congo, Syria,
and in the neighboring countries where refugees from Syria are hiding out, seaking a new possibility for their lives.
I am reminded of the story of Greccio from Thomas of Celano, a Franciscan biographer who reminds us of the gift that Francis sought to
share with the world, his understanding of the incarnation of Gods how reaches down in humility and in poverty in order that we might find our dignity
That we might be raised up in the newness of children of God. It was that evening in 1223 when Francis called his friend John
A village man, a friend of the friars, to go and collect people around him and to bring together all the thing that will be necessary
In order to reenact the living presence of God that become so poor in order that we might become rich
This gift that Frances offers to the world, this idea of incarnation as the renewal of our humanity
This is a gift to offer to the world. So to all of you who will be preaching in Churches this year, to all the brothers who offer other services to the people of God
I ask you to let this be your message as well, the message of hope that God offers to us this time of Christmas, the message God offers to the world,
In closing I would like to ask you perhaps my offer that God may give you the gladness of Christmas
Which is hope, God may give you this spirit of Christmas which is peace, and that God may give you a hearth which is love,
May this peace, may this hope, may this love resounds to our Franciscan community, parishes, schools and all activities
So that we might be able to celebrate once again the freshness, the renewal of God hope and love and peace to the world.
God Bless You - Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad to all, let this be our gift of Christmas to one another. Thank you