Pope Francis offers Christmas Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24, 2021 / Vatican Media
Vatican City, Dec 24, 2021 / 14:00 pm (CNA).
Below is the full text of Pope Francis’ homily for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, delivered Dec. 24, 2021 in St. Peter’s Basilica.
In the darkness, a light shines. An angel appears, the glory of the Lord shines around the shepherds and finally the message awaited for centuries is heard: “To you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Lk 2:11). The angel goes on to say something surprising. He tells the shepherds how to find the God who has come down to earth: “This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger” (v. 12). That is the sign: a child, a baby lying in the dire poverty of a manger. No more bright lights or choirs of angels. Only a child. Nothing else, even as Isaiah had foretold: “unto us a child is born” (Is 9:6).
The Gospel emphasizes this contrast. It relates the birth of Jesus beginning with Caesar Augustus, who orders the census of the whole world: it presents the first Emperor in all his grandeur. Yet immediately thereafter it brings us to Bethlehem, where there is no grandeur at all: just a poor child wrapped in swaddling clothes, with shepherds standing by. That is where God is, in littleness. This is the message: God does not rise up in grandeur, but lowers himself into littleness. Littleness is the path that he chose to draw near to us, to touch our hearts, to save us and to bring us back to what really matters.
Brothers and sisters, standing before the crib, we contemplate what is central, beyond all the lights and decorations, which are beautiful. We contemplate the child. In his littleness, God is completely present. Let us acknowledge this: “Baby Jesus, you are God, the God who becomes a child”. Let us be amazed by this scandalous truth. The One who embraces the universe needs to be held in another’s arms. The One who created the sun needs to be warmed. Tenderness incarnate needs to be coddled. Infinite love has a miniscule heart that beats softly. The eternal Word is an “infant”, a speechless child. The Bread of life needs to be nourished. The Creator of the world has no home. Today, all is turned upside down: God comes into the world in littleness. His grandeur appears in littleness.
Let us ask ourselves: can we accept God’s way of doing things? This is the challenge of Christmas: God reveals himself, but men and women fail to understand. He makes himself little in the eyes of the world, while we continue to seek grandeur in the eyes of the world, perhaps even in his name. God lowers himself and we try to become great. The Most High goes in search of shepherds, the unseen in our midst, and we look for visibility, to be seen. Jesus is born in order to serve, and we spend a lifetime pursuing success. God does not seek power and might; he asks for tender love and interior littleness.
This is what we should ask Jesus for at Christmas: the grace of littleness. “Lord, teach us to love littleness. Help us to understand that littleness is the way to authentic greatness”. What does it mean, concretely, to accept littleness? In the first place, it means to believe that God desires to come into the little things of our life; he wants to inhabit our daily lives, the things we do each day at home, in our families, at school and in the workplace. Amid our ordinary lived experience, he wants to do extraordinary things. His is a message of immense hope. Jesus asks us to rediscover and value the little things in life. If he is present there, what else do we need? Let us stop pining for a grandeur that is not ours to have. Let us put aside our complaints and our gloomy faces, and the greed that never satisfies! The littleness, the wonder at that small child – this is the message.
Yet there is more. Jesus does not want to come merely in the little things of our lives, but also in our own littleness: in our experience of feeling weak, frail, inadequate, perhaps even “messed up”. Dear sister or brother, if, as in Bethlehem, the darkness of night overwhelms you, if you feel surrounded by cold indifference, if the hurt you carry inside cries out, “You are of little account; you are worthless; you will never be loved the way you want”, tonight, if you hear this, God answers back. Tonight he tells you: “I love you just as you are. Your littleness does not frighten me, your failings do not trouble me. I became little for your sake. To be your God, I became your brother. Dear brother, dear sister, don’t be afraid of me. Find in me your measure of greatness. I am close to you, and one thing only do I ask: trust me and open your heart to me”.
To accept littleness means something else too. It means embracing Jesus in the little ones of today. Loving him, that is, in the least of our brothers and sisters. Serving him in the poor, those most like Jesus who was born in poverty. It is in them that he wants to be honored. On this night of love, may we have only one fear: that of offending God’s love, hurting him by despising the poor with our indifference. Jesus loves them dearly, and one day they will welcome us to heaven. A poet once wrote: “Who has not found the Heaven – below – Will fail of it above” (E. DICKINSON, Poems, P96-17). Let us not lose sight of heaven; let us care for Jesus now, caressing him in the needy, because in them he makes himself known.
We gaze once again at the crib, and we see that at his birth Jesus is surrounded precisely by those little ones, by the poor. It is the shepherds. They were the most simple people, and closest to the Lord. They found him because they lived in the fields, “keeping watch over their flocks by night” (Lk 2:8). They were there to work, because they were poor. They had no timetables in life; everything depended on the flock. They could not live where and how they wanted, but on the basis of the needs of the sheep they tended. That is where Jesus is born: close to them, close to the forgotten ones of the peripheries. He comes where human dignity is put to the test. He comes to ennoble the excluded and he first reveals himself to them: not to educated and important people, but to poor working people. God tonight comes to fill with dignity the austerity of labour. He reminds us of the importance of granting dignity to men and women through labour, but also of granting dignity to human labour itself, since man is its master and not its slave. On the day of Life, let us repeat: no more deaths in the workplace! And let us commit ourselves to ensuring this.
As we take one last look at the crib, in the distance, we glimpse the Magi, journeying to worship the Lord. As we look more closely, we see that all around Jesus everything comes together: not only do we see the poor, the shepherds, but also the learned and the rich, the Magi. Everything is unified when Jesus is at the center: not our ideas about Jesus, but Jesus himself, the living One.
So then, dear brothers and sisters, let us return to Bethlehem, let us return to the origins: to the essentials of faith, to our first love, to adoration and charity. Let us look at the Magi who make their pilgrim way, and as a synodal Church, a journeying Church, let us go to Bethlehem, where God is in man and man in God. There the Lord takes first place and is worshipped; there the poor have the place nearest him; there the shepherds and Magi are joined in a fraternity beyond all labels and classifications. May God enable us to be a worshipping, poor and fraternal Church. That is what is essential. Let us go back to Bethlehem.
It is good for us to go there, obedient to the Gospel of Christmas, which shows us the Holy Family, the shepherds, the Magi: all people on a journey. Brothers and sisters, let us set out, for life itself is a pilgrimage. Let us rouse ourselves, for tonight a light has been lit, a kindly light, reminding us that, in our littleness, we are beloved sons and daughters, children of the light (cf. 1 Thess 5:5). Brothers and sisters, let us rejoice together, for no one will ever extinguish this light, the light of Jesus, who tonight shines brightly in our world.
[…]
Dysfunction that goes all the way to the top.
XI: Thou shalt not be on the wrong side of the AP’s ethical standards for news photography.
Has there ever been a pontificate in the modern era serving as the greatest magnet for corruption? The Sicilian proverb is apt: Fish rots from the head!
Fr. Stravinskas,
They say that Pope Francis was elected to reform the curia. I guess the electors didn’t specify whether he was to reform it in holiness or in corruption.
Not to defend Francis, but it was JPII who named Bernardin to Chicago.
Later, it was McCarrick to head Metuchen, then Newark, then DC (with a redhat). And it was his hand picked Sec of State, Sodano, who protected Maciel.
It was Paul VI who promulgated a highly Protestantized mass, and strong armed priests to make sure it was said versus populum in the vernacular. And the great punch line was canonizing him. Whatever happened to the necessity of Pastoral Prudence in the holiness of a pastor? Or a pope keeping his word (cf Cardinal Mindszenty)?
Well said. The collapse of Catholic Rome has been a multi-papacy endeavor.
As John Zmirak noted, we have a Renaissance Papacy. All the same financial corruption, scheming and sexual misconduct, but sadly without any of the art (and no, that blasphemous pornographic mural that Archbishop Paglia commissioned in his Cathedral does not deserve to be called “art”). No wonder Gregg Burke resigned as the Vatican’s head of communications; he clearly concluded he could not spin what is unfolding.
“Teatro Francesco” is so extensive and dense one can be excused for allowing “lettergate” to slip
from awareness. Ah, I do now remember that matchless howl from the guts as I read “…a new 11-volume set of books on the theology of Pope Francis…”
That was a good one.
Eleven volumes!
On theology!
Doubtful he could independently produce eleven sentences on his preferred perspective of third world Marxist social analysis. Yet I should not jump to judgement. Who can yet determine what the Anaconda Synod will inspire?
Nevertheless this display of Bergoglian nepotism does seem to have moved the earth under the feet of the “Crux” arm of the fan club. Even John Allen perceives the shameless absurdity to some extent. The ascent of Viganò “the less” serves at least the purpose of rallying to marginal awareness those subsumed in the Bergoglian opioid. It is perhaps the best we can expect before they slip into jungle fever.
Can we look forward to the editorial staff of Crux and checkbook Carl Anderson and his Knights of Columbus sporting safari attire come October?
Unsure what the fuss is about ..even after reading the red letter notationed
articles ; seems the Msgr . thought highly enough about the Pope Emer . to deduce that the latter’s good remarks about the ‘little volumes’ are from a good discerning heart , in spite of his mention of not having read through them .
The Holy Spirit does not blame the Gospel writers , for editing out massive extents of the details of the incidents in the life of our Lord, which to this day also cause difficulties for those who want to find ways to doubt and those of other faiths to misinterpret the passages . Such can be the case with passages such as the one of striking on one cheek , turning the other – our Lord Himself also showed the example of questioning the servant who struck Him unjustly , showing the readiness in courage , to be struck again , for the sake of truth ..
or the one about being asked for the robe – how a discerning heart would know that the
real robe that is asked for by a greedy one would be for the robe of a good relationship with The Father , being set free from the nakedness of shame of being a child of the father below and so on ..
Holy Father ‘s intentions for this month , blessing those who can help find ways to clean the oceans ..
it is Pope Emer. Benedict who mentioned how the external deserts grow , in line with the internal ones ..
Similarly , the papal blessing and intention for this month – let us hope and pray with him for the Holy Spirit , to gently yet powerfully clean out the internal pollutions , seeing each other , as the gifts that we are in The Lord, for The Father , that we are open to raise our hearts , also in response to the calling from the countless holy angels and saints to praise The Father ..
even as easy as it is , to fall into mumrmurings ,as in the desert ..
Immaculate Heart of Mary , pray for us all, help us to be more of persons of praise and gratitude with the Holy Father , to be set thus free from being stuck in fears and darkness ! 🙂
For those who keep watch for the justice of The Righteous Judge, the prayer is to drive out the “Amazonian” spirit of McCarrick and Inzoli and Danneels and Zanchetta, the characters recruited by “His Holiness of Argentina.”
May the prayers for justice of the FFI Franciscans, and the Sisters of Mary Mother of the Redeemer and the underground Church in China, brutally abused by this pontificate and its henchmen, join those of the families and victims of abuse at the hands of all of the McCarricks and Inzolis and Danneels and Barros and Zanchettas etc etc etc, and ascend to heaven, so that the sun of justice dawns.
Comparing the Gospel writers to a high official of the Vatican caught in a major scandal?
The Gospel writers were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write and reveal as much, but not beyond, what we need to attain Eternal Life.
A ‘comprehensive’ Bible would not have served humanity in its primary purpose – salvation. From a child I had endless questions but far less when I matured. A thousand volume Bible would only interest Bibical scholars and those still lost in deconstruction. And the ability of people to pay attention grows less with time and technology.
Since when does the Holy Spirit need to be more comprehensive or less than honest whether in its inspired direction of the Bible or in ‘influencing’ the actions of a Vatican official?
Faith is not a user guide but a gift.
Thank you for responding ( hopefully 🙂 ) to The Spirit’s invite , to offer fraternal correction and opening up an occasion for more clarification .
Right indeed that the Holy Spirit did guide the Gospel authors , to only write down so much , leaving a good bit of the ongoing sharing of the truth to be through The Spirit Himself , as our Lord also promised and as St.John alludes to – how the whole world itself could not contain what our Lord has done, from The Incarnation on down ..
The Last Supper alone to fulfill those words too …
An ordained minister in The Church , the Msgr in this case , having the share of that wisdom , in The Spirit , to also assume that the Pope Emer . gave the blessing for his writings in that wisdom – not that far fetched to see .
The Holy Father too thus very likely was moved to make the correction for a previous judgement from others may be .
https://www.amazon.com/Into-Your-Hands-Father-Abandoning/dp/1586174770 – on the freedom , ‘ like a child playing in it’s Mother’s lap ‘ – is how this book mentions
what the life is , of one who has truly surrendered to The Spirit .. and how it only happens in stages .. good customer reviews too ..
Having dreaded the word ‘ surrender ‘ , as seen in the book cover , associating same with our Lord’s words on The Cross , grateful to hear all the good in it , to trust more :).
The mention in the original comment was related to same , having heard recently how those who are bent on seeing Christianity as ‘impractical ‘ , uses some of the verses in such a manner – my own heart too having been not too far from same , shedding light on the need for ongoing growth in trust , in the goodness of The Father , how there are modern day saints too such as St.Faustina , who has also shown the heroic side of showing the other cheek .. in the freedom in The Spirit ..
Thank you and God bless !
While Jesus does teach that the faithful are like His sheep, it is not commanded that being Catholic requires us to act like cattle.
Acknowledging reality is a necessity for following Jesus. Making lame excuses to explain away dishonest acts by “Viganò-the-less” is unworthy of serious Christian disciples (it even offends the low ethical standards of the Associated sprees).
Our story begins in Buenos Aires, with a little boy who had a dream of blending the “conservative” pieties of old women, the rhetoric and dance moves of Juan Peron…and as required…varieties of materialism. What ultimately worked best for him and summed it all up? Machiavelli!…a name that sounded delicious to him and yes, he liked his pasta! The best part? It wasn’t “boring” or “static” like another Italian…Thomas Aquinas…
I’m just so proud of what I see and hear coming from this Vatican, I could burst.
NOT. Not now, not ever.
This pope and his lieutenants are doing evil things for evil reasons. Something wicked this way comes.
Bet on it.
“…fake news scandal…”
A scandal that is itself “fake news”? Or, a scandal caused by someone’s fabricating “fake news”?
Viganò fabricated (via photoshopping) an apparent “endorsement” by Pope Benedict of a set of “little books” (as he called them) about Bergoglio’s “theology”–books which Benedict assured the world he would never find time to read.