...weeping for her children!

The Christmas message (2019) of Pope Francis begins like this: "From the womb of Mother Church, the incarnate Son of God is born anew this night."

Mother church not only celebrates the mystery of the incarnation as something external to her,

but as the living presence within her.
She also holds within herself the suffering of the witnesses to the Word made flesh.

The Holy innocents are remembered every year soon after the birth of Christ.
A cry and mourn is heard from the heart of the church for the victims of injustice and violence.
Who are the holy victims,
those helplessly lamenting,
those put to death,
those kept in fear and humiliation.

Power and insecurity will necessarily bring violence.
Political approach devoid of good will surely raise victims,

often women and children.

their men may have been already victims of war and humiliation.

From the heart of Mother Church, a voice is heard,
sobbing and loudly lamenting:
it was a weeping for her children,
refusing to be comforted because they were no more.

New Life at the Manger

God in the Highest is among us here.
It was always his assurance: "I am with you."
God pitched his tent among his people,
he is not far from us.

Peace on earth to people of good will...
who are the people of good will?
Manger at Bethlehem is an example to see that.

There is a community of the universe,
welcoming one another with  surprise and joy.
Stars, animals, angels...
among the humans there are shepherds, parents, wise men/kings, baby...
Son of God is dependent on all others,
His parents are taking care with devotion,
shepherds are willing to help them as they can...


All care for one another,
wish good for all.
Then, there is peace on earth, the kingdom of God.

There is no foreigner or stranger, no rich or poor,
there are no boundaries, the other is our own people,
they can welcome one another with surprise and joy.

A saviour is born to us, ... a child is given  to us
You can be fresh and new once again,
offering forgiveness, and being forgiven, being loved;
never being lost, not letting anyone to be rejected, forgotten and lost.
In us reveal the face of God.

Emmanuel -- God is with us
We are never left alone,
God accepts us as his own...
God accompanies us on our journey.
having seen the radiance of his glory we can leave in peace

It is an embrace of God,
the grace, the love, the life of God that we receive in Christ,
in that we have forgiveness, healing, freedom, and new birth,
freshness of new life, growing into its fullness
that is eternal life,
not according to time, but according to the abundance of grace.

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
any one who believes in him may have eternal life.

Time of Patient Waiting

Once a year we joyfully remember the events at the manger in Bethlehem.

The Jews sang: “Let us go to God’s house” (Ps 121[122]:1)
There is a new model of the temple at the manger,
and the real face of God in the baby at the manger.

Look at the baby with love,
the baby who comes totally dependent on others,
baby who trusts in others without suspect and fear.
Animals, the poor, the pagans, those judged to be sinners ….
Many are there at the manger.
Can we take into account all of them to whom baby Christ became dependent?
Those came to the manger also were ready to wait,
were open to see reality beyond their own expectations and definitions.

It is possible only in a patient waiting!
Patience of child-bearing and pain of labour,
Which has its origin in true love.
“The virgin mother longed for him with love beyond all telling.” (Preface Advent II)

Then the time for patient waiting;
To be born, to walk, to speak, to know oneself … and to bid farewell.
Absence of this waiting can bring immature interventions from us. In hurried actions ‘to make Christ born’ we may be losing our peace.
Contemplation in love, prayerful waiting for the Christ-births we want to give, patience to accept new paths and learn to walk gently, waiting for inspired words that we could speak …

The revealing, incarnating, and the dependent Christ is there in every one.

Let us go to God’s house,
To the openness of the manger at Bethlehem,
Without hating, without separating, without judging.
In such encounters, being together,
we have nativity, proclamation of the Gospel, repentance and transformation.
In kindness, compassion and mercy, there are ways made straight,
there is born Christ unnamed, and lives.