Merry Christmas 2019 RM

 

 My dear confreres,

my dear Sisters,

all my dear Salesian Family,

dear young people along with your families,

dear friends and whoever sees this greeting,

 

 

Here I am, to wish you a Happy Christmas!

A holy and happy Christmas to all of you, your families,

our communities,

wherever we all are to experience these special days.

 

These are days of wonderful grace and tenderness

because we are celebrating God’s love for humanity,

and the gift of this love in Jesus.

We are celebrating this tenderness of God for all of us!

 

We are celebrating a marvellous mystery,

of God’s presence in human history,

the mystery of salvation and redemption.

There are just so many reasons for us to feel profoundly at ease,

because we are so profoundly loved by God.

 

But at the same time, we know that not everything is well

with this humanity and this creation;

we so often struggle, for example,

to take care of creation.

And what has been incredible

is that thousands and thousands of young people around the world

have said: “Enough! We need to change this,”

and yet – it is not happening.

 

 

We are struck by the terrible reality

that so many people are dying at sea,

people who have had to leave their homeland, their country

so they can find a peaceful place to live.

 

So many young boys and girls arrive here alone,

because it seems they have nothing to lose,

and that they have already lost so much.

This is the reality of war, of so much sorrow.

This is true, and includes what seems to be simple,

that so many of you young people with an excellent preparation

are tired, because you cannot find dignified work

to really fulfil a wonderful plan for life.

 

This affects humankind,

and this too is there as sorrow,

in this Christmas mystery of the love of God

become Word, Flesh in our midst.

 

I wish you a wonderful Christmas,

and I ask and will continue to ask God in my prayer,

for a blessing upon all of you, all of us;

I will ask that you will truly experience this tenderness of God’s love

for his sons and daughters,

and I will ask for the gift to have eyes to see and hearts that are more open

to helping and resolving these matters that affect us so much.

 

Because, along with God’s love we also need to add

our own efforts and commitment and all our energies

to bring about a more beautiful humanity and wonderful creation.

 

In the name of the Lord I wish that all will be well,

and that you may have a good and holy Christmas!

Ciao.