Pope at Audience: Christmas, the
surprises that God likes
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| Pope Francis at the General Audience, which took place in the Paul VI Hall.(Vatican Media) |
At his General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis reflected
on the upcoming feast of Christmas, which is filled with “the surprises of
Jesus.”
By Christopher Wells
Pope Francis’ catechesis on Christmas was focused on the
idea of “surprises.” While the world insists on exchanging presents, the Holy
Father asked, “what gifts and surprises would God want?”
Looking back at the first Christmas, the Pope said it was
“full of surprises,” for Mary, for Joseph. From the Angel’s announcement of
Mary’s pregnancy, to the Flight into Egypt, that first Christmas “brought
unexpected changes” to their lives.
“But it was in the middle of the night of Christmas,” Pope
Francis said, “that the biggest surprise of all arrived: The Most High is a
little baby.” Christmas, he said, means celebrating the “unprecedented things
of God,” or rather, “the unprecedented God.”
The Pope said that “doing Christmas” means “welcoming on
earth the surprises of heaven.” It means helping the needy, as Jesus came down
to help us in our neediness; trusting in God, as Mary did, even if we don’t
understand his plans; rising up, as Joseph did, to accomplish God’s will, even
if it means changing our own plans.
If, on the other hand, we prefer the usual, mondane
celebrations, we risk doing Christmas wrong. “If Christmas remains [only] a
beautiful traditional feast,” where the focus is on ourselves rather than
Jesus, “it will be a lost opportunity,” the Pope said. “Please, don’t make
Christmas worldly!”
And so, he explained, it will really be Christmas “if, like
Joseph, we make room for silence; if, like Mary, we say ‘Here I am’ to God; if,
like Jesus, we are close to those who are alone; if, like the shepherds, we go
out of our enclosures to be with Jesus.”
“Dear brothers and sisters,” Pope Francis said in
conclusion, “have a good Christmas, rich in the surprises of Jesus!”
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