Philippine Asian News Today Vol 19 No 24 | Page 25

December 16 - 31, 2017
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY
25
Pope says we see Jesus in
every suffering child
Pope
Francis
on
Christmas Day said the
commemoration of Christ’s
birth is an occasion to
remember and pray for
every child who suffers
due to war, poverty and
inequality, each of whom
bears the face of Jesus.
Speaking
to
the
50,000 pilgrims gathered
in St. Peter’s Square for his
traditional “Urbi et Orbi”
blessing, below is the Pope’s
Christmas message:
Dear Brothers and
Sisters, Happy Christmas!
In Bethlehem, Jesus
was born of the Virgin
Mary. He was born, not by
the will of man, but by the
gift of the love of God our
Father, who “so loved the
world that he gave his only-
begotten Son, that whoever
believes in him should not
perish but have eternal life”
(Jn 3:16).
This event is renewed
today in the Church, a
pilgrim in time. For the
faith of the Christian people
relives in the Christmas
liturgy the mystery of the
God who comes, who
assumes our mortal human
flesh, and who becomes
lowly and poor in order to
save us. And this moves
us deeply, for great is the
tenderness of our Father.
The first people to
see the humble glory of
the Saviour, after Mary
and Joseph, were the
shepherds of Bethlehem.
They recognized the sign
proclaimed to them by
the angels and adored
the Child. Those humble
and watchful men are an
example for believers of
every age who, before
the mystery of Jesus, are
not scandalized by his
poverty. Rather, like Mary,
they trust in God’s word
and contemplate his glory
with simple eyes. Before
the mystery of the Word
made flesh, Christians in
every place confess with
the words of the Evangelist
John: “We have beheld his
glory, glory as of the only-
begotten Son from the
Father, full of grace and
truth” (Jn 1:14).
Today, as the winds of
war are blowing in our world
and an outdated model of
development continues to
produce human, societal
and environmental decline,
Christmas invites us to
focus on the sign of the
Child and to recognize him
in the faces of little children,
especially those for whom,
like Jesus, “there is no
place in the inn” (Lk 2:7).
We see Jesus in the
children of the Middle East
who continue to suffer
because of growing tensions
between
Israelis
and
Palestinians. On this festive
day, let us ask the Lord for
peace for Jerusalem and
for all the Holy Land. Let us
pray that the will to resume
dialogue
may
prevail
between the parties and
that a negotiated solution
can finally be reached,
one that would allow the
peaceful coexistence of
two States within mutually
agreed and internationally
recognized borders. May
the Lord also sustain the
efforts of all those in the
international community
inspired by good will to help
that afflicted land to find,
despite grave obstacles
the harmony, justice and
security that it has long
awaited.
We see Jesus in the
faces
of
S y r i a n
children still
marked by
the war that,
in
these
years, has
caused such
bloodshed
in
that
c o u n t r y.
May beloved
Syria
at
last recover
respect for
the dignity
of every person through
a shared commitment to
rebuild the