Spread joy of Christmas through the world, Pope urges faithful
January 04, 2012
The Christmas season is a time of joy for all Christians, Pope Benedict XVI told his weekly public audience on January 4. The Holy Father closed his audience by reminding the faithful of their duty to spread that joy throughout the world.
“Christmas is the point at which heaven and earth unite,” the Pope told a crowd of about 7,000 people in the Paul VI auditorium. He spoke about the astonishing exchange between humanity and divinity:
Humanity's dream which began in the Garden of Eden--we want to be like God--is realized in an unexpected way, not through the greatness of man, who cannot make himself God, but through the humility of God Who came down among us in His humility, raising us to the true greatness of His being.
The birth of Christ is often described symbolically as a burst of light, the Pope reminded his listeners. “All Christians must be aware of their mission and responsibility to bear witness to the new light of the Gospel, and to bring it to the world,” he said.
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Further information:
- Christmas Means Bringing God's Joy and Light to Others (VIS)
- That wondrous exchange ?between the divine and the human (L'Osservatore Romano)
- Pope Benedict XVI: Christmas a joyous season (Vatican Radio)
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