Roma (Italia). In the Message of Christmas Greetings 2023, the Superior General of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Mother Chiara Cazzuola, focuses on the Light that envelops the shepherds at the birth of Jesus and on peace, a priceless good that requires the collaboration of everybody.

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Dearest Sisters,

We are again at CHRISTMAS. A feast that speaks to the heart of our humanity, prepared with expectation and love in the educating communities of all our world.

In Bethlehem, we are immersed in this unspeakable liturgy of heaven, in the cosmic breath of wonder and joy for the mystery, announced by the singing of the angels.

Listening to the angels of Bethlehem allows us to intuit the grace, freshness, strength, and truth of the Incarnation. “Today there is born in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” (…)

The glory of the Lord envelops the Shepherds with light. The glory that the angelic choir places in the highest of the heavens, in the intimate and inaccessible space of the divinity, now envelops the shepherds, envelops us all. Christmas envelops us with light. Jesus is the splendor of Light; He is the Light!

In the Child of Bethlehem, we find the reason for our hope, for the power of peace. The prophet Isaiah calls Him admirable Counselor, powerful God, Father forever, Prince of peace. And peace is the gift that the risen Jesus leaves us. We know, however, that the gifts of God are in seed; they require a covenant to develop the energy that substantiates them; they await our collaboration. (…)

The true gift the shepherds bring to the newborn child is the glory that has dazzled them. They are the words of the angel, the song of “peace for the people whom God loves,” a song of wonder, of awe, of adoration that continues to resound in their hearts.

They are the new ‘angels’, who bring the announcement to Mary, to Joseph; who recount in that grotto the words of the heavenly choir. They describe the exultation of heaven and earth before the event of Christmas: the fruit of the Annunciation! (…)

Now it is up to us to proclaim the Birth of Jesus and His peace with hope, with trusting prayer, and with apostolic activity.

In too many countries in the world, the sinister noises of war seem to prevail over the choir of angels. Many of our Sisters and educating communities live in areas of war, violence, injustice. They share the sufferings of the people, give what they have, and above all, keep alive, guard, and promote every attempt at peace, strong with the hope that comes from faith in Jesus, Christ the Lord and Savior.

Let us support them with our prayers and with our small or great daily actions, with concrete gestures of solidarity and humanity. They are small and precious ‘lights’ that illuminate their daily lives.

Peace is an invaluable good and depends, to a large extent, on the policies of governments, but it also depends on choices that we can make as people, as communities, as citizens of the world. Certainly, being peacemakers is not only the fruit of our ability; it is a gift of grace to be invoked in order to be able to build bridges of peace.

We all desire peace, but it must be built with commitment and patience, day after day. (…)

On this holy Christmas, we are all invited to sow words of peace, to allow the angels of Bethlehem to sing again in our history and in our hearts, “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to the men and women whom He loves.”

With these sentiments, I wish everyone a serene and holy Christmas in the light of the Father’s mercy towards this wounded and outraged world of ours, which is ever more longing for hope and peace. We wish this with joy for the whole human Family!

Merry Christmas!

Full text of the Message