Christmas is here again. The birth anniversary of Jesus Christ, born more than two thousand years ago, brings in joy and peace, to the whole world. This celebration has special significance to all those who await His “coming.” However, in the rush to celebrate the birth of the One who was born in a simple manger on a cold winter night, the real significance of Christmas is often forgotten. We are called to reflect on the road to Bethlehem and hope that it enables everyone mark the path for the right approach to that peace which is on the lips, in the eager desires and in the hearts, of all. And true peace is solidly based on the mutual and reciprocal respect for the personal dignity of all human beings.
 
The irony is that, to many, Jesus has no place in celebrating Christmas and His message and mission is forgotten while they celebrate His birthday. Everyone seems to be busy with the external celebrations and the commercial activities that go with it, the true meaning of Christmas has been forgotten. Most people associate Christmas with exchanging of gifts rather than the religious significance of the festival that has been celebrated across the globe for the past 2,000 years.
 
Pope Benedict XVI, the head of the Catholic Church, encouraged everyone to overcome the "commercial contamination" of Christmas by rediscovering the Child Jesus, the Son of God made man out of love.  The Pope, who led the recitation of the midday Angelus from the window of his study, referred to the tradition of setting up a Nativity crib in homes as a way of presenting the Christian faith, especially to children.

In fact, on this occasion there were many children gathered below in St. Peter's Square. Following a Roman custom, they came with images of the Child Jesus for the Holy Father to bless, which they will later place in cribs at home. "In the present-day consumer society," Benedict XVI said, "this period suffers, unfortunately, a sort of commercial 'contamination,' which runs the risk of altering its authentic spirit."

The authentic spirit of Christmas, he noted, is "characterized by recollection, sobriety, a joy that is not exterior but profound." For this reason, the Pontiff encouraged believers to prepare for Christmas with the sentiments of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to "predispose ourselves with sincerity of heart and openness of spirit to recognize the Son of God in the Child of Bethlehem, come to earth for our redemption."

In this connection, Benedict XVI encouraged all to continue the custom of setting up the crib at home, as it "can be a simple but effective way of presenting the faith and transmitting it to one's children."

"The manger helps us to contemplate the mystery of God's love who revealed himself in the poverty and simplicity of the Bethlehem cave," he explained. In this context, the Holy Father recalled the first known living crib, realized in 1223 by St. Francis of Assisi, in the town of Greccio. This tradition, he clarified, "still keeps its value for evangelization today."

"The crib can help us, in fact, to understand the secret of the true Christmas, because it speaks of humility and the merciful goodness of Christ, who 'though he was rich, yet for our sake he became poor,'" noted the Pontiff. "His poverty enriches those who embrace it and Christmas brings joy and peace to those who, as the shepherds, accept in Bethlehem the words of the angel: 'And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger,'" he added. For the Pope, "it continues to be a sign also for us, men and women of the 21st century. There is no other Christmas."
 
The Pontiff said, “A united humanity will be able to confront the many troubling problems of the present time,” the pope said, “from the menace of terrorism to the humiliating poverty in which millions of human beings live, from the proliferation of weapons to the pandemics and the environmental destruction which threatens the future of our planet. The modern age is often seen as an awakening of reason from its slumbers, humanity’s enlightenment after an age of darkness,” he said. “Yet without the light of Christ, the light of reason is not sufficient to enlighten humanity and the world.”
 
He prayed that political leaders would find “the wisdom and courage to seek and find humane, just and lasting solutions.” The pontiff spoke of “those who live in the darkness of poverty, injustice and war … those who are still denied their legitimate aspirations for a more secure existence, for health, education, stable employment.
 
“It is the most vulnerable members of society — women, children, the elderly — who are so often the victims of brutal armed conflicts, terrorism and violence of every kind, which inflict such terrible sufferings on entire populations,” he said. And to all of them and everyone else, Christmas is a sign of hope in the future that God cares for them and promises them the peace, joy, and justice He had come to proclaim to the world two thousand years ago.

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