“When they had heard the king they went their way; And lo, the star which they had seen in the East Went before them, Till it came to rest over the place where the child was… ”
“When they had heard the king they went their way; And lo, the star which they had seen in the East Went before them, Till it came to rest over the place where the child was … When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” (Matthew, 2:9-10)
To all the HOSPITALLER COMMUNITY
Christmas is drawing near, and I wish to address all of you as members of the Hospitaller Community to greet you and invite you to have joy and hope. Indeed, as Pope Francis states, God, who was born through Jesus “poor and humble in a manger in Bethlehem”, grants us “a boundless and unfailing love, with a tenderness which never disappoints”.
A simple image accompanies this message. It illustrates the contrast between light and darkness, the light shining from a star against a dark backdrop; a bright light shines forth and illumines the night. To those that live nearby, the light indicates the simple presence of God who so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16); so that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light (Is 9:2).
I would like to share with you a brief reflection, focusing on three symbols that are very characteristic of Christmas, the way, the star and the Child Jesus. The latter is not quite a symbol, but rather the center of everything that we celebrate on this feast.
