Dear brothers of the Congregation,
sisters and brothers of the Passionist Family,

With fraternal affection in the Lord, I wish to send you my best wishes, together with those of the General Council, as we contemplate the Child at Christmas, which we are celebrating, and for the New Year 2010.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta said: “I left my heart in Bethlehem.” We, too, ideally and in a spirit of faith, wish to place our hearts in the cave, on the rock inside the Church of the Nativity which, according to tradition, is the place where Jesus was born of Mary, so that we may be re-born with Him in the liturgical mysteries which we celebrate with the entire Church and, ecumenically, with all of Christianity, with all men and women of good will and with all of creation. And by “our hearts” we mean faith, love and the desire for a new Christmas for us personally, for the communities and for the families of the laity of the Passionist Family.

To be re-born in the spirit and in our actions and our life choices is possible. Jesus himself says to Nicodemus and to us: “You must be born from above.” (Jn.3:7) It is not only an invitation, but it is a command for whoever desires salvation and to be among those who choose the light: “And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil.” (Jn.3:19)

Jesus refers to himself, the light that came into the world, which can be accepted or rejected. To believe in Him is how we love Him; not believing in Him is to love the darkness and, consequently, “evil works”.

However, our option is obvious: we believe that a splendid light was born in Bethlehem and we want to live and work by this light. We recognize Christmas 2009 as another opportunity that God offers us for our conversion and for looking ahead with hope and determination, not obstinately defending opposing arguments and prejudging anything new. I am referring to our personal and community life as well as the life and choices of the Congregation: “No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” (Jn.3:3) The opportunities that are offered to us by Christmas and the New Year that is beginning, should not be lost: how many more of these will we have?

The shepherds, keeping watch over their flocks, believed in their simplicity that was positively disposed to the innovative ways of God, without sarcasm or irony, that “the good news of great joy that will be for all the people” could possibly be embodied by “an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Lk.2:12). They went, they saw and they returned glorifying and praising God for what they had seen and heard.

King Herod would send soldiers to kill the child; during Holy Week the chief priests, the Pharisees, and the Scribes and the political powers will condemn Jesus and sentence him to death on the cross: He, the Child born in Bethlehem who had received songs of praise from the multitude of the heavenly host: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Lk.2:14)

The peace that was invoked by the heavenly choir at Bethlehem is the greeting that I too extend to us throughout the world. In the song “peace” is joined with “the Glory of God” as if peace itself was already the praise and glory of God. And it is! He himself is peace (Mk.5:4) and the prophets announced him as the prince of peace. (Is.9:5 ff.; Zach.9:9). Jesus himself, in the Sermon on the Mount, inserted peace among the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the peacemakers, they will be called children of God.” (Mt.5:9) It is a peace that is not only desired, but actively sought and the one who disseminates and accomplishes it is called a “child of God”, is like Jesus, because it is so important. Peace comes from God and His presence because He is peace. It is the opposite of discord, division and hatred that are begotten of darkness and separate us from God.

Peace not only among us, between powers of state and nations; but also within creation, animals, plants, life and nature in the overall sense of cosmic peace.

In his customary message on the occasion of the beginning of the New Year, Pope Benedict XVI has chosen for the theme of the world day of peace: “If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation.” And he continues: “creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God’s works’ and its preservation has now become essential for the pacific coexistence of mankind.”

Dear brothers and sisters, I believe that we have ample matter for reflection and for new birth this Christmas and at the beginning of this New Year as peacemakers and as defenders of creation, something which at times we undervalue even if in the Gospel Jesus frequently refers to creation using loving and tender examples: recall the hen and the chicks, the wolf, the sower and the seed, the lilies of the field, the yeast, the mustard seed, the vine and the branches, the lost sheep and the flock with the good shepherd and so many other references.

Christmas is an opening toward the future; it is new life; it is the certainty that God, Emmanuel, is with us, is one of us and His mother has a name like our mothers – her name is Mary.

I remember with special affection those religious who are sick and those who are living in difficult situations or suffering, whether spiritually or physically: may the hope that was born in Bethlehem strengthen and encourage them. To the young I say: look ahead with trust—the God that we adore as a Child is with us.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010 to everyone, to all our Communities and Families, to the Congregation, to the Passionist Family, to Pope Benedict XVI and to the Church, to the World and all of creation.
PEACE TO ALL!

Peace also to Bishop Piergiorgio Silvano Nesti, Passionist Archbishop, who several days ago returned to the Father. Along with him, I also remember all the deceased religious of the Congregation and the Passionist Family who died during this past year: may they celebrate their first Christmas in heaven with St. Paul of the Cross and all the saints.

Fr. Ottaviano D’Egidio, CP
Superior General
Retreat of Sts. John and Paul
Rome, 19 December 2009