"Christmas invites us to reflect, on the one hand, on the drama of history, in which men
and women, wounded by sin, ceaselessly search for truth, the search for mercy,
and the search for redemption; and, on the other hand, on the goodness of God,
who has come towards us to communicate to us the Truth that saves and to make
us sharers in His friendship and His life. And this gift of life: this is pure
grace, not by any merit of our own. There is a Holy Father who says: 'But look
there, over there, there: seek your merit and you will find nothing other than
grace.' Everything is grace, a gift of grace. And this gift of grace, we receive
it through the simplicity and humanity of Christmas, and it can remove from our
hearts and minds the pessimism that has spread even more nowadays as a result
of the pandemic. We can overcome that sense of disquieting bewilderment, not
letting ourselves be overwhelmed by defeats and failures, in the rediscovered
awareness that that humble and poor Child, hidden away and helpless, is
God Himself, made man for us."
--Pope Francis, General Audience, December 23, 2020
"We are not living in broad daylight, but awaiting the dawn, amid darkness and
weariness. The light of day will come when we shall be with the Lord. Let us
not lose heart: the light of day will come, the shadows of night will be
dispelled, and the Lord, who died for us on the cross, will arise to be our
judge. Being watchful in expectation of his coming means not letting ourselves
be overcome by discouragement. It is to live in hope."
--Pope Francis, Homily, November 29, 2020
