Cardinal Seán O’Malley’s Christmas Message from Boston:

The first Christmas carol was sung by the angels. The song that they sang proclaimed “Glory to God in the Highest and peace on earth.”

The prince of peace is coming. He comes in the face of a little child because God wanted us to see that His love is always new, always fresh, never tired of loving us, never tired of forgiving us, never tired of giving us another chance even when we have given up on ourselves.

He is born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem, it means house of bread. And He is laid in a manger, which was the feed box because Christ has become the manna, the bread come down from heaven. May He come to feed and to nourish us.

He comes in a community of faith where two or three are gathered in His name. He comes in the distressing disguise of the poor, the homeless, the sick, the prisoner.

The world is distracted by all the noise and many of the symbols of Christmas that have become devoid of meaning.

But someone is opening the back door.

He is with us.

He is in the house.

Let us give thanks and rejoice. 

Come let us adore the Prince of Peace.

Merry Christmas.

Source: Archdiocese of Boston