The Christmas of Jesus, a source of hope

During the Christmas season, we reflect on the birth of Jesus, a moment in which hope entered the world with the incarnation of the Son of God. Isaiah had prophesied the coming of the Messiah, announcing the birth of a Virgin. Christmas represents the fulfillment of this divine promise, with God becoming man and approaching humanity, stripping himself of his divinity.

The eternal life offered by God through Jesus is the source of hope that Christmas represents. Christian hope is different, it is reliable and founded in God, visible and understandable. Jesus, entering the world, gives us the strength to walk with Him, representing the certainty of a journey towards the Father that awaits us.

The nativity scene invites us to contemplate Jesus with faith and hope

During Advent, nativity scenes are prepared in Christian homes, a tradition dating back to Saint Francis of Assisi. The simplicity of the nativity scene conveys hope, with each character immersed in an atmosphere of hope.

The birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem, reflects God's preference for places small and humble. Mary, Mother of hope, with her "yes", opens the door to God in our world. The nativity scene invites us to look at Mary and Joseph, who with faith and hope contemplate the Male child, the sign of God's love that comes to save us.

I shepherds in the nativity scene they represent the humble and the poor, those who awaited the Messiah as the comfort of Israel and as redemption for Jerusalem. The hope of those who trust in material security cannot be compared to that in God praise of the angels announces God's great plan, inaugurating a Kingdom of love, justice and peace.

Contemplating the nativity scene in these days, we prepare for Christmas by welcoming Jesus as a seed of hope in the furrows of our personal and community history. Every yes to Jesus it is a sprout of hope. We trust in this sprout of hope and wish everyone a Christmas full of hope.