Hungarians often wish each other a peaceful Christmas (“békés Karácsonyt”) and in a country with a tragic history that is still within living memory, this is an apt greeting. This is especially true if we recognize that there can only be true peace where there is justice or, more precisely, in societies that strive to be just towards those who are the most vulnerable and those who live on the margins.
Human suffering and marginalization take many forms and they are not always obvious on the surface. In Ottawa, Canada, the Salvation Army ran Christmas ads on the radio that sounded like spots for a pizzeria, with the shop’s owner advertising his freshly baked, authentic Italian pizzas. But by the end of the ad, the listener realizes that while he baked pizzas for his clients, at home, he struggled to keep his home heated and the electricity on for his family.
For those who are Christian, the mystery of the incarnation is ultimately one of grace and mercy–both, unfortunately, in short supply today and often in human history. Pope Francis, in Laudato si’, wrote about hope mediated through mercy. While not written on the occasion of Christmas and focusing more on his concern for the environment and human interaction, the Pontiff’s words seem especially relevant during the holidays:
“At the end, we will find ourselves face to face with the infinite beauty of God, and be able to read with admiration and happiness the mystery of the universe, which with us will share in unending plenitude. Even now we are journeying towards the sabbath of eternity, the new Jerusalem, towards our common home in heaven. Jesus says: “I make all things new.” Eternal life will be a shared experience of awe, in which each creature, resplendently transfigured, will take its rightful place and have something to give those poor men and women who will have been liberated once and for all.”
All the very best for the holidays to our readers!
