Speaking just hours after his wartime Christmas visit to Gaza City Holy Family Parish, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, delivered a poignant Christmas message during a press conference at the Latin Patriarchate Dec. 23.
It was the proverbial labor of love for the Farmers Branch resident who has dressed the part to recognize the feast day of St. Nicholas for 13 years.
“With tears in our eyes, let us raise our prayer for peace,” Pope Francis said as he thanked the people of Bethlehem and Palestinian authorities for a Nativity scene to decorate the Vatican audience hall.
This year, the Fourth Sunday of Advent falls on the same day as Christmas Eve (Dec. 24), with Christmas falling on Monday, Dec. 25. In this case, there are two distinct obligations to attend Mass: the Sunday obligation and the Christmas obligation. No single Mass fulfills both a Catholic’s Sunday obligation and the Christmas obligation. Because they are different liturgical days — even if they overlap on the calendar — they require attendance at different Masses.
Marking the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi putting together the first Christmas crèche in a cave in Greccio, Italy, the Vatican publishing house compiled texts by Pope Francis about Nativity scenes and asked him to write a special introduction.
This Christmas let us welcome the Lord, the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, into our world and our lives. God loved us so much that He sent us His Son to give us His grace, redeem us by His love, and sustain us by His peace.
