The night mass of Christmas it is undoubtedly one of the most heartfelt moments of the liturgical year. In all Catholic churches the birth of the Infant Jesus. The celebration always proposes with great intensity the profound sense of rebirth that Christmas brings with it. From the Saint Peter Basilica at the small town church, the birth of a poor baby in a manger still has its evocative power for both adults and children.
The Word became flesh
"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us". The Gospel of John with its emblematic prologue makes us understand that that child who is born in Bethlehem is 'flesh' like us. Jesus comes into the world in a situation of extreme poverty, among the animals that with their breath warm him in a stable.
He comes among us, he becomes a man like us. The Son of God must no longer be sought, he is not an abstract entity, he is in the world to share his and our humanity with us. Welcoming that child who is born on a cold night and amidst a thousand difficulties, means welcoming those who live in discomfort and in need. Christmas is not a man who has to go up to God to divinize himself, but to welcome a God who has come down to earth among men.
The spaces of Christmas and the gifts of the heart
Solidarity, thinking about others who are less fortunate than us, is the true essence of Christmas. The consumerist aspect often takes precedence over the true meaning of this festival but fortunately there are those who do not forget the authentic message of the 'verb that is incarnated and comes to live among men'. International organizations such as Save the Children, Amref, Emergency and others, each year give life to 'spaces of Christmas' and offer special gifts.
They are the real ones 'gifts of the heart' which serve to save many lives, especially those of many children. Vaccines, pediatric visits, health kits, educational material for schools, drinking water, development projects. They are just some of the gifts that can be sent by making donations or by purchasing the particular packages that the organizations propose as a gesture of concrete solidarity. Christmas, therefore, is also 'a gift of the heart' to be sent from one end of the planet to the other, in countries still oppressed by wars and hunger.
Lunch with those who are alone and have only themselves
It was 1982 when for the first time the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere a Roma, welcomed about twenty guests for Christmas dinner. The special diners were elderly and homeless people. The splendid church has been transformed into a 'dining room' where, in addition to offering meals, values and feelings have been shared.
That sporadic episode has become a tradition for the Community of Sant'Egidio, born in 1968 in the heart of the capital. Over the years the Community has expanded into dozens of countries around the world. Its mission is 'voluntary and free commitment for the poor and for peace'. Christmas lunch with lonely and disadvantaged people is a custom that from the old Trastevere has spread all over the world. I poor, special guests in churches, they are the 'last who will be first'.
The crib of forgiveness: Matera for L'Aquila
Matera, the 'city of stones' European capital of culture for 2019, is once again a suggestive location for the living nativity scene. The representation of the Nativity takes shape and life in an installation made under the supervision of Cinecittà Studios and the Academy of Fine Arts of Bari. "The crib of Forgiveness: Matera for L'Aquila 2009-2019", this is the theme of the Materan Nativity of the 2018 edition. Ten years after the terrible earthquake that struck Abruzzo and its regional capital, the living nativity scene of Matera wants to be a reason for rebirth for the population of L'Aquila.
The 'city of stones' also hosts the second edition of the National Exhibition of Italian nativity scenes with the crib of the largest ice in the world, made by the famous artist Francesco Falasconi.
