János Pilinszky (1921–1981), our Kossuth and Attila József Prize-winning poet reflected on this: 

"For some, this holiday is merely brought around by the cycle of time. For them, the warmth of Christmas has cooled, its meaning emptied, and it has become an awkward burden. This happens because they have forgotten that this holiday does not simply 'arrive'; one must also prepare for it spiritually."

 

During Advent, we Christians must go beyond preparing for the birth of the Child in Bethlehem. We must open our hearts to the Gospel of the Son of God, for it is only in Him and through Him that "the eternal divine and our earthly temporality" can meet in the celebration of Christmas. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16-17). Because of this, we must not only see Jesus lying in the manger but also, through faith, recognise that after fulfilling His three-year prophetic mission, He bled for us on the cross of Golgotha. With faith, we must accept that after His glorious resurrection, He sits at the right hand of the Father and will return to judge the living and the dead.

If someone were to ask us at Christmas what it means to believe in Jesus Christ, we must faithfully answer: in the incarnate Son of God, we encounter the God who loves us unconditionally, who heals our physical and spiritual pain, who gives our lives meaning, and when we accept His redeeming grace and let His loving kindness into our lives, we too will be empowered to show giving, noble, selfless, considerate, sacrificial and compassionate love toward others. 

In these days, it is not enough to allow ourselves to be filled with the loving, healing, sin-redeeming and life-giving power of the Incarnate Word of God. We must also ensure that the goodwill, helpfulness, kindness and generosity we receive from Him reach those we return to during Christmas, as well as everyone with whom we form God’s great family. 

In the final days of Advent, let us pray more for one another, so that all the spiritual richness we receive from God may be generously shared with our loved ones, those who live with us, and, not least, our fellow human beings in need and suffering. 

Let us not forget: for the message of Christmas to truly become "good news" for all people, it must first transform into joy within us and, through our faith-driven acts of love, reach others as well. 

I wish you all a blessed, joyful Christmas filled with love, and a New Year abundant in God’s grace, happiness and peace!

With heartfelt affection,