Pope Francis Warns: We Know Much About Christmas But Forget Its Meaning

Italian media dedicated significant coverage to the Christmas Eve Mass led by Pope Francis. The Pope presided over the Christmas Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and delivered a sermon that began with the question: "What does this night still say to our lives? After two thousand years since the birth of Jesus, after many Christmas celebrations filled with decorations and gifts, and after the many forms of consumerism that have overshadowed the mystery we celebrate, there is a danger: we know much about Christmas, but we forget its meaning. So, how can we rediscover the meaning of Christmas? And, in particular, where should we go to seek it? It seems that the Gospel of the birth of Jesus was written for this very reason: to take us by the hand and bring us back to where God wants us." He concluded: "Jesus, who stripped himself of everything in the manger and will be stripped on the cross, asks us for truth, to go to the reality of bare things and to lay at the manger's feet our excuses, justifications, and hypocrisy. He, who was tenderly swaddled by Mary, wants us to be clothed in love."