Dear friends,
I am speaking to you from Saint Corentin Cathedral in Quimper, where this year a magnificent nativity scene by the goldsmith artist Gilbert Liblin is being hosted. The nativity scene, I remind you, introduces us to the heart of the reason for the Christmas celebration which is the birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world.
God became man in Jesus and chose to be born in a humble stable in Bethlehem. With Mary and Joseph, they experienced being far from home, not finding accommodation and finding refuge in a stable. It is not just a difficult historical context. God, by taking on the human condition, wanted to inhabit our lives, share our joys, our sorrows, our sufferings and above all open to us a path of life stronger than death.
This love of Jesus for each of us, the Pope has just published an encyclical which begins with these words: Dilexit nos. Which means “He loved us” in Latin. And the Pope tells us: “Let us offer the Heart of Christ a new possibility of spreading in this world the flames of its ardent tenderness. » He invites us to let the love of Christ transform our families, our relationships and even our society. Let us live this love through concrete gestures of charity and forgiveness, to bring peace and reconciliation in a world marked by violence and divisions, sometimes even within our own families.
It turns out that this birth of Jesus took place 2025 years ago, since we are counting the years from his birth. Every 25 years, a Jubilee Year invites us to revive our faith, to deepen our love, for God and for others, to ask for forgiveness and to forgive each other, to allow ourselves to be transformed by the Gospel and to become witnesses of the joy that comes from God. It is into this dynamic of the Jubilee Year that Pope Francis invites us to enter by becoming pilgrims of hope. Theme that he gave to this holy year and that he will open on Christmas night, then by me on December 29*, in this cathedral, on the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus.
A few days before Christmas, I think with deep affection of all the people who are sick, fragile or alone during this time. With simplicity, let us open our hearts and our homes to offer them a little warmth and comfort.
Finally, I would like to thank our priests, our deacons, our men and women religious, our lay people on mission and of course our volunteers for their commitment throughout the year. Thank you for announcing this Good News and for being alongside those who need it.
I wish you a joyful and holy feast of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus. May it be for you, for your loved ones and for the world, a source of light, Hope, joy and love and may it illuminate the coming Holy Year.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!
† Mgr Laurent Dognin
Bishop of Quimper and Léon
Related News :