A young woman wanted an abortion. Some friends, who were with her, tried to convince her not to, but they couldn’t change her mind. Just then, the phone rang. One of them, in order to answer the call, asked her to hold the child she was carrying. When the phone call ended, the young woman said, “I won’t have an abortion!” They were all stunned. Before, she had seemed unwavering, and now, without anything having happened, she had completely changed her mind. How could that be? What had happened was that, having held a child in her arms, her maternal instinct had been awakened, and that’s why she had decided not to have an abortion? Similarly, it has often happened that a woman who wants an abortion has only needed to see an ultrasound showing the child she is carrying to decide against it. All of this is explained by the fact that women have a natural inclination toward their unborn child. Can a woman not feel compassion for the child in her womb? For this very reason, the birth of a child brings joy. Consequently, abortion goes against a very deep natural inclination, and therefore constitutes a profound transgression, and thus violence against women. Therefore, whoever is in favor of women is against abortion.

Well then, Mary is the woman of Advent. She is the most excellent woman. She is a teacher and the foremost female role model. When the angel sees her so beautiful, he says that there is no flower like her in any garden. Advent speaks to us of her devotion and her love for her son Jesus, in every moment from his conception to his birth. Christmas shows us her radiant joy at the birth of the child. Her motherhood is Mary’s greatest glory.

In 1980, in a parish in Rome, the following anecdote took place. Pope Saint John Paul II was gathered with two thousand children—no small number! The Supreme Pontiff began his catechesis thus: “How are you preparing for Christmas?” “We prepare by praying,” the children responded loudly. “Good,” the Vicar of Christ told them, “but you must also prepare yourselves with the sacrament of confession. You must go to confession before receiving Holy Communion. Will you do it?” And the thousands of young people, in even louder voices, responded: “We will!” “Yes, you must,” the Holy Father told them. And, in a lower voice, he said: “The Pope will also go to confession to worthily receive the Child Jesus!” Wonderful teachers in this impressive anecdote are the Roman Pontiff and those thousands of children: Holy Communion at Christmas preceded by the confession of sins!

Christmas is the feast of the birth of Jesus, God-Man, the Savior of the world. Of course, Jesus is born only as a man, for his divinity is eternal. Saint Francis of Assisi is said to have created the first living Nativity scene, thus highlighting the humanity of Jesus. In this way, he emphasized that Christmas is not only a profoundly religious celebration, but also a deeply human, most human, feast of exquisite tenderness. He thus demonstrated that God has done this for humankind: he has given us a child. While a soccer player, after winning a match, makes the victory sign after a heroic and exhausting effort, God has made the victory sign by giving us a baby. The goodness, love, and tenderness of God have triumphed! Christmas, therefore, also speaks to us of the greatness of other babies, who are an image of the Child Jesus, the Child-God. All of this contributes to making Christmas one of the most beautiful holidays of the year. But joy breeds beauty. And Christmas, a festival of joy, is a most beautiful celebration. No matter how many cataclysms there may be in the world, it turns out that, before the child, and especially before the Child Jesus, one can always exclaim: “You are poetry!” And immediately, a sea of ​​beautiful poetry descends upon all humanity, emanating music as sweet as honey. Thank you, Lord, for having been so good to humankind!