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The Angelus address of Pope Benedict XVI for the Third Sunday of Advent 2006

On this Third Sunday of Advent, the liturgy invites us to the joy of the spirit. It does so with the famous antiphon as part of an exhortation of the Apostle Paul: "Gaudete in Domino", "Rejoice in the Lord always ... the Lord is at hand" (cf. Phil 4: 4, 5).

The first Reading of Mass is also an invitation to joy. The Prophet Zephaniah at the end of the seventh century BC spoke to the city of Jerusalem and its people with these words:

Let us think of our brothers and sisters who, especially in the Middle East, in several regions of Africa and other parts of the world, are experiencing the drama of war: what joy can they live? What will their Christmas be like?

Let us think of all the sick and lonely people who, in addition to being tried in their body, are also sorely tried in their soul because they often feel abandoned: how can we share joy with them without disrespecting their suffering?

But let us also think of those people, especially the young, who have lost their sense of true joy and seek it in vain where it is impossible to find it: in the exasperated race to self-affirmation and success, in false amusements, in consumerism, in moments of drunkenness, in the artificial paradise of drugs and every form of alienation. We must obviously face the liturgy today and its "Rejoice" with these tragic realities.

As in the times of the Prophet Zephaniah, it is particularly to those being tested and to "life's wounded and orphans of joy" that God's Word is being addressed in a special way.

The invitation to rejoice is not an alienating message, nor a sterile palliative, but on the contrary, it is a salvific prophecy, an appeal for rescue that starts with inner renewal.

To transform the world, God chose a humble young girl from a village in Galilee, Mary of Nazareth, and challenged her with this greeting: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you". In these words lies the secret of an authentic Christmas. God repeats them to the Church, to each one of us: Rejoice, the Lord is near! With Mary's help, let us offer ourselves with humility and courage so that the world may accept Christ, who is the source of true joy.

From a homily of Pope John Paul preached in Manger Square, Bethlehem, March 2000

"To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given. .. and his name will be called 'Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God .. Prince of Peace'" (Is 9:6)

The words of the Prophet Isaiah foreshadow the Saviour's coming into the world. And it was here in Bethlehem that the great promise was fulfilled. For two thousand years, generation after generation of Christians have pronounced the name of Bethlehem with deep emotion and joyful gratitude. Like the shepherds and the wise men, we too have come to find the Child, "wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger" (Lk 2: 12). Like so many pilgrims before us, we kneel in wonder and adoration before the ineffable mystery which was accomplished here…

…"Do not be afraid! Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you: he is Christ the Lord"

The joy announced by the angel is not a thing of the past. It is a joy of today - the eternal today of God's salvation which embraces all time, past, present and future. At the dawn of the new millennium, we are called to see more clearly that time has meaning because here Eternity entered history and remains with us for ever. The words of the Venerable Bede express the idea clearly: "Still today, and every day until the end of the ages, the Lord will be continually conceived in Nazareth and born in Bethlehem" (In Ev. S. Lucae, 2: PL 92, 330). Because it is always Christmas in Bethlehem, every day is Christmas in the hearts of Christians. And every day we are called to proclaim the message of Bethlehem to the world "good news of great joy": the Eternal Word, "God from God, Light from Light", has become flesh and has made his dwelling among us (cf. In 1: 14).

The newborn Child, defenceless and totally dependent on the care of Mary and Joseph, entrusted to their love, is the world's entire wealth. He is our all!

In this Child - the Son who is given to us - we find rest for our souls and the true bread that never fails - the Eucharistic Bread foreshadowed even in the name of this town: BethIehem, the house of bread. God lies hidden in the Child; divinity lies hidden in the Bread of Life.