Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Holy Christmas holidays are before us, and I would like to express my most sincere good wishes to you. These are not easy times for our humanity, which seems to have lost the path to peace and joy. Despite the beautiful speeches about love and the gifts people exchange at Christmas, in the hearts of many there always remains a hint of anxiety and worry about tomorrow. For us Christians, however, it doesn’t have to be this way: the birth of Jesus that we remember every year announces the beginning of a new history and of the eternal covenant between God and us. The Kingdom of God, foretold by the ancient prophets and inaugurated by Jesus Christ, is an eternal Kingdom that will never end. No hostile power will ever be able to prevent its complete fulfilment.

We are all on our way towards the new creation, committed to our personal and collective mission to prepare the glorious manifestation of Jesus in communion with the whole Church of the Universe. Great events await us, despite inevitable trials of life, for the Lord is working to prepare a future of peace and joy for us. Let us not be deceived by worldly events, which seem to portend only adversities, but let us move ahead with firm steps towards the goal, keeping all our security based on the promises of God instead of the vain words of people.

I thank you for every step forward you take, and I bless you from the bottom of my heart, wishing you and your families all the best.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,

Stefania Caterina