Catholic Commission for Social Justice
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests.
This Christmas morn, let us all rejoice in the birth of Jesus, our Saviour. Love incarnate – true God and true man – came down to earth to save wounded humanity; and to open the door to eternal salvation. He came, not because we deserved to be saved, but because of our Father’s bountiful grace and mercy.
Today the world observes International Migrants Day, a day when we should commit to stand in solidarity with migrants and refugees to promote their human rights and ensure that there is a place at the table of life for all.
The Gospel of Christ calls us to promote human life and human dignity, and to work towards integral human development – not for some, but for all.
At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving others with God’s own love and concern. – St Teresa of Kolkata
I am in London at the moment and have been engaging the young ones in our family in discussions about Advent. For example, I asked them what gifts they would give to baby Jesus if, like the Magi, they were present at the birth of the Christ-child.
On December 10 (next Saturday), the world will observe Human Rights Day (see Universal Declaration of Human Rights). The theme this year is: Stand up for someone’s rights today! As the UN states, this “is based on the Declaration’s fundamental proposition that each one of us – everywhere and at all times – is entitled to the full range of human rights, and that it’s everyone’s responsibility to uphold them. Take a stand. Defend someone’s rights. Human rights belong equally to each of us. They bind us together as a global community. Each one of us can make a difference.
We share with you Carissa Rudulfo’s contribution to the CCSJ’s and the Youth Commission’s Spoken Word Competition. She won third prize. Her piece reminded me of Pope Francis’s message to an Evangelical Christian gathering in the USA in July 2016. He said young people have a “restlessness” in their hearts, and Jesus is the answer: “Young men and women, I know there is something in your heart that moves you. And that makes you restless… I invite you to find the One who can give you an answer to your restlessness. And I assure you, you will not be frustrated. God does not leave anyone disillusioned. Jesus is waiting for you. He is the One who planted the seeds of restlessness in your heart. Give it a try! You don’t have anything to lose! Try it.”