Pope John Paul II's Message Children for Christmas

December 13, 1994

Praise the name of the Lord! The children of every continent, on the night of Bethlehem, look with faith upon the newborn Child and experience the great joy of Christmas. They sing in their own languages, praising the name of the Lord. The touching melodies of Christmas spread throughout the earth.

They are tender and moving words which are heard in every human language; it is like a festive song rising from all the earth, which blends with the song of the angels, the messengers of the glory of God, above the stable in Bethlehem: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased!" (Lk 2:14).

The highly favored Son of God becomes present among us as a newborn Baby; gathered around Him, the children of every nation on earth feel His eyes upon them, eyes full of the heavenly Father’s love, and they rejoice because God loves them.

People cannot live without love. They are called to love God and their neighbor, but in order to love properly they must be certain that God loves them.

God loves you, dear children! This is what I want to tell you … on the occasion of these Christmas feast days, which in a special way are your feast days.

I hope that they will be joyful and peaceful for you; I hope that during them you will have a more intense experience of the love of your parents, of your brothers and sisters, and of the other members of your family.

This love must then be spread to your whole community, even to the whole world, precisely through you, dear children. Love will then be able to reach those who are most in need of it, especially the suffering and the abandoned.

What joy is greater than the joy brought by love? What joy is greater than the joy which you, O Jesus, bring at Christmas to people’s hearts, and especially to the hearts of children?

Raise your tiny hand, Divine Child, and bless these young friends of yours, bless the children of all the earth.

From Pope John Paul II’s Message to Children (December 13, 1994).

(CNS photo from Reuters)