To His Beatitude Anastas
Archbishop of Tirana, Durres and All Albania
Veritas de terra orta est (Ps 85:12)
With heartfelt joy at the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, I
express my gratitude for the greetings that Your Beatitude has
fraternally conveyed to me.
The mystery of God’s love never fails to astound us: he has
drawn close to us, becoming the Son of Man, born of a woman,
so that we might share in his divinity. With the incarnation of
the Word in the womb of Mary, we can truly proclaim that our
aspiration for peace and salvation, for mercy and justice, has
finally been fulfilled, and that the life-saving Truth incarnate in
Jesus has sprung from the earth. To be touched by the presence
of God, who draws so near to us at Christmas, is an inestimable
gift. Receiving this gift enables us to live in friendship with
Christ, who guides our human freedom to fulfilment, directing it
in truth towards self-giving love for all humanity. Nothing is
more beautiful, urgent and imperative than to bestow on others
that which has been freely received from God; nothing can
exempt us from this demanding yet spiritually rewarding
pursuit. While the experience of the joy of Christmas fills us with
hope, at the same time it calls us to proclaim to all the presence
of God in our midst.
In the Christmas season we become more fully aware of
those who are suffering and facing difficulties, and I think in
particular of the many believers in different parts of the world
who endure suffering and distress for the sake of their faith in
the Lord. Let us entrust them to the heavenly protection of Mary,
the Mother of Jesus, sustaining them with our prayer so that
they may remain faithful to their Christian vocation.
With these sentiments I renew my gratitude for the
Christmas wishes of Your Beatitude, while again assuring you of
my fraternal good wishes.
From the Vatican, 21 January 2013