St. John XXIII’s Christmas Prayer

O sweet Child of Bethlehem,

grant that we may share with all our hearts

in this profound mystery of Christmas.

Put into the hearts of men and women this peace

for which they sometimes seek so desperately

and which you alone can give to them.

Help them to know one another better,

and to live as brothers and sisters,

children of the same Father.

Reveal to them also your beauty, holiness and purity.

Awaken in their hearts

love and gratitude for your infinite goodness.

Join them all together in your love.

And give us your heavenly peace.

Amen.

This profound mystery

“O sweet Child ...” For those who have had the privilege of holding a newborn baby, there’s nothing more precious or vulnerable than a newborn child. Consider how carefully and gently one must support a newborn infant’s head while cradling him or her in the fold of one’s arm. At Christmas, we celebrate that God, the Creator of the universe, allowed himself to be held in such a manner. The “profound mystery of Christmas” is that the all-powerful One makes himself vulnerable out of love. In a world where humans desperately seek to assert power or gain peace by economic or military force, St. John XXIII invites us to ponder and imitate God who, out of love, makes himself small and vulnerable. It is in embracing Christ’s humility that we will find the peace God alone can offer.

Children of the same Father

Throughout his life, St. John XXIII worked for the good of all, not only Christians. He is particularly remembered for his work as papal nuncio in obtaining visas and forging baptismal certificates to help Jews fleeing Nazi persecution during the second World War. His Christmas prayer reminds us that, in uniting himself to our humanity by his Incarnation, Christ makes all of us “children of the same Father.” Through Christ’s sharing in our humanity, we are called to live as brothers and sisters.

Beauty, holiness and purity

God is the beautiful one, the all-holy. By coming to live among us, Jesus gives us a model of holiness to follow and awakens in us an awareness of the goodness of God. This Christmas, let us rejoice that God has shown us the way to live in love which leads to his heavenly peace.