For Francis of Assisi Christmas is the "Feast of the Feasts." We celebrate the presence of God in this world. God is the humble one, the one whom we meet in the smallest things: in a child that was born in a stable, homeless and vulnerable, sharing the homelessness and vulnerability of human beings in their poverty and misery. God invites us to seek Him among the poor and the suffering, indeed among all suffering and hungry creatures, animals and human beings.
Therefore Christmas was for Francis a challenge to overcome poverty and hunger, - the basis for the humanization of the human being. These are the first steps to conquer terror and violence, and this is also the safest way towards creating a peaceful world. (see CCFMC LU1).
People who strive to follow St Francis are committed to this spirit of charity and non-violence. Let us help together that peace gets a chance at this time that is so full of conflicts and wars. The CCFMC can encourage and inspire us for this task.
In this sense, we at the CCFMC-General Secretariat wish you a merry Christmas and that God may be with you and bless you in the New Year.
FR. Andreas Müller OFM and Mrs. Patricia Hoffmann
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