*courtesy translation*
Dearest Knights and Dames,
At Christmas, we hear the Angels proclaim once again “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to the people whom He loves” (Luke 2:4). Every year the echo of this song fills the whole world, renewing within us a joyful hope. On the Face of the Christ Child, we can contemplate the gift of peace: “He is our Peace.” (Ephesians 2:14).
This year, too, the celebration of holy Christmas is marked by the absence of peace, wars afflict the whole world, Jesus’ land for far too long has been bloodied by war, the death of so many innocent people, hate and rancor which seem destined to continue and influence the relationship between the peoples living in the Holy Land.
The whole world, now more than ever, needs the gift of peace, it needs peace in order to live and to continue hoping in a future different, in which brotherhood wins out. In his encyclical letter Fratelli tutti, Pope Francis elevates this prayer to God the Father: “I ask God ‘to prepare our hearts to encounter our brothers and sisters, so that we may overcome our differences rooted in political thinking, language, culture and religion. Let us ask him to anoint our whole being with the balm of his mercy, which heals the injuries caused by mistakes, misunderstandings and disputes. And let us ask him for the grace to send us forth, in humility and meekness, along the demanding but enriching path of seeking peace’.” (Fratelli tutti, 254.)
This Christmas, let us ask for this gift for each of us and our families; that there may be peace in our workplaces and our surroundings. We need this Christ Child whom the Angels proclaim as Savior (Luke 2:11). Without Him, all of the efforts to bring peace to hearts are insufficient. During these days of the Christmas season, let us contemplate the great mystery of the love of God in the Child who is born (Isaiah 9:5).
This wish of mine is for each of you and your families. A special wish goes to our Grand Master, H.R.H. Prince Charles and his Family.
May holy Christmas encourage each of us to be builders and witnesses of peace, in this way faithful also to the Christian and human ideals of our Order. Let us also place ourselves in the viewpoint of the Jubilee Year, which exhorts us to journey as “pilgrims of hope.”
With friendship, I invoke upon each of you the Lord’s blessings, and the protection of the holy Virgin.
Marcello Cardinal Semeraro
Grand Prior