GENERAL AUDIENCE: WE EAGERLY AWAIT CHRIST'S COMING

VATICAN CITY, DEC 18, 2002 (VIS) - In the last general audience of 2002, celebrated today in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father dedicated his catechesis to Christmas.

John Paul II recalled that "the liturgy of Advent, full of constant calls to eagerly await the Messiah, helps us to understand fully the value and significance of the mystery of Christmas. It is not only about commemorating the historical event which took place more than 2000 years ago in a little town in Judea. It is necessary rather to understand that our life must be an 'advent', a vigil of the definitive coming of Christ. In order to prepare ourselves to welcome the Lord ... we must learn how to recognize Him in the events of daily life."

"In the liturgy of these days," he continued, "the Church presents us with three 'guides' - Isaiah, John the Baptist, and Mary - who show us how we should prepare to meet this divine 'guest' of humanity."

In the first place, the Pope said, Isaiah "urges all to be vigilant in prayer in order to recognize the 'signs' of the Messiah's coming. John the Baptist, herald of the Messiah, is 'a voice in the desert who cries out', preaching 'a baptism of conversion for the forgiveness of sins'. It is the only condition to recognize the Messiah who is already present in the world. Finally, Mary guides us toward Bethlehem in this novena of preparation for Christmas. Mary is the woman of the 'yes', as opposed to Eve, who makes God's project her own without any reservations. In this way, she becomes a bright light for our steps and the highest model from whom we draw inspiration."

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