CHRISTMAS INVITES US TO WELCOME JESUS WITH A HUMBLE HEART

VATICAN CITY, DEC 23, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father received various groups of pilgrims, reminding them that Christmas "calls us to measure our faith against the central message of Christianity. In other words, it invites us to welcome, with a humble and grateful heart, Jesus, Who comes to meet man in poverty and silence."

"The Jubilee," affirmed the Pope, "is coming to an end and it is important that all believers, in this final stage of the jubilee journey, make a more intense commitment to purify and strengthen their faith in the face of the dangers and traps that threaten it in our time. Is not one of these traps the deviant forms of religious sentiment that exploit the most profound aspirations of the human soul, offering illusory and false prospects of satisfaction? Unfortunately, many families are touched by this sad problem through the involvement of one of their number, especially the children who are often more fragile and exposed to such risks."

The Pope indicated that, "for believers, the spread of 'sects' must be a stimulus to deepen their convictions of faith. The only valid response to this challenge is a stronger witness of Christian values and a firm renewal of pastoral commitment. Only profound faith, lived with coherence, can be the effective antidote to these dangerous deviations in religious sentiment and practice."

John Paul II then thanked the employees of the Rome Agency for Jubilee Preparations for their work over these months. He expressed the hope that the service they have given has helped them and continues to help them "to assimilate the great spiritual and cultural values of the Jubilee."

AC;JUBILEE PILGRIMS;...;...;VIS;20001228;Word: 290;