Pope Francis Letter

Read more: Letter from Pope Francis

Living the present with passion means becoming “experts in communion”...In a polarized society, where different cultures experience difficulty in living alongside one another, where the powerless encounter oppression, where inequality abounds, we are called to offer a concrete model of community which, by acknowledging the dignity of each person and sharing our respective gifts, makes it possible to live as brothers and sisters.

We live in the midst of racial inequality and oppression. Recent protests give witness to this struggle. Meanwhile, in other parts of our world we hear of torture and death in the name of religion. Yet we are called to be "experts in communion." How? By living "in the light of the loving relationship of the three divine Persons (cf. 1 Jn 4:8), the model for all interpersonal relationships." It is only by the grace of God that we can do this. Let us pray during this Christmas season for the courage to live in communion with our brothers and sisters near and far, to recognize their God-given dignity, and to love them as children of God.