While reading the December 2010 issue of "Inside the Vatican” magazine, I came across a wonderful article entitled A "Child” Who Changes Human History written by Cardinal Angelo Comastri, Vicar General of Vatican City State. It moved me so much that I decided to share it with you; I hope and pray that you enjoy the article as much as I did; it is included below in its entirety.

"Incredible and dramatic events concerning the Child of Bethlehem have taken place over and over again. To begin with, I would like to draw your attention to some reactions which are impossible to explain in human terms: this Child was born poor, yet He frightened the rich; He was born humble, yet He alarmed the powerful; He was born meek and unarmed, yet He enraged the violent. All of these reactions have recurred throughout history.

Why? This is a question deserving close examination, if we are to understand the great message behind this Child's life.

At Christmas 2004, as you will certainly remember, some Italian schoolmistresses replaced the word Jesus with virtue in a Christmas song: the name of Jesus was obviously a nuisance. Other teachers went as far as to replace the true story of Jesus' birth with the story of Red Riding Hood; this is didactically unacceptable, as it puts fiction on a par with history. On the other hand, an insidious attempt has long been made to turn Christmas into a festival without the Infant Jesus. Why are people so afraid of this Child?

Yet it was this Child who started the greatest and most beneficial transformation of humanity: it was this Child who created the civilization of love and respect; whenever the world strayed away from Him, the cruelty of those abusing and trampling on human dignity reappeared.

Anyway, let facts speak for themselves. When Jesus was born, the tyrant Herod (referred to as "the Great” - see how stupid and deceitful history is), could exterminate the children of Jerusalem with impunity: nor did the event cause a sensation, as it was customary to kill unwanted children. Seneca, though being a philosopher of great moderation and spirituality, in keeping with the mentality of his time, wrote: "If you don't like your child ... you can immerse it (i.e. drown it).” Can you imagine? The Child of Bethlehem opened our eyes to this cruelty; He firmly defended the dignity of every child and with the authority of God's Word, He went as far as to say: "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Mark 10:14) "Whoever welcomes one such child in My name welcomes Me.” (Matthew 18:5) The Child of Bethlehem sided with the weakest and restored the sense of respect for everybody's life, which we had lost and are always likely to lose.

This was the distinctive feature of Christians from the start. The unknown author of the "Letter to Diognetus” (written between 180 and 190 A.D.) declared without equivocation: "Like others, Christians marry and have children but they do not expose them.” It is something to be proud of, even nowadays!

On the other hand, there is no denying that it was the Child of Bethlehem who prepared the way for the United Nations' Declaration of Human Rights; the recognition of man's inalienable rights would have been impossible without Him.

When the Child of Bethlehem was born, woman's dignity was denied to the point that Greek philosophy (meritorious in other respects, but not in this) went as far as to doubt that a woman had a soul! The Child of Bethlehem changed all this; He chose an immaculate mother to highlight the potential greatness of every woman, women being the real guardians of authentic and ennobling beauty. The Child of Bethlehem defended even the sinning woman to such a point that he pronounced these unequivocal words: "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7) The Child of Bethlehem defended the truth and dignity of love, reminding us that sexuality is the physical expression of love; without love, which is about giving oneself in a project of faithfulness and acceptance of life, sexuality deteriorates into lechery which leads us to despise man and woman, the conception and birth of children ... and human life itself. This is just what happens nowadays; the farther we stray away from the Child of Bethlehem, the greater the risk for newborn children to end in trash cans.

The Child of Bethlehem taught us the law of love, firmly opposing the law of hatred and violence. When He was born, people in Rome and the Roman Empire enjoyed watching gladiators (i.e. men) wound and kill each other in amphitheaters to entertain bloodthirsty crowds.

The Child of Bethlehem sowed the seeds of love with humility. Where His Word was received, such flowers as Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Rita of Cascia, Saint Vincent de Paul, Saint John Bosco, Pope John XXIII, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Maximilian Kolbe or Pope John Paul II bloomed; countless works of mercy and peace originated from Bethlehem. The word "peace” itself would be unthinkable without the Child of Bethlehem. True pacifists, mind you, are the ones coming from Bethlehem; they do not shatter shop windows, do not burn cars, or hit people and things with iron bars, but bring peace with simplicity and humility ... as they did at Bethlehem.

When the Child was born, slavery was legal; men could own other men as slaves enjoying absolute power over their life and death. The Child of Bethlehem whispered to us the message of the inalienable dignity of every man ... so that slavery gradually came to be perceived as an offense to humanity and was officially abolished in civilized countries. But where the message coming from the Child of Bethlehem is ignored, slavery reappears, even nowadays! Can't you see how many slaves walk the streets day and night?

Shall we blame this on the Child of Bethlehem? Shall we return to barbarism? Shall – as André Frossard once said – we stoop down to the condition of pigs?

Immanuel Kant, a philosopher of undoubted depth, was honest enough to declare: "The Gospel is the starting point of our civilization.”

As Thomas Stearns Eliot clearly pointed out: "A European citizen may not be a Christian, yet all he says and does originates from Christianity, which is part of his cultural heritage. Even Voltaire or Nietzsche would have been impossible without Christianity. If this should disappear, all our culture and identity would be erased.”

Those who fight the Child of Bethlehem must know who and what they fight! As for me, I am proud to have chosen this Child as my Saviour and hope that everyone will seek the real meaning of life in Him!”

So, my dear people of God, you see that mercy works in wondrous ways in human hearts. Let us give thanks for the Incarnation of Divine Mercy!