Dear Sisters and Friends fo the SSMI,

Imagine, all over the world, in every country, city and village where there are Sisters Servants and families gathered around the Christmas Eve table, we are sharing this same moment — greeting one another and wishing one another peace, joy and love!

Christmas … Mystery of God becoming man … Mystery of God’s Love … Incomprehensible, overwhelming and eternal.

Christ does not choose a wealthy mansion for his birthplace because in reality His choice of exquisite residence is the human heart, He chooses a stable to represent a pure and humble heart which is able to understand the mystery of God and open itself to His Love.

Jesus comes to earth in the simplest of circumstances in order to give every level of society the possibility to come to Him, to touch Him and to bring Him their offering.This place, this first stable where we find a representative of every level of society in heaven and on earth — angels, shepherds, wealthy kings with the Theotokos, St. Joseph and the Living Christ at its center — is the meeting place of the first community!

Are our hearts comparable to the hearts of those gathered in the humble stable on the first Christmas Eve? Is each person, regardless of age, ability, health or education accepted in our hearts as were the angels, shepherds and kings accepted in the stable? We have this beautiful season of festivities, where we can begin anew, with the New Year, to rejoice in each other and to see each other with the wonder of seeing the Birth of Jesus in a stable.

I embrace each one of you and share with each one of you our Christmas prosfora, seasoned with the joy of our Heavenly Kingdom, which has appeared on earth to be among us.

“God eternal is born!” Let us welcome Him in our hearts and in our homes! Let us rejoice with His Presence! Let us share His Presence with those closest to us! Let us carol and rejoice because “God is with us!”