December 28, 2017

"To contemplate the manger also means to contemplate this cry of pain, to open our eyes and ears to what is going on around us, and to let our hearts be attentive and open to the pain of our neighbours, especially where children are involved. ... Can we truly experience Christian joy if we turn our backs on these realities? Can Christian joy even exist if we ignore the cry of our brothers and sisters, the cry of the children?"

—Pope Francis, in a letter to the bishops for the 2016 feast of the Holy Innocents, observed on Dec. 28