Holy Christmas Mass
December 20, 2005

The Holy Christmas Mass was held at the Pontifical North American College for employees and friends of the Knights of Columbus. The mass was celebrated by His Excellency Monsignor John P. Foley, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

HOMILY OF ARCHBISHOP JOHN P. FOLEY

My brothers and sisters in Christ:
As the Roman "family" of the Knights of Columbus who have come together to prepare for Christmas, it is most appropriate that we celebrate in this chapel designed by the late Count Enrico Galeazzi, who can be considered the founder of the work of the Knights here in Rome and whose mortal remains are buried under this church. That connection with the late Count Galeazzi continues in the person of Count Enrico Demajo, who now directs the many activities of the Knights here in Rome
The wonderful story of the Annunciation is the Gospel reading for today’s Mass.
Many of you may not know that the Archangel Gabriel, who was sent by God to reveal to Mary that she was to be the Mother of His Son, is venerated as the patron of radio -- because, in fact, he had been used by God as His spokesperson in communicating the Good News of the Incarnation. Because I am involved in Communications, I personally have a special devotion co St. Gabriel, as I do to St. Clare, the patroness of television, and to St Francis de Sales, the patron of journalists.
The words of Gabriel to Mary are particularly significant. Gabriel says-. "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you!"
Mary, who has been conceived free of original sin, was saluted by the angel as "full of grace". She already had within herself that created sharing in the very inner life of the Trinity which we call grace and which we receive in Baptism.
Also, as we hear during the Holy Mass, "The Lord be with you", Mary heard the words "The Lord is with you". In the Mass, the priest utters a prayer that God may be with us; in Mary, the angel recognized that God was already with Mary -- whom, of course, God had chosen to be the Mother of His Son.
Then, there are the beautiful words of the angel:
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of David his father, and He will rode over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end."
The angel tells Mary that she will conceive in her womb the Son of God. The angel tells her what to name the child, Jesus, which, in Hebrew, means Savior. The angel tells her that hex Son will be given the throne of King David, of whom He is a descendant, but that the throne of Jesus, the Kingdom of God, will never end.
Mary, in her modesty, in her virtue, asks the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?"
The angel says: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be bom will be called holy, the Son of God."
Only then did Mary agree, when she realized that her virtue would not be compromised.
She responded, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word."
At that moment, we believe, the Baby Jesus was conceived in the womb of His mother, Mary -- as soon as she had said "yes" co God through His archangel, Gabriel.
And that, almost nine months ago, on what is now observed as the Feast of the Annunciation, is how the story of Christmas began « because nine months later there would be born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem, the city of David, Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the world.
Tonight, the young people among you will receive very Dice gifts ~ bus remember that they are birthday gifts in honour of Jesus, the Son of God.
What He wants of us is our faith, to acknowledge Him to be the Son of God, our Savior, and He wants us to know, love and serve Him by doing what he asks of us in the commandments and in His beautiful words in the Sermon of the Mount
This Christmas, when you visit the "presepio" in your parish church or in St. Peter’s Square, tell Jesus that you love Him, that you never want to hurt Him in any way, and that you want to serve others by helping those whom He loves in a special way, the poor, those who are forgotten, those who are weak and sick.
Offer yourself to Jesus in the words of Mary; "Be it done to me according to your word" -- and be ready to do whatever Jesus asks of you.
May you all have a wonderful Christmas and may God be with you in the New Year!