It is a great feast because Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Blessed Trinity, who humbled Himself to be born on earth so that we could be reconciled to God. The whole human race was estranged from God by sin: only God can repair this relationship and open the gates of heaven once again for us.

In order to achieve this, God became man so that we could be brought into communion with Him by being made members of the mystical body of Christ which is the Church, and by feeding on Him in the Holy Eucharist.

Although we rightly try to make Christmas a very special time for children, it is wrong to think that Christmas is “only for children.” Jesus Christ was born on earth to save all of us and to bring all of us into union with God. Celebrating the feast each year is an opportunity for the renewal of our faith and the deepening of our spiritual lives.

The season of Advent is intended as a time of prayer and penance in preparation for the great feast. There are many ways in which we can observe this season (see some suggestions below.) By means of the Sacred Liturgy of the Advent season, we engage in this preparation together, in union with the whole Church throughout the world.