being burdened by the accumulation of needless things, caught up in our own
concerns and driven by ambition".
 Accountability and sobriety: "Accountable and trustworthy persons are those
who
honour their commitments with seriousness and responsibility when they are
being
observed, but above all when they are alone; they radiate a sense of
tranquillity because they never betray a trust. Sobriety - the last virtue on
this list, but not because it is least important - is the ability to renounce
what is superfluous and to resist the dominant consumerist mentality. Sobriety
is prudence, simplicity, straightforwardness, balance and temperance. Sobriety
is seeing the world through God's eyes and from the side of the poor. Sobriety
is a style of life which points to the primacy of others as a hierarchical
principle and is shown in a life of concern and service towards others. The
sober person is consistent and straightforward in all things, because he or she
can reduce, recover, recycle, repair, and live a life of moderation".
 Following this list of qualities, Francis went on to remind the prelates that
"mercy is no fleeting sentiment, but rather the synthesis of the joyful Good
News, a choice and decision on the part of all who desire to assume the 'Heart
of Jesus' and to be serious followers of the Lord who has asked us to 'be
merciful even as your heavenly Father is merciful'. In the words of Father
Ermes
Ronchi, 'Mercy is a scandal for justice, a folly for intelligence, a
consolation
for us who are debtors. The debt for being alive, the debt for being loved is
only repayable by mercy'.
 "And so", he emphasised, "may mercy guide our steps, inspire our reforms and
enlighten our decisions. May it be the basis of all our efforts. May it teach
us
when to move forward and when to step back. May it also enable us to understand
the littleness of all that we do in God's greater plan of salvation and his
majestic and mysterious working".
 To conclude, the Holy Father invited those present to savour the magnificent
prayer, commonly attributed to Blessed Oscar Arnulfo Romero, but pronounced for
the first time by Cardinal John Dearden:
 "Every now and then it helps us to take a step back
 and to see things from a distance.
 The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is also beyond our visions.
 In our lives, we manage to achieve only a small part
 of the marvellous plan that is God's work.
 Nothing that we do is complete,
 which is to say that the Kingdom is greater than ourselves.
 No statement says everything that can be said.
 No prayer completely expresses the faith.
 No Creed brings perfection.
 No pastoral visit solves every problem.
 No programme fully accomplishes the mission of the Church.
 No goal or purpose ever reaches completion.
 This is what it is about:
 We plant seeds that one day will grow.
 We water seeds already planted,
 knowing that others will watch over them.
 We lay the foundations of something that will develop.
 We add the yeast which will multiply our possibilities.
 We cannot do everything,
 yet it is liberating to begin.
 This gives us the strength to do something and to do it well.
 It may remain incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way.
 It is an opportunity for the grace of God to enter
 and to do the rest.
 It may be that we will never see its completion,
 but that is the difference between the master and the labourer.
 We are labourers, not master builders,
 servants, not the Messiah.
 We are prophets of a future that does not belong to us".

___________________________________________________________

 The Pope receives Vatican employees: live the Jubilee in the domestic church
too
 Vatican City, 21 December 2015 (VIS) - This morning in the Paul VI Hall Pope
Francis exchanged Christmas greetings with the employees of the Holy See and
Vatican City State, and their families.
 Francis thanked all present for their work and for their efforts in doing all
things well, even when there is no recognition. He addressed in particular
those
who have carried out the same type of work for many years, acknowledging that
routine is not always easy to accept as "we are not machines ... at times we
need
an incentive, or to change a little. ... Thank you! Let us continue to go
ahead,
in our various workplaces, collaborating with patience and endeavouring to help
each other."
 The Holy Father also apologised for the scandals that have taken place in the
Vatican. "But I would like my and your attitude, especially in these days, to
be
that of prayer: praying for those involved so that they may repent and return
to
a righteous path".
 "There is another thing I wish to say to you, possibly the most important: I
encourage you to take care of your marriage and your children. Look after them,
do not neglect them. Marriage is like a plant. It is not like a cupboard that
you put in a room and perhaps dust every now and then. A plant is living and
must be cared for every day. ... Marriage is a living reality: the life of a
couple must never be taken for granted, in any phase during the progress of a
family. Let us remember that the most valuable gift for children ... is their
parents' love. And I do not mean only the love of parents for their children,
but also the love between parents themselves, that is, the conjugal bond. This
is good for you and for your children".
 "Therefore, first and foremost cultivate the plant of marriage, as spouses,
and
at the same time take care of the relationship with your children; here too,
focus on the human relationship rather than material things. Focus on mercy in
your daily relations, between husband and wife, parents and children, brothers
and sisters; and take care of grandparents. The Jubilee must be lived also in
the domestic church, not only in major events! The Lord love those who practice
mercy in ordinary situations. This is my wish for you: to experience the joy of
mercy, starting with your family. Happy Christmas!".

___________________________________________________________

 Christmas: encounter Jesus in places of wonder
 Vatican City, 20 December 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father appeared at the window
of his study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace at midday today to pray the
Angelus
with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. Among those present there was
a large group of children from the Oratories who eagerly awaited the blessing
of
their figurines of the Baby Jesus for their nativity displays. On the fourth
Sunday of Advent the Pope explained that, for celebrate Christmas in a fruitful
way, we must stop in places of 'wonder'.
 "The first place is the 'other', whom we recognise as our brother or sister,
as
since the birth of Jesus, every face bears a resemblance to the Son of God, and
especially when it is the face of a poor person, because God entered the world
in poverty and allowed Himself to be approached first by the poor". The second
place of wonder is history. "Very often we think we see things in the right
way,
and instead we risk reading things backwards. This happens, for instance, when
history seems to us to be determined by the market economy, regulated by
finance
and business, dominated by the powers that be. The God of Christmas is instead
a
God who 'shuffles the deck'.
 "The third place of wonder is the Church", he continued. "To look on her with
the wonder of faith means considering the Church not merely as a religious
institution - which the Church is - but to feel that she is also a mother in
whom, despite her warts and wrinkles - there are so many! - the contours of the
bride beloved of and purified by Christ the Lord shine through. A Church who
knows how to recognise the many signs of faithful love that God continuously
sends her. A Church for whom the Lord Jesus will never be a possession to be
zealously defended; those who do this are mistaken. The Lord Jesus will always
be the One who comes to meet her, Whom she knows to await with trust and joy,
giving a voice to the hopes of the world. The Church who calls to the Lord,
'Come Lord Jesus'. The Mother Church whose doors are always open, whose arms
are
open to welcome everyone. The Mother Church goes out from her own doors to
seek,
with a mother's smile, all of those who are far away to bring them to God's
mercy. This is the wonder of Christmas".
 He emphasised that "At Christmas, God gives Himself to us fully by giving His
one and only Son, Who is all his joy. It is only with the heart of Mary, the
humble and poor daughter of Zion, who become the Mother of the Son of the Most
High, that we can rejoice and be glad for the great gift of God and for His
unexpected surprise. ... The encounter with Jesus will let us too feel this
great
wonder. But we cannot have this wonder and we cannot meet Jesus, if we do not
meet Him in the other, in history and in the Church", he concluded.

___________________________________________________________

 The path to ending violence in the Middle East
 Vatican City, 20 December 2015 (VIS) - After today's Angelus prayer, the Pope
spoke about the recent agreements regarding the Middle East reached by the
international community. "I encourage everyone to continue, with a generosity
and dedication, towards a cessation of violence and a negotiated settlement
leading to peace". Similarly, he mentioned the situation in Libya, where "the
recent working agreement among the parties for a government of national unity
invites hope for the future". He also commented on the commitment to
collaboration between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, expressing his hope that "a
renewed spirit of fraternity will further strengthen dialogue and mutual
cooperation between them and among the countries of the region".
 He also mentioned the populations of India, recently stricken by a major
flood,
and asked those present to pray a Hail Mary for these afflicted brothers and
sisters. Finally, he greeted all, and especially the many children in St.
Peter's Square who had brought figurines of the Baby Jesus from their Nativity
displays to be blessed by the Pope. "Dear children, when you pray before your
Nativity, remember me, as I will remember you".

___________________________________________________________

 Francis praises the Italian Rail service for its solidarity with the poor
 Vatican City, 19 December 2015 (VIS) - "The history of the Italian rail
service
(Ferrovie dello Stato shows its special attention to the poorest, with
different
initiatives of solidarity, both in the past and in the present", said Pope
Francis this morning, as he received in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall seven
thousand employees in the sector. He also commemorated the workers who lost
their lives during the construction of the country's rail network, expressing
his hope that accidents of this type may never be repeated.
 The initiatives of solidarity Francis mentioned include the Help Centres
present in many Italian cities, which as well as offering help and advice to
those who find themselves in difficulty, also function as "antennae", which
"enable us to grasp the signs of what is happening around us, to perceive the
suffering of others, without remaining insensible to this. These centres are
way

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