Tonight liturgy carries us to thanksgiving to the Lord for the year that has passed. It has been a very complicated, difficult year, a year of war, of violence. We have spoken about a ‘season of force’.
Notwithstanding all this, we give thanks to the Lord because he has held us united, he has kept the Community united, and he has shown us the steps to make in this difficult time, keeping open the doors of our homes, of our hearts, welcoming all the questions for blessing - as don Marco said in his homily - that rise from this world, from so many men and women.
The Lord has kept us united to him, to his Gospel, to his Word, which is always a lamp to our steps. He has kept us united to the poor, who have been our teachers also this year. And he has shown us so many miracles of the life of the Community, of the life of faith, because we are always children of the Lord of the impossible. And this time of Christmas always reminds us that the impossible has been made possible in the birth of Jesus.
For all this we give thanks the Lord, we are united to him, we remain united as we walk together towards the year that is coming.
We ask that may be a year of peace and blessing for all those who suffer for war. We always remember Mozambique, which is living tragic hours. We remember Gaza, with all the terrible slaughters that have been happening and with all the suffering that this people carries. We remember Sudan and the entire Middle East.
We remember one another and all our communities in prayer, especially those in Ukraine, for whom we always ask that peace may come soon.
For all this we thank the Lord. And it is also the chance to wish to one another a year of peace, good and good health for all.
