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Christmas is more than a party, Pope explains

A priest sprinkles holy water on pilgrims covered in mud and dried leaves during a Mass to celebrate the feast day of St. John the Baptist in the village of Bibiclat in Nueva Ecija province, north of Manila, Philippines. CNS photo / Cheryl Ravelo, Reuters.

In this Catholic News Agency story the Pope, speaking the day after the feast of Mary's Immaculate Conception, asks Catholics to prepare for Christmas by listening to the voice of St. John the Baptist, who teaches us to celebrate Christmas as more than a party.

"Our aim today is listening to that voice to give space and welcome to the heart of Jesus, the Word Who saves us," said Pope Benedict XVI from his apartment window to pilgrims gathered below in St. Peter's Square.

"St. Luke dispels any mythic reading that is often made of the Gospels and the life of the historical places," said Pope Benedict, recalling the Gospel writer's explicit mention of John the Baptist being born "In the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor ... during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas."

He spoke of St. Augustine, who said that Christ is the eternal word since the beginning, while John is the voice that passed by.

For full story see The B.C. Catholic website.