Dear friends in Christ, brothers and sisters,

“The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory.” (John 1:14)

As we celebrate the mystery of Christmas, may our eyes, enlightened by faith, contemplate the glory of God revealed in the child Jesus born in the manger. May our hearts be warmed by his humble love and filled with true joy. It is my heartfelt wish that every person, every family, and every religious and ecclesial community may live and share the memory of Jesus, preserved in peace, charity and truth.

There is Christmas because God has listened to the cry of every heart that longs for redemption, and to the earth that “groans in labour pains” (Romans 8:22). There is Christmas because, in the silence of the night and in the poverty of a manger, God chose to share our humanity and to make our cry his own, assuring us of his abiding presence on the path of forgiveness and reconciliation. There is Christmas because, in the hiddenness of the home of Nazareth, Mary listened with humility to the will of God amid a world marked by fragility and uncertainty. Inspired by Mary’s attentive listening, let us continue our pilgrimage of faith with hope and trust in the Lord (cf. Psalm 71:5).

Christmas is the feast of closeness and compassion. We remember those who are alone; those who conceal their struggles so as not to burden others; those deprived of life’s necessities; the sick; migrants displaced by war and natural disasters; the persecuted; prisoners; and all who live on the margins of society. We also hold in prayer those who experience Christmas in mourning, those without home or homeland, those without a voice or family, and those who have lost a sense of meaning in life. Yet we remain anchored in the radiant promise proclaimed by the Angels: “Do not be afraid; for see, I bring you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11). The birth of Jesus among us and for us remains an enduring source of joy, healing and hope.

As the Jubilee Year draws to its conclusion, I wish to conclude these Christmas greetings by echoing the Holy Father’s invitation that we continue to walk as pilgrims of hope even beyond the Jubilee, for “to hope is to generate. To hope is to see this world becoming the world of God: a world in which God, human beings and all creatures once again walk together, in the garden-city, the new Jerusalem. May Mary, our hope, accompany us always on our pilgrimage of faith and hope.” (Catechesis, 20 December 2025)

I wish you all a blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with God’s grace and peace.

Sr Cristina Tee, smf
Superior General