Christmas is the most joyous season of the year — not only for Christians, but even for those outside the faith — because it is a time when love and generosity bind humanity together through compassion, forgiveness, and reconciliation across the world.

It is a season when the celebration of our Messiah’s birth should rise above the hardships and suffering that weigh upon us throughout the year. At its heart, the message of Christmas, as proclaimed in the Gospel, is a message of love — God’s boundless and profound love for mankind.

This divine love, revealed in the birth of Christ, continues to move and inspire believers who place their hope in the promise of salvation through Jesus. As the Holy Bible proclaims: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

But how does one attain eternal life? Jesus Himself gave us the answer when He said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37–39).

On these two commandments rests the very foundation of salvation. To truly love God and our neighbor requires more than words; it demands action. We are called to offer our time, talent, and treasure in the service of others, most especially through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

As I’ve often said, to love is to serve. Love without service is empty; service gives love its true meaning. This love is made visible in the corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick and the imprisoned, and burying the dead.

Equally vital are the spiritual works of mercy — to admonish the sinner, instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, comfort the sorrowful, bear wrongs patiently, forgive all injuries, and pray for the living and the dead.

Christmas, therefore, is an opportune time for sharing. We can share our time, talent, and treasure with people in need, with our communities, or even with the entire nation. The purpose of this sharing is not merely charity for its own sake, but participation in the unceasing work of bringing about God’s Kingdom on earth — just as we pray in the words Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer.

By obeying Christ’s teachings to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and perform acts of mercy, we draw closer to realizing His Kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven.” Of course, mankind alone cannot fully bring forth God’s Kingdom. Living our lives according to the two greatest commandments is never easy. Despite our sincere efforts to love God and our neighbor, human as we are, we often fall short.

Still, beyond time, talent, and treasure, each person possesses a unique, God-given gift that is meant to be shared. Wealth and poverty are not limitations to sharing. As St. John Paul II said, “Nobody is so poor he has nothing to give, and nobody is so rich he has nothing to receive.”

Among these gifts is the gift of leadership, an essential need as we strive to build a more just and compassionate society. Selfless and competent leaders who genuinely place the common good above personal interest inspire unity, cooperation, and hope, especially in times of crisis.

It is often in moments of great trial, such as those our country and the world face today, that true leadership emerges and offers people renewed hope. And in that hope, we rediscover the deepest joy of Christmas — the assurance that Christ has come to save us, to walk with us, and to remain with us through every difficulty.

May this truth fill our hearts with faith, strengthen our resolve to serve, and lead us to love more generously. Merry Christmas everyone! ([email protected])