Dear Christkind [‘Christchild’ = Baby Jesus]

Soon you will descend to earth. You will bring joy to children. Also bring my joy. I would like a Volks-Schott [a hand Missal], a green vestment for Mass and a heart of Jesus. I always want to be good.

Greetings from Joseph Ratzinger [aged 7]

This touching Christmas letter was written in 1934, in beautiful cursive script, by the little boy who became Pope Benedict XVI, of blessed memory. Considering the moving innocence of this note, I pondered what our own childhood writings might reveal of our hearts.

1934 was a pivotal year in Germany, and the brooding darkness would have been palpable everywhere, even to small boys like Joseph. Yet he is fixed on Christ, the light shining in the darkness, which no evil, no matter how great, could ever overcome.

This past Sunday was the Feast of the Holy Family, and even from these few words we can see that the future Pope was born into a family of exceptional love and goodness. This was so because of his parents’ strong and simple Faith – by which they instinctively modeled their own family according to the pattern of the Lord’s.

The stability they gave to little Joseph allowed him to seek and discern what is most important in life, and ultimately to hear the call of the Christkind to lead the Church as her Supreme Pontiff. In a sense then, our responsibility as parents (and priests) is to guard with fervour the institution of the family, so that our children may have the space and freedom to come and know Christ, day by day.

This will always happen in fleeting steps – the best lessons are the unscripted ones – but remember, your little ones are watching your every move, taking their cues from how you treat the Lord, and each other. So what is your priority? How do you reveal your heart? Has your love for the Mass instilled a sense of reverence and excitement in your brood? Did they ask for a green chasuble for Christmas, or a statue of the Sacred Heart?

Pope Benedict was known for giving everyone the freedom to come to their own knowledge and understanding of Christ. This is because he understood instinctively that this is the Lord’s work: He draws all of us to Himself. We do not need to try hard with this or that program – we just have to be faithful.

God bless all your families!