Pope celebrates 81st birthday with children, giant pizza, Bambinelli blessing

Bambinelli

Source: Vatican Radio, VIS

Thousands of children brought their Baby Jesuses from their Nativity sets to Saint Peter's Square for the traditional 'Bambinelli Blessing' by the Pope on Sunday. Earlier in the day, in Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father had met a large group of child patients from Rome's children's hospital, with their parents, helpers and a giant four metre long pizza. He encouraged the adults present encourage children to be joyful.

"A joyful soul is like good earth, which makes life grow well, with good fruits. And that's why this celebration is being held: the closeness of Christmas is always sought to gather us to hold this celebration for them."

Next the Pope encouraged the children to talk with with their grandparents or other older people, through whose memories they could also discover their roots.

Finally he advised adults to help children to talk with God. "May they learn to pray, to say what they feel in their heart."

In his address to pilgrims in St Peter's Square later, Pope Francis spoke about Gaudete Sunday - the Sunday of joy. He said: "The liturgy invites us to receive the spirit with which all this happens, that is, exactly, joy. Saint Paul invites us to prepare for the coming of the Lord by assuming three attitudes: constant joy, persevering prayer and constant thanksgiving."

St Paul calls for is constant joy: "Rejoice always" … "It means to remain always in joy, even when things don't go according to our desires, and when there are anxieties, difficulties and sufferings, Francis said. "Jesus came on earth to give back to men the dignity and freedom of the children of God, which only He can communicate, and to give joy."

The second attitude, St Paul says requires constant prayer. "Through prayer, we can enter a stable relationship with God, who is the source of true joy. A Christian's joy is not purchased, it can't be bought, it comes from faith and from the encounter with Jesus Christ, the reason of our happiness. The more we are rooted in Christ, the closer we are to Jesus, the more we rediscover interior serenity, even in the midst of daily contradictions."

The third attitude, is constant thanksgiving - grateful love in our relationship with God. "In fact, He is very generous to us, and we are invited to be grateful always for His benefits, His merciful love, His patience and kindness, thus living in incessant gratitude."

Joy, prayer and gratitude, the Holy Father said, are three attitudes that prepare us to live Christmas genuinely.

After the Angelus, the Pope affectionately greeted the children with their Bambinellis. He told them: "When you pray at home, before the Crib with members of your family, let yourselves be drawn by the tenderness of Baby Jesus, born poor and frail in our midst, to give us His love…. This is the 'true Christmas."

If we take Jesus away, its just an empty celebration. "Don't take Jesus away from Christmas! Jesus is the centre of Christmas; Jesus is the true Christmas!"

The Holy Father wished everyone a good Sunday, a good lunch, and as usual asked them to pray for him.