Today is the feast of St. Stephen, protomartyr (first martyr) and in Italy, it is more than just the day after Christmas. Italians often call important days not by the date but by the name of saint whose feast day it is. So today in Italy is Santo Stefano. As New Year’s Eve approaches, you’ll hear Italians talk about where they are going to celebrate San Silvestro – St. Sylvester, not New Year’s Eve (Capo d’anno). So these days, you’ll hear, “What did you do on Santo Stefano?” “Where do you want to go for San Silvestro?” How are you going to celebrate San Silvestro?
I’m sure (at least I hope!) that you followed some of the events in the Vatican with Pope Leo celebrating his first Christmas as Holy Father – the vigil Mass on December 24, Christmas Mass of the Day and the Urbi et Orbi blessing on December 25 and the Angelus today, Santo Stefano! Videos will be up for some time on vaticannews.va
Leo XIV is spending tonight and tomorrow at Castelgandolfo, returning to Rome Saturday evening. There will be no presser with the media tomorrow as he has done in the past when leaving Castelgandolfo for the Vatican.
VATICAN INSIDER: JOHN PAUL II’S 1994 CHRISTMAS LETTER TO CHILDREN
As you’ll hear me say at the start of this Christmastime Special, I want to welcome you to Vatican Insider on this festive weekend between Christmas and San Silvestro, New Year’s Day! A time of rejoicing over the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and a time to look forward with hope to a New Year that often allows us to “start over.”
During these festive days, let’s make time (not just ‘find’ time) for reflection, for setting new and inspiring goals, for spending more time with and for others, for asking the Lord to help us bring peace, joy, love and understanding into the world. And let’s not forget laughter! Laughter produces joy. It’s contagious. There’s a proverb that says “If you’re too busy to laugh, you are too busy.” Nobel laureate Thomas Mann said “Laughter is a sunbeam of the soul.”
On that joyful note, I want to tell you about the Special I’ve prepared after the news segment, a piece I love to offer to my listeners at Christmas time – Pope John Paul’s Christmas Letter to Children, written at the end of the 1994 Year of the Family. Gather everyone – especially children, from toddlers to teens – around the Nativity ccene or the Christmas tree to hear the wonderful words of a Pope who became a saint! How loved you will feel at the end of this Special!
There are tons of photos out there of Pope John Paul with babies, toddlers, tweens and teens and I offer just a handful of my favorites….
National Catholic Register
AFP photo
Wikimedia photo
John Paul II Foundation
John Paul II Foundation
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Joan's Rome 