Palestinian Christmas: A Birth Under the Ruins

The Christians of the world chant the angelic chant (Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men), marking the advent of Merry Christmas among the Western sects. Happy New Year to everyone.

In Palestine, when eyes turn tonight to Bethlehem, the cradle of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, for glorification, thanksgiving, and supplication at the climax of the Divine Liturgy, the celebratory prayer this year carries all the pain because it contains love and mercy for those who were befallen by the Nakba and who tasted the bitterness of deprivation in the brutal, prolonged aggression against Gaza. The sea was reassured next to it, and the war came to take away the joy of life from its people, and its children. But despite death, they remained armed with greatness, glory, exaltation, and honor, and Gaza’s status and value will remain engraved in all the minds of the unified people.

Bethlehem, while singing hymns of glory and Christmas hymns, decided to name (Birth under the Ruins) this year’s Christmas program, as the solidarity stand took place yesterday afternoon, Saturday, under the title (Birth Under the Ruins) and carried many messages, the first of which was that Bethlehem decided not to celebrate Christmas because our people are witnessing a horrific genocidal war and the whole world is watching.

The hearts of the residents of Bethlehem, and thousands of Palestinians in occupied Palestine and the diaspora, have been burdened with pain for eighty days as they witness this huge amount of destruction and ongoing war crimes without ever being condemned or held accountable.

Under this title, the procession of His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Peri Battista Pizzaballa will proceed to celebrate the holiday mass before midnight. Before that, the events will be brief and will focus on the reality of the pain that Gaza is experiencing, especially the expected message that the children of Bethlehem will send to the children of Gaza under the title (Gaza has become the capital of humanity. Free now).

The children of Bethlehem will extend their hands, hearts and souls to the children of Gaza because they are children of one homeland and believe in eternal freedom and a glorious Christmas. Bethlehem will chant for the suffering, crying, bloody and hungry Gaza, hoping to cross the borders to heal the wounded and the judiciary to warm the hearts.

The skies of Gaza do not hear the call to prayer or the church bells, and in Bethlehem they will raise the call to prayer and ring the church bells for the sake of Gaza, its freedom, peace and security.

Bethlehem hopes that peace will prevail and that light will come with an appeal to the world that has been silent about the truth. What is required is for this world to take action to stop the aggression on the Gaza Strip before it is too late.