Pope Benedict is going hi-tech. He has just become the first Pope to light the largest electronic Christmas tree in the world from quite some distance. The electronic tree was in the Italian town of Gubbio while the Pope was in the comfort of his Vatican apartments. He did the "trick" by flicking his electronic "tablet" (quite a difference from the twin tablet of stone on which Moses scribbled the Ten Commandments!) which was connected to the power grid. Benedict XVI lit the largest Christmas tree in the world from the papal apartments. Thousands of bulbs obeyed the pontifical touch on the tablet's screen.
Quite naturally the Pope was not satisfied by the mere electronic innovativeness of event. He wanted to change it into an evangelising occasion. In fact, just before the magical touch he addressed a few words – quite naturally by television – to those attending the ceremony.
The Pope noted that whoever would look at this Christmas tree situated on the slopes of Mt. Ingino would have to lift his gaze upwards towards the sky. The Pope symbolically explained this as the lifting of our gaze from this world to the world of God. In this context he expressed his three wishes by for Christmas
1. Direct our Gaze towards God
"My first wish, therefore, is that our gaze, that of our minds and our hearts, not rest only on the horizon of this world, on its material things, but that it in some way, like this tree that tends upward, be directed toward God. God never forgets us but He also asks that we don't forget Him".
"The Gospel recounts that, on the holy night of Christ's birth, a light enveloped the shepherds, announcing a great joy to them: the birth of Jesus, the one who brings us light, or better, the One who is the true light that illuminates all. The great tree that I will light up shortly overlooks the city of Gubbio and will illuminate the darkness of the night with its light".
2. Christ illuminates our lives
"My second wish is that we recall that we also need a light to illumine the path of our lives and to give us hope, especially in this time in which we feel so greatly the weight of difficulties, of problems, of suffering, and it seems that we are enshrouded in a veil of darkness. But what light can truly illuminate our hearts and give us a firm and sure hope? It is the Child whom we contemplate on Christmas, in a poor and humble manger, because He is the Lord who draws near to each of us and asks that we reeceive Him anew in our lives, asks us to want Him, to trust in Him, to feel His presence, that He is accompanying us, sustaining us, and helping us".
3. Contribute to light others
"But this great tree is formed of many lights. My final wish is that each of us contribute something of that light to the spheres in which we live: our families, our jobs, our neighbourhoods, towns, and cities. That each of us be a light for those who are at our sides; that we leave aside the selfishness that, so often, closes our hearts and leads us to think only of ourselves; that we may pay greater attention to others, that we may love them more. Any small gesture of goodness is like one of the lights of this great tree: together with other lights it illuminates the darkness of the night, even of the darkest night".
In these last few days before Christmas take some time to think about these wishes of the Pope. Perhaps they can also become your wishes.