The Pope's Household preacher commentary

Father Raniero Cantalamessa is the Pontifical Household preacher.

http://www.zenit.org/article-21385?l=english

Glory to God and Peace to Men
Gospel Commentary for Christmas Mass at Midnight

snip

Christmas is not an appeal to the good will of men but a radiant proclamation of the good will of God toward men.

The key word, then, for understanding the angelic proclamation is the last one, that which speaks of the "benevolence" of God toward men, as font and origin of all that which God began to accomplish at Christmas. He predestined us to be his adopted sons "according to the good pleasure of his will," the Apostle writes; he made known to us the mystery of his will, according to what he foreordained "in his benevolence" (Ephesians 1:5,9).

Christmas is the supreme epiphany of that which the Scripture calls God's philanthropy, that is, his love for men: "The goodness of God and his love for men are manifested" (Titus 3:4).

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Another beautiful Gospel commentary by "the Pope's preacher." I especially love the point that he is making about Christmas being the time to contemplate God's goodness and God's love for humankind, and the Scriptural references for this understanding.

He makes a subtle but critically important point in the first line of this excerpt. While many Christians (and secularists) think that Christmas is the peak of manifestation of person-to-person charity, this is actually incorrect. (St. Nicolas is more the reference point for that aspect of the holiday season). If I hear one more pseudo-pious "What gift would Jesus give for Christmas" or "Christmas is about giving" comment I'll personally tie the person to a very rough needled Christmas tree and read the Scriptures to them (using single syllables where possible!)

Advent and Christmas are about the historical and eternal goodness of God who continued to send prophets to save his children, culminating in Jesus, born of Mary and the Holy Spirit's overshadowing. So Christmas is not about gift giving (though I support that aspect of it because as I said, it is through the St. Nicholas example a great expression of family love and charity.) Christmas is another of the series of religious history interactions with God that demonstrates in living and breathing, fleshly form that the Messiah was sent as a result of God's 1) goodness and 2) God's love of humankind!