He knew that the strength of the Christmas table community was enormous. Who among us does not remember from family Christmas Eve, when the disputes at the Christmas Eve table subsided, how tears flowed when the Christmas wafer was broken – recalls the Archbishop. There is some magic in this evening that is obviously no magic. It is Christ’s love for man. The Holy Father always said that Christ’s love works miracles. It is love which cannot be beat. You just need to be able to draw from it. You have to open door for that Love.
John Paul II did his best to recreate at least a bit of a Christmas Eve evening in his Christmas meetings with pilgrims. As much strength and closeness as possible. During one of the meetings with young Poles, he said at the end: “Now there is a proposal. We literally can’t break the Christmas wafer, because it would take too long, and I don’t even know if it could be done effectively. But let’s do it at least symbolically. I am asking you to get up in a moment, so that we all shake hands, just like we are standing next to each other. Starting here with me, I will give my neighbors’ hands on the right, left and in turn through all the rows, so that everyone is connected and that this connection does not break anywhere. We will then also sing at least the last verse of the Christmas carol “God is born” and this will be the culmination of our meeting. The Christmas wafer is symbolically broken, a symbolic chain of hands. The power of unity that is born of Christ’s birth but remains forever. This is how we sat at this table and it was good and warm – recalls the Archbishop. At the end there was a short prayer together, and then rest before the Midnight Mass. The guests also went to each other, and then we all met at the midnight mass – says Archbishop Mokrzycki. The Holy Father still prayed in the chapel, and then read in his office. He entrusted God this evening, this moment. Then we went together to the basilica. He always walked in silence, in concentration, never said anything.
With the consent of Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki – “A place for everyone”
Znak Publishing House, Krakow 2013
