He greets artists and the poor alike. Pope Leo, at the end of the concert held in the Paul VI Hall, «initiative born from the heart of Pope Francis» and now in its sixth edition, it chats with the organizers and spectators. With Marco Frisina, who conducted the orchestra, Serena Autieri who conducted the evening, Michael Bublé, the star of the event. The classroom full of indigent and fragile people because «music», underlines Pope Leo before giving everyone Christmas greetings, «not a luxury for the few, but a divine gift accessible to all, rich and poor, learned and simple». He thanks the poor for their presence, the cardinal vicar Baldo Reina, the almoner Konrad Krajewski, the Dicastery for the Service of Charity and all the charitable works that collaborated for the success of the evening. A special thank you then goes to Michael Bublé who, at his request, sang Schubert’s Ave Maria, moving everyone presentthe. Why music, explains Leone, «is like a bridge that leads us to God. It is capable of transmitting feelingsemotions, up to the deepest movements of the soul, bringing them high, transforming them into an ideal staircase that connects the earth and the sky. Yes, music can elevate our soul! Not because it distracts us from our miseries, because it stuns us or makes us forget the problems and difficult situations of life, but because it reminds us that we are not just this: we are much more than our problems and our troubles, we are children loved by God!».
The Pontiff connects music with the advent period, with the Christmas celebration, “very rich in traditional songs, in every language, in every culture”. And it is as if, he underlines «we could not celebrate this Mystery without music, without hymns of praise. Moreover, the Gospel itself tells us that while Jesus was born in the stable in Bethlehem, there was a great concert of angels in heaven! And who listened to that concert? To whom did the angels appear? To the shepherds, who kept watch at night to guard their flock”, that is, to the most humble and rejected people.
Finally, the invitation, in this time of Advent, to prepare “for the encounter with the Lord who comes! Let us ensure”, he urges, “that our hearts do not become heavy, that they are not all taken up by selfish interests and material concerns, but that they are awake, attentive to others, to those in need; be ready to listen to the love song of God, who is Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus is God’s love song for humanity. Let’s listen to this song! Let’s learn it well, so that we can sing it too, with our lives.”
