Christmas, the poor, and Archbishop Romero

... no one can celebrate an authentic Christmas 

unless they are truly poor. 

The self-sufficient, the proud of heart, 

those who despise others 

because they do not possess the material goods of this earth, 

those who do not need or want God 

--- for these people there is no Christmas. 

Only the poor, the hungry, 

and those who need someone to come to them 

because they have need of someone, 

someone who is God, someone who is Emmanuel, 

God-with-us 

--- only these people are able to celebrate Christmas. 

Without the spirit of poverty 

one is unable to be filled with God.

Archbishop Oscar Romero

December 24, 1978

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The original Spanish can be found here.

A blog post on Romero, Christmas, and the poor can be found here on Super Martyrio.