Hope is not a virtue for people with a full stomach. That is why the poor have always been the first bearers of hope. And in this sense, we can say that the poor, even beggars, are history’s protagonists. In order to enter the world, God needed them: Joseph, and Mary, the shepherds of Bethlehem. On the night of the first Christmas, the world was asleep, laying upon a bed of acquired certainties. But humble, hidden people were preparing the revolution of goodness. They were poor in everything; some remained afloat just above the subsistence level, but they had a wealth of the most valuable asset that exists in this world: that is, the desire for change.

(~ Pope Francis, “A Light in the Night – Meditations on Hope.” (Jubilee 2025), Demons of Noon)

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.

In the Nativity scene there are … shepherds, who represent the humble and poor who await the Messiah, the “consolation of lsrael” (Lk 2:25), and the “redemption of Jerusalem” (2:38). In this Child they see the realization of the promises and hope that the salvation of God will finally arrive for each of them.

(~ Pope Francis, “A Light in the Night – Meditations on Hope.” (Jubilee 2025), The Nativity Scene Conveys Hope)

He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

…we look to Mary, Mother of Hope. With her “yes,” she opened the door of our world to God. Her maiden’s heart was full of hope, wholly enlivened by faith; thus, God chose her, and she believed in his word.

(~ Pope Francis, “A Light in the Night – Meditations on Hope.” (Jubilee 2025), The Nativity Scene Conveys Hope)

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

For Christians in areas of conflict

Let us pray that Christians living in areas of war or conflict, especially in the Middle East, might be seeds of peace, reconciliation and hope.

God of peace,
who through the blood of Your Son
has reconciled the world to Yourself,
today we pray for Christians
living amidst wars and violence.

Even surrounded by pain, may they
never cease to feel the gentle kindness of your presence
and the prayers of their brothers and sisters in faith.

For only through You, and strengthened by fraternal bonds,
can they become the seeds of reconciliation,
builders of hope in ways both small and great,
capable of forgiving and moving forward,
of bridging divides,
and of seeking justice with mercy.

Lord Jesus, who called blessed
those who work for peace,
make us Your instruments of peace
even where harmony seems impossible.

Holy Spirit,
source of hope in the darkest times,
sustain the faith of those who suffer and strengthen their hope.
Do not let us fall into indifference,
and make us builders of unity, like Jesus.

Amen.

View the December Prayer Intention Pope Video – a global initiative to disseminate the Holy Father’s monthly intentions (Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network).