A Christmas Poem by Blessed Franz Jägerstätter
(December 1932)
Christmas joy, Christmas spirit
will now soon be renewed.
Every year, in remembrance,
young and old always rejoice.
Happy the hearts, full of love,
as they should be at Christmas time.
Give up hostility, agree to new peace,
leave aside politics, cultivate unity.
Also, do not forget all of our poor
who, often blamelessly, are oppressed by need.
Open up hearts, have compassion;
God pays back to you everything worthwhile.
For this reason, Christmas peace now stirs again
in all hearts.
Now lay down hate and pride;
as a result, you will be truly fortunate.
Then, like the shepherds for the first time many years ago,
we shall be drawn to the crib
so that we, too, are once again fortunately traveling
to God, to the child Jesus.