Thanks to the initiative of the S. Egidio community and the passionate collaboration of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ in the generalate, the church was transformed into a wedding hall to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the heavenly bridegroom who chose to become a child to express the Father's Love for humanity.
Welcoming our brothers and sisters who are at the margins of our society as guests of honor at a Christmas party was a concrete gesture to express Jesus' love for humanity. The 150 invitees, together with the volunteers of the S. Egidio and the numerous Adorers of the Blood of Christ, sat at the same tables and shared the same food, experiencing that community can be real and that a world of peace is possible if justice is practiced; we can sit at the same table recognizing the other as a gift of God who calls us to relationship.
Bethlehem means House of Bread, and if Jesus was born in a manger, the church can be transformed into a dining hall, where He becomes the Bread of Life to be eaten by all and shared with all. The sacredness of the church is revealed in her capacity to be an open space where everyone finds physical and spiritual nourishment..