As Christmas draws near, Pope Leo XIV is inviting the faithful to rediscover the spiritual depth of music during the Advent season, encouraging us to use Christmas music as a space for reflection on the birth of Our Lord. The Holy Father shared these thoughts during a meeting with the artists and organizers of the Vatican’s annual Christmas Concert, a tradition in its 33rd year.
The concert, which took place on Saturday, December 13, was held this year at the auditorium on Via della Conciliazione, just steps from St. Peter’s Basilica. Over the decades, the event has become a familiar part of the Vatican’s Christmas observance, uniting art, faith, and charity in a single expression of the Church’s mission.
During his remarks, Pope Leo reflected on the unique role music plays in human life. Music, he noted, accompanies people through memory, struggle, joy, and longing. It has the ability to hold the quiet movements of the heart, preserving both sorrow and hope with a simplicity that still carries great depth. In this way, music reflects the human story itself, marked by fragility yet always open to renewal.
The Pope connected this reality directly to the mystery of Christmas. The Nativity, he explained, reveals that God does not choose grandeur or distance in order to make Himself known. Instead, He enters the world through ordinary human circumstances, drawing close within the small and often unnoticed moments of daily life.
In reflecting on the purpose of sacred art, the Holy Father emphasized that music has the power to shape hearts toward God when it is rooted in truth and love. Rather than existing solely for performance or admiration, music can open an inner space where prayer becomes possible and where the human spirit is lifted toward what is eternal.
As the Church prepares to celebrate the birth of Christ, Pope Leo expressed his hope that Christmas music might help believers enter more deeply into the season. When received with attentiveness, music can foster silence within the soul, allowing the heart to speak honestly before God and to be formed more fully by His love.
This invitation resonates deeply during Advent and Christmas, when the faithful are called to slow down, listen, and prepare room for Christ. Sacred music, when approached with intention, can help cultivate that readiness and transform ordinary moments into encounters with grace.
To help you enter more fully into the joy and reverence of the Christmas season, Relevant Radio is proud to offer two special Christmas music streams, Christmas Music and Classic Christmas Music, available exclusively in the FREE Relevant Radio app. Whether at home, in the car, or at prayer, these streams provide a beautiful accompaniment as you prepare to welcome Christ anew.