Marginalized communities are not merely recipients of charity but “teachers of hope, courage, and perseverance,” a Malaysian cardinal said in his Christmas message marking the close of the Jubilee of Hope.
In a reflection, Cardinal Sebastian Francis of Penang urged Catholics to recognize the presence of Christ among those living at the peripheries of society, including Indigenous peoples, migrants, refugees, and families facing hardship.
“Hope is not an escape from reality,” the cardinal said. “It is God entering our reality, walking alongside us, especially those most vulnerable, and calling us to be instruments of His mercy.”
Francis said Christmas is a reminder that God’s saving work unfolds through ordinary people often overlooked by society.
Citing the Nativity narrative, he recalled that “the first to hear of Christ’s birth were shepherds, ordinary people, overlooked by society, yet chosen by God to witness His glory.”
“Today, those on the margins continue to reveal the presence of Christ among us,” he said.
The cardinal pointed specifically to the lived realities of Malaysia’s marginalized communities, including the Orang Asli, migrants and foreign workers, refugees, the elderly, single parents, and families affected by poverty, illness, or social exclusion.
“In the smiles of Orang Asli children learning their traditions with pride, in the whispered prayers of migrants in cramped dwellings, in the resilience of refugees rebuilding their lives, and in the quiet faith of the elderly — there the light of the manger shines,” Francis said.
He stressed that a genuine encounter transforms how communities understand hope and service. “When we draw near, we discover that they are not merely recipients of charity but teachers of hope, courage, and perseverance,” he said.
Even small, everyday actions, the cardinal added, have deep spiritual and social significance. “The smallest gestures, sharing a meal, listening attentively, offering companionship, or helping someone find a job, become instruments of God’s kingdom,” he said.
Francis linked this vision to the Church’s ongoing synodal journey, described as “Walking Together Towards a Synodal and Prophetic Church – A People for Missionary Discipleship.”
A prophetic Church, he said, “stands beside the poor, speaks for the voiceless, and refuses to look away from suffering.”
As the Jubilee of Hope draws to a close, Francis said its call must continue beyond the Holy Year. “Hope must be made visible in concrete actions,” he said, adding that “hope becomes credible when it is lived! not only proclaimed.”
The cardinal concluded by inviting Catholics and “all men and women of peace and goodwill” to become “pilgrims of hope,” praying that Christian communities grow as “bridges of understanding, homes of welcome, and bearers of a hope that does not disappoint, because it springs from the God Who chose to dwell among His people.”
