Christmas 2013

-

I over heard someone say the other day about Christmas “after all it’s just another day in the year.” Although I was disappointed that I heard this after some thought I realised for a lot of people they are absolutely right. Christmas is just another day with the queen on at 3pm. Others it is a day where it’s a chance to have a day off or some just to eat and drink too much. It’s almost as if you want to say to them “Do they know it’s Christmas?”  For others at the end of the Christmas day they turn to each other and say “well thanks that’s over for another year”

Each of these groups of people are probably thoughts and feelings that we may have said or will say today. And yet today this day “The Word made flesh and dwelt among us” It is this day that human history changed for ever it is a pivotal day in history of humanity. Jesus the Son of God walked upon earth. Christ was among us. And so it is not just another day. There was no trumpet blasts or yellow tickertape on Sky News it went by very quietly in a small town called Bethlehem. A seemly insignificant place just outside Jerusalem. But, it was here that God chose for the Son of God to be born. It is interesting what is in a name. The word Bethlehem means “House of bread.” We all know that bread is a staple diet in many places of the world it gives life to people fills them with goodness.

God gave us this day the greatest gift that we have ever had. He gives us Jesus his only Son. Our nourishment is Jesus the bread of life. He is our constant joy and when I think of the gifts that he has given me. And the joy of the gifts he has given to me is to share them with others. For gifts are to be shared.

And this is why it does not end at midnight on Christmas day when everyone has gone home. It remains with us all through our lives. We develop the gifts, we are nourished and given strength to use those gifts in Mass and prayer. And we use them. So that everyone knows that it is Christmas and we are Christians. And as Christians we show Christ to others. There are many in our parish community who do not have family and friends around them. Many are lonely, and Christmas is just another day because the alternative is too difficult to think about. They are all too aware that it is Christmas. We need to have pastoral concern for them, to help them to pray for them but not just at Christmas but the whole year round.  

So let us this Christmas remember that Christ came to us as our gift and let us them show others Jesus so that people everywhere know what the true meaning of Christmas is which is Christ at the centre of our lives.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fashion tips for what its worth.

-
Image
The Other day I had an Conversation with someone about Fashion. I am not sure if many of you know but I used to work in Top shop in Oxford Circus. So I thought I woulds share with you some of the trend that might look good for the Summer of 2012.  First of all I am really pleased to say that there seems to be a little colour back into the high street this season. This must be because of the bad weather that people want to wear bold and primary colours. Although I am not sure about the hat in the lower picture. Am I old fashioned enough to say that hats and woolen hats should be winter wear and not summer wear. Fresh and clean colours are in this year.   Good but loose the hat. The black and grey days are over and we can see that these are both stylish from the ladies but also a Casual look from the lads. But there are some fashions that are clearly wrong and should be left alone. See the Green Jumper down below. I don't really know where to ...
Read more

More than many Sparrows

-
A number of years ago I worked in Oxford Street in Top shop. I was working in the exchange and refund department. I was suprized by the amount of people that used fashion to hide who they really were. The one thing that they would say quite a lot was that they shopped and brought clothes to make them selves feel better. Now this is not a homily against retail therapy or against fashion shops but I have to say I met a lot of people that used this and other things to get over the pain that they did not either like themselves and therefore feel love of another person.  It is true to say that there are many times in our lives where we are afraid to be our true authentic selves. We hide behind the masks that we portray. We are one thing to one person and another to someone else. We try our best and hardest to try and please everyone where we almost become like a camelion. I suppose the question I have is why do we do this. Why do we waste so much energy trying to be all things to a...
Read more

Jesus and Travel plans

-
Image
Whenever I go away on holiday or just over night I always without fail over pack: I take loads of stuff away with me and half the stuff I don’t actually use or need. In my mind I have the phrase going through my head “Oh I might just need that.” And then when we get back we actually realised that I did not need it at all.  Basically I do not travel light. I would have then great difficulties I think being a disciple. I would not be able to cope with the travel plans that Jesus would have given me. No spare tunic no, no money, no travel insurance.  Jesus tells us that all we need his authority and the gift of ourselves the talents and gifts that we have been given by God. Mark says nothing in this Gospel about what the disciples said in their missionary activity the most important thing here is presence and through that presence they are witnesses to the Gospel. So what do the disciples tells us about what it means to be Gospel. The phrase that comes into my mind ...
Read more