Having dragged myself up early on Christmas morning - after returning home at 1am after Midnight Mass I was ‘Musical Director’ for - I managed to survive on just about 6/7 hours sleep, until I finally crashed out half way through the evening.
The Solemn Morning Mass opened many things for me, even if it was amazingly cold and the prospect of going home to sit down was immense.
‘All the ends of the earth, shall see the salvation of our God’
I mixture of thoughts have filled my day; from thinking to myself how I can get annoyed when in close proximity with people for a whole day, to the deep sorrow at the finding of the body of a young woman here in Failand, Bristol, when Joanna Baxter has been missing from here home in Clifton for the past week with no lead on her whereabouts. Also the tragic bombing in Pakistan that have taken the lives of many and the landslide in south-western Colombia, that was triggered by weeks of heavy rains, has killed at least 12 people thus far.
Today, many religious leaders have given us ‘food for thought’ in our world and lives.
The Pontiff called ‘for an end to conflicts around the world’ and for ultimate peace, especially in the Middle East in his Christmas message.The Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, with whom I share a name - Dr Rowan Williams, has used his Christmas sermon to question ‘whether the richest people are bearing their share of the economic downturn,’ and the social divisions in common sharing, with the Archbishop of York echoing this same thought.
The Archbishop of Westminster, + Vincent Nichols, has urged people struggling with faith to "reach out" to the extended hand of God and not shun faith in his Homily during Midnight Mass.
It is important we allow ourselves not to be completely taken over by the flashing lights of **CHRISTMAS** and remember those far from and those close to us in our everyday lives, and allow ourselves to be shown by others, but also within ourselves how we can help through using the many personal gifts we share and our time and thoughts.
Ergo qui natus die hodierna. Jesu tibi sit gloria. Patris aeternae verbum caro factum.
Venite adoremus Dominum.
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