This Christmas people should live in hope and ‘recapitalise’ their families and local communities with concern for one another and with love.
So said the Primate of all Ireland, Cardinal Séan Brady in his Christmas message.
“It is an investment which each one of us can make. It is an investment which comes with a guaranteed return".
Referring to his trip to Bethlehem earlier this year, with the leaders of the main churches, Cardinal Brady spoke of the tragedy of Bethlehem, which has become “a byword for conflict”.
But in the midst of the difficult conditions in Bethlehem there were also “vibrant signs of hope, particularly among the young.”
“Young people can transform a difficult situation with their generosity and positive approach to the future,” said Cardinal Brady, who recalled an interdenominational prayer service for peace at the Shepherd’s Field Church, where young people spoke of their hopes and dreams for a peaceful future, and the next day, how young people danced at a graduation ceremony at a Catholic parish in Gaza, believing in a future “full of hope.”
They danced and sang with enthusiasm and pride for their families and friends, because they “also knew the wealth that comes from a strong family bond and a community that cares. It reminded me of the importance of building strong families and communities that care here at home,” he added.
He went on: “It struck me that this generation of young people have more in common across the world than any generation before. It occurred to me that despite the many divisions in the world, the world now has the chance to become more united than ever before. This is what the child born in the manger in Bethlehem came to do � to make us one, to establish among us a civilisation of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace.”
In the current economic climate, it was all too easy to be pessimistic and to focus on the negative, said the Archbishop of Armagh.
“The child in the manger beckons us to a future full of hope. And there are many good reasons to hope. If we invest in strong bonds of family and friendship, if we build up communities that care, we will always have good reasons to hope.
“There is much talk about re-capitalising the banks with cash. This Christmas let us recapitalise our families, our local community and our society with concern for one another and with love. It is an investment which each one of us can make. It is an investment which comes with a guaranteed return. Let us rebuild family and community life as well as our economic system so that our future prosperity will be built on more solid foundations than it was before.”+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Sotto Voce
(Source: ADA)