‘Today, in the town of David, a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord’
On Sunday November 28, we woke up to find the whole countryside
covered in snow.
It was the first Sunday of Advent. We were slowed down
to a crawl, and things have only got worse since.
‘Today……a saviour has been born to you….
The second week of Advent brought us the most severe budget ever. We are all poorer now, and we will be even more poor…
‘Today…..a saviour has been born to you…
The third week brought the horrific story of children’s lives
devastated to the forefront again with the publication, a year later, of
a further chapter of the Murphy report. And there is more to come.
‘Today…… a saviour has been born to you…..
This last week of Advent is dominated by the struggle of tens of
thousands to get home for Christmas, and it looks like all the effort in
the world is not going to be enough . Getting home too can be beyond
us…
‘Today…… a saviour has been born to you…..
This Advent has brought home some stark truths.
‘We had gone astray like sheep…’
Didn’t the people of Israel have it right all along: we need a Messiah. On our own we’re not much good at saving ourselves.
But today is Christmas!
A Saviour has been born to us! Christ the Lord!
And who could ever have imagined…a tiny infant…. absolute poverty.
Infant Jesus, tiny child, slow us down, make us smile, melt our hearts
That we like you may shine with love and wonder too
At all that’s good and all that’s true in this our world, this gift from you.
Go raibh Nollaig mhaith ag chuile dhuine mar go bhfuilimíd ag
breathnú amach dhá chéile as an nua, fe mar tá Dia ag breathnú amach
dúinne ó chliabhán na mbocht.
Because we have been brought back this year to looking out for one another, may the peace
and happiness of the Saviour be ours.
SIC: DA/IE