Most Rev William Lee
Bishop of Waterford and Lismore
It is a special joy for me to greet you, the people of the diocese of Waterford and Lismore, at Christmas 
time and wish the blessing of the infant Jesus on you, your families and friends.  I hope that this Christmas 
will be full of love and peace for you and all those dear to you.  

The Shepherds said to one another “Let us go to Bethlehem and see the thing that has happened”.  From 
the human point of view, it was simply the birth of a small child.  There was no fuss that night.  If 
you had passed along the road you would not have noticed anything strange.  Yet something strange was 
happening.  So strange, indeed, that the whole world would never be the same again.  On that night God 
himself came down from heaven and lived among us as a helpless baby.  It’s the simplicity of this 
happening that captures our imagination.  Christmas is more than a story that is told – it is about 
a birth that brings heaven right down to earth.  Love came down to us at Christmas time and remains 
with us always.  

And so the great truth of Christmas is not so much the story of the birth of a tiny baby or of parents 
welcoming or of shepherds watching; it is the story of God’s love for you and for me.  God loved the 
world so much, writes St. John, that He sent His son to us with a message of His love.  It would be a 
pity if we missed this truth.  When we visit the crib, when we sing our carols, when we share our gifts, 
all of these should echo in our hearts the sound that God loves each of us.  It is a message for you, 
it is a message for me, it is a message for all.  If you or I hear nothing this Christmas but that God 
loves us, then we have good reason to be happy and to celebrate.  

One of the things that makes Christmas very special is being remembered by friends.  It’s essentially 
a family feast, an occasion for exchanging gifts and sharing the warmth of our homes in the company of 
friends.  Our hearts and our thoughts are especially with family members who may be absent or who may 
have died during the year.  God’s presence and love can be experienced in healing misunderstandings, 
patching up quarrels and letting bygones be bygones. 

The past year has been a distressing and traumatic year for the Church in Ireland.  I am particularly 
conscious of the hurt and pain felt by victims of child sexual abuse by priests and religious, victims 
who have suffered and who continue to suffer pain. I greatly regret, too, the fact that we bishops have 
made mistakes and sometimes failed in our response to victims of abuse and this has added to their 
suffering.  Some people have not met the compassionate face of Christ in the way we have responded and 
I am truly sorry for that. 

As we celebrate Christmas I am also deeply conscious of the fact that the vast majority of priests and 
religious are good, caring and dedicated people.  May I thank you sincerely for your support of them in 
these difficult times.  

At the crib, it is the arm of God, tiny and weak, which reaches out to us.  It is a welcoming arm that 
embraces us all.  The crib is a space for prayer.  Whatever anxieties we carry, whatever fears we face, 
God’s spirit echoes in our hearts, “I love you”, “I am with you”, “Love one another”.

I send special greetings to those of you who may be sick or living alone at this time and I particularly 
remember those who have suffered any sorrow during the past year.  May the child of Bethlehem strengthen 
you this Christmas.  May he find a place in you and your family and pour out upon you his peace and his 
love.  I wish all of you in the diocese of Waterford and Lismore and all your loved ones the blessings 
of Christmas and a New Year filled with happiness and contentment.  

Beannachtí na Nollag agus braith Muire oraibh go léir.


Ends
17 December 2002