Fr Paddy Byrne
St Conleth's Parish, Newbridge, Co Kildare

“Christmas time, mistletoe and wine, children singing Christian Rhyme, with logs on the 
fire and bells on the trees, a time to rejoice in the good that we see”. The festive 
season heralds a new time, a time of reunion and gathering, a time of celebration, where 
we give thanks for all the good things that we have in life, family, children, friendships, 
neighbours and all our loved ones.

Christmas connects us to the familiar and affords us hopefully to take a winter rest in 
the warmth and light from where we belong.

Christmas evokes thanksgiving; the birth of Jesus as a vulnerable child to a wounded and 
broken world, gifts us with hope.  God becoming flesh brings us to an intimate union of 
love, forgiveness, healing and peace.  The winter child is much more than a symbol or a 
metaphor, but rather a living reality that yearns to be born anew in all our lives.  

In a growing secular world the voice of the child Jesus seems to be lost or at best a 
silent whisper.  The glitzy and crowded shopping centre, extravagant office parties and 
our general over emphasis on the material; often leaves little room for the spiritual 
gifts that are so generously bestowed as a consequence of Christ’s birth.

How many children in our Parish will not be reminded of the Christmas Story or brought 
to Church this Christmas?  How many adults will be caught in the material and social 
context of Christmas and forget all together about the spiritual?  How many people in 
our Parish find this time of year difficult, and dread the festive season. The bereaved 
and the lonely; the depressed or sick among us, the unemployed, addict or refugee. 

Christmas has been transformed from simple origins to a present day complexity of issues 
that leaves so many people in our parish dreading or perhaps blindly missing out on a 
wonderful personal gift of peace and hope. 

The birth of Jesus is nothing to be afraid of, nor is it something that we should dread.  
The fact that God became one of us “Emmanuel” is worthy of celebration in all our lives.  
Jesus ignites and breaths new life into a society and culture that finds itself poor in 
faith.  “I have come, so that you may have life and have it to the full”.

This Christmas, may we give birth to Jesus in all our hearts.  Let’s not be afraid to 
celebrate and pray that Jesus will come alive in all our hearts.

May the baby Jesus, whose simple story offers hope and peace to a complex modern world,
bless and heal each one of us.  

“My peace I give you, a peace that this world cannot give”.
 
Ends
13 December 2002