Christmas 2017

Chaplain’s Christmas Message
First and foremost I would like to wish you all, and your loved ones, a very Merry Christmas.
I’m not ready for Advent yet! It may be because Advent is only just over 3 weeks that it has
seemed to go quicker than normal. Alternatively, it could be that I have not listened to the call of
Advent – Stay awake the Lord is near! This last week, during my Parish Priests Homily, it hit home
and I’ve started to make a path straight for the Lord. My Priest spoke about how Jesus is coming
to us and I realised that I had always approached Advent in the wrong way. It needs to be about
Him coming to us and all we have to do is be ready to let Him in.
The very thought of Jesus coming to us is very different to what we are used to when we
encounter the famous and the powerful. We go to a concert, a football match, to the Houses of
Parliament or Downing Street; even pilgrimages are focused on us setting out. Yet, at Christmas, it
is about Jesus, our God, coming to us.
The theme of our Carol Service this year has been encounter. At first it doesn’t seem very
Christmassy - it’s not peace or joy, it isn’t hope or new life but it is the core of what Christmas is.
Christmas is the encounter between God and man and that comes through a small fragile baby. In
the weakness of humanity is the strength and power of God, the creator is dependent on his
creatures.
Jesus’ life was all about encounter, he sought out people whom no one else cared about. He gave
people time and loved their company as much as they loved his. Jesus absorbed so much of
others in himself and we see that the first to meet him are the shepherds who had been rejected
by society. He would then become The Good Shepherd, rejected by society. The beautiful thing
about encountering Jesus, is that it is not a ‘once only’ experience and it is not just for those who
lived in Palestine during his time. We can encounter Jesus right now, He can encounter us. We can
reach out in prayer, we can give to Him whatever needs his forgiveness or healing. We can ask for
his help or guidance, we can come to know His will through reading the Bible. Most incredible of
all is that we can be in his presence through the Holy Sacraments. There is a saying that ‘you can’t
have Christmas without Christ’ which is of course true, but it is also true that you can’t have
Christmas without Mass.
I invite you to come and encounter Jesus and let him encounter you this Christmas, you’ll be
amazed at what can happen when you do.
Have a very happy and Holy Christmas
Joe Hopkins
Lay Chaplain