A Reflection for Christmas – Fr. Ultan McGoohan

Recently, my little niece shared with me all the things she loves about Christmas – the trees, the presents, the decorations, the sheer excitement – and she finished her ode to the season, by exclaiming, “Oh, the joy of Christmas!”. The joy of Christmas indeed.

The well-worn story of the birth of the Son of God in an outhouse in Bethlehem, in the most deplorable circumstances, always seems fresh. It points us towards more contemporary stories of displaced people, men and women without a home, children born into poverty. Despite our best efforts, we can never so sentimentalise the story of the birth of Christ, that it loses its capacity to challenge us today.

The joy of Christmas is the Good News that Jesus has come to save us by pitching his tent amongst us. He has come to share our lot, the good, bad and indifferent. He has come to announce that the first place in God’s Kingdom is reserved for the poor, the excluded, the refugees, the weak and the vulnerable. In an increasingly divided world, this message remains as pertinent as ever.

A happy and a joyful Christmas to you all!

 Fr. Ultan McGoohan, Diocesan Director of Pastoral Services