This year as last, we here at Vatican Radio have asked Church leaders and leaders
of Christian charitable organisations to help us and our listeners to get into the
spirit of the Christmas season by contributing a message in which they share their
best wishes and reflect on how the mystery of the Nativity informs our action throughout
the year. Here, please find the full text and audio of the joint message from the
Catholic bishop of Clogher, Liam MacDaid, and the Church of Ireland bishop of Clogher,
John McDowell. Listen: ***************************************************** Joint
Christmas Message from the Bishops of Clogher 2012 For mothers and fathers Christmas
has to begin early. There are a lot of preparations to be made and expectations to
be met. There is a general awareness of the times being tough but children don’t find
it easy to see how that could affect Santa Claus and his legendary bag of plenty.
No one wants to leave children with the fear that the current economic situation could
decimate the Christmas tree and wreak havoc on the Christmas table. It may be a frightening
and stressful reality for mothers and fathers making plans over a cup of tea when
the children are asleep and it may furrow many a brow scanning the price of items
in November shop windows. Christmas Cards along with Shop and Public Christmas
Scenes are well sanitised and decorated especially if they are part of a promotional
effort; the scruffy, the shoddy and the tawdry are not going to help sales. The original
events that inspired the Christmas scenes did not receive the same manicure. Mary
and Joseph were living out of a suitcase and it all seems to have happened somewhat
unexpectedly. Arrangements and bookings had not been made. Whatever about wise men
travelling from the East, shepherds do not usually dress up for work, and animals
like cows and mules are not the most congenial of house guests even if they do bring
the level of warmth up a notch. The manger may have been a feeding station for animals,
dressed up. Jesus Christ came into human existence in this raw setting by all accounts.
He did have a mother’s love, a father’s care and God’s protection. It was hardly an
accident that God came in this way into our brokenness, our flaws, and our limitations.
He wanted to be with us as we are. He had come to heal our brokenness, not to disguise
it or paint over it; to feed our hunger, not to deny it. It was not a piece of stage
drama, the Word was truly and authentically to live among us. We were to be shown
how love could survive on a cross and forgiveness overcome the pain of thorns and
betrayal. In one of his stories Dostoyevsky describes the coming of Christmas in
a Siberian camp. Through barred windows the prisoners could see a small Cathedral
on a hill the other side of town. When the Cathedral Service was over the priest came
to a crude altar in the prison. “God has come to us,” the convicts said. “This is
where he lives all year long,” said the priest, “he goes to the Cathedral only on
special occasions.” Jesus wanted to be close to us so he came among the small and
the straw. For all who are troubled and maybe feeling burdened or broken by life’s
daily challenges, not to speak of the extra demands at this time of year, would it
be a help to exchange the manicured for the real? Leave aside the cards, the presents
and the extras for a few days and instead talk and listen to the one whose birth we
are planning to celebrate. He has things to say to us that could change our perspective,
lessen our worries as we count our blessings and he could show us how celebrating
the simpler, long-lasting and more precious gifts of life and living can make for
a different but ultimately more satisfying experience of Christmas joy and togetherness.
It just means getting back to reality, the reality that Christ the Son of God was
born, lived among us and taught us where lasting treasures are to be found. God direct
us in our search and bring us peace. +Liam MacDaid +John McDowell