#MerryChristmas #AdventCalendar

Candles as bright starts

Flickerithe summer breeze

The Christ-child is born.

Finally, Christmas arrives. The expectant waiting, half enjoyable, is over and the season of celebration is here. Has any Christmas been so highly anticipated because it shows the year is nearly over? Probably, but I can't think of one. The weeks of advent seemed to last for ever and it was an eternity before the next candle in my advent wreath could be lit. Now, the big candle in the middle can be lit too. Hooray! Jesus is born, but perhaps this year the celebration is also tinged with, "2020 is nearly over". Not long now. (Knock on wood.) It would be easy to write a homily on how Jesus came in vulnerability and helplessness, so He understands our needs better than ourselves. It's true, but repetition can make truth meaningless and shallow. Many, many people have suffered this year. Perhaps this Christmas, rather than focussing on the babdy, we can think of Mary. Finally, she had given birth, her baby was fine and for a short time, she and Joseph could rest. Let's put our feet up in the stable and enjoy recuperation. Christmas only has 12 days.