Dear Friends in Christ,

May the true blessings of Christmas be with each and every one of you this year!

The signs of the approaching feast of the Nativity are everywhere apparent in these last few days before Christmas. We see them in our Christmas cards and in the manger scenes that are set up in front of our churches. Many of us have little crèche settings in our homes. They are as much a part of our Christmas festivities as the Christmas tree. But they all remind us of the wonderful mystery, the gift that God has given to us all; the gift of Himself on that first Christmas Day.

The Incarnation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is so far beyond the comprehension of human beings, that we can only dimly grasp the fullness of its meaning. We know there was a child. We know that this child was born in Bethlehem. We know that this tiny child represents a love beyond our understanding. And we know that it was He who came to redeem the world. These things we know.

The Incarnation is a word that describes the presence of God among us. It helps us understand what God has done for us. But it cannot explain all that God wishes for us, nor the love that He gives to us freely and in the fullness of His being. The crèche scenes that we hold so dear are little windows onto that love. They represent a great mystery that cannot be fully explained in human terms. But, as we draw close to Christmas Day, we may feel more and more the love that has been given to us; we may begin to know once again what it is to love.

At this holy time of the year, I pray that we may all open ourselves to God's love and worship the tiny child who comes to us in a humble setting in a far off corner of our hearts.  

Your Brother in Christ,

+Brian