Fr Tim - A Christmas greeting from the Redemptorists

A CHRISTMAS GREETING FROM THE REDEMPTORISTS

Fr Andrew (our Rector) and all the members of the community join me in wishing you every joy and blessing this Christmas.

Each year, as we tell again the story of the birth of the Child Jesus in Bethlehem, we are entrusted with a precious message, which, if we could just begin to grasp it, offers us and the wider world renewed hope that everything can be transformed and ultimately, in the words of Mother Julian of Norwich, “All will be well.”

The fuller text of the revelation she received was as follows:

“He said, Thou shalt not be tempested, thou shalt not be travailed, thou shalt not be distressed; but He said: Thou shalt not be overcome.” And “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” (Mother Julian died around 1416.)

In past Christmases I have never felt so moved to pray for our children as I have this year, reflecting on our sacred duty, in so far as we can, to leave them a world, in which they can flourish and live in peace. I hope that amidst all the excitement of Christmas you will be able to help them focus on the wonder of it all: Christ’s Mass. I was thrilled we were able to respond to the suggestion that last Sunday, like Pope Francis in Rome, we should bless the Bambinelli for our cribs at home.

It seemed to me to have been a huge success. And this leads me to offer a heartfelt thanks for all the initiatives that are being taken in both parishes as well as our schools to help us deepen our faith and strengthen the bonds that bind our communities together in the Lord. For example, this Christmas, events in both parishes have provided the Whitechapel Centre with funds to help the homeless in our city. I can add to this the efforts made throughout the year to further the mission of the Church among the poor across the world as well as your remarkable generosity to us in the monastery.

Thank you so much for all the expressions of good will and gratitude including the many gifts and the Christmas collection: we do not take all this for granted: we are immensely grateful.


THANK YOU


PRAY FOR US AND IN TURN WE WILL PRAY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES

 

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FROM ALL THE REDEMPTORISTS TO ALL OF YOU:
A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS