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Christmas Message 2020 from Bishop Francis Duffy
19/Dec/2020
Christmas
Message 2020
A year ago, in preparation for our Diocesan Assembly,
I referred to “the joys, anxieties and hopes that come with family life”. Little
did we know then the extraordinary challenges that 2020 would entail.
We have
missed what we value most - people. We
miss being with and among people, all the ordinary everyday encounters, free
from restriction and anxiety. Christmas
brings thoughts of people who are no longer with us, especially those who died
during this year. We miss those we cannot
visit as freely as usual, especially our family and friends who are in hospital
or in nursing homes.
We
cannot gather as a community to worship the Lord as we normally do; we long to
be back. Priests and parishioners carry
out Trojan work to keep our churches welcoming and safe and we are grateful to
them for their work and care. Although we have experienced lockdown and
restrictions the Lord is present with us in so many ways.
At
Christmas we celebrate the arrival of God’s son among us. The story of the first
Christmas in Bethlehem was full of hope and joy. What was expected for so long had come to
pass. The Christmas story always
refreshes our joy and our hope. The joy
that each human life is of vital importance to God because of the baby in Bethlehem. The hope that this baby has changed the way
we see ourselves, one another and our destiny.
We hope that life will become safer and less
restricted because, decisions
taken by individuals will, collectively, reduce the threat to health, lives and
livelihoods. There is the hope that
vaccines will assist in our great efforts to be safe. During 2020, there were times of sacrifice,
when some of our normal freedoms were curtailed for the common good. There are many examples of great care and
generosity throughout our parishes. We
are grateful to all in leadership, essential services and in our communities
whose work and sacrifice contribute to our safety.
The
candles on the Advent Wreath are lit one Sunday after another, ushering us
closer and closer, week by week, to Christmas.
We look forward with great hope to celebrating the birth of the
Saviour. Our hope is in him.
I wish
you and your family and friends at home and abroad a happy Christmas.
Francis Duffy
Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois