Dear Friends “Christmas! The tree! The presents! The cards! The food and drink! The parties! A time for family and friends to get together to celebrate“. It’s what it’s all about isn’t it? That’s absolutely right because at the centre of Christmas is a family – not the perfect family in the television adverts, doing Christmas in style and having a good time without a care in the world but a family two thousand years ago. A family out of which came the reason for this wonderful time of celebration and joy - the birth of a baby. That baby was born of love, the love of God, for all of us, His children. That baby was raised in love: the love of his mother Mary, who had the faith and trust in God
I am writing this on 'Black Friday' The most consumerist invention ever I think. I have just read the following from Fr Andrew Teather (I hope he won't mind its reproduction here) Thought for Black Friday. The great prostitute in Revelation (in the readings this time of year) is consumerism. Tempting us to love the image of ourselves that the devil projects to our tired mortality that we become so concerned about status and position and self worth that we literally do what we might do with a great prostitute to the image of ourselves that Satan wishes us to have. We begin to lust after an even more bloated self image, thus becoming further from the image of God dwelling within us. So, don't