Chaplain's Musings

Christmas Greetings from our Chaplain

“How silently, how silently,

The wondrous gift is given.”

Those words from the carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem” seem to capture for me something of the nature of this special season.  The hymn was written by a clergyman from the United States in 1868 for his Sunday School, after he had spent the Christmas of 1866 in Bethlehem.

Christmas in Bethlehem even at that time would have been very different from the very first Christmas.  Even so, when we know the presence of Jesus through our faith, we are in touch with the deepest meaning of the season we are about to celebrate.

Maybe Bethlehem wasn’t silent at the time when Jesus was born, any more than our towns and cities are likely to be silent at this festive time.  St Luke’s gospel tells us that there was no room at the inn, which suggests that the city was teeming with people.  Somewhere in the midst of all that hubbub, the Saviour of the world was born.  There was no fanfare or fuss, but just a quiet birth that would have gone unnoticed by all but a few.  Still, we are left in no doubt that this child brought lasting change into our world and into human lives.

Whether your Christmas will be quiet or busy, spent with company or alone, the mystery at the heart of Christmas does not change.  In a noisy and troubled world, the wondrous gift comes to us in the silence of our hearts, just as the carol reminds us. 

We live in a troubled world and many people long for peace.  For us as Christians, Christ is the Prince of Peace.  When we receive that peace into our hearts something of its power begins to radiate for the people around us.

I wish you a joyful and peaceful Christmas.  May Jesus, through his birth in Bethlehem, bring hope to you, to your families, and to the people around you.

Best Wishes     Richard  

 

Autumn

Chaplain's Thoughts

 

 

Once the Easter season has come to an end, the Church’s calendar returns to Ordinary Time.  The term “Ordinary Time” can make it sound as though there is nothing very noteworthy in this season, in which the default liturgical colour is green.  When we consider that green is a colour associated with growth, perhaps this “ordinary” time might begin to seem a bit more special.

In any case, there are some key dates during this season.  For Mothers’ Union, this would certainly include Mary Sumner Day on 9th August.  For every institution, the commemoration of the founder is an important occasion.  As is the tradition in the liturgical calendar, Mary Sumner is remembered on the date of her death. 

To the uninitiated it may seem a bit strange to recall a sad occasion, rather than a more conventionally happy one, such as a birthday.  Our Easter celebrations a few weeks ago give us a different perspective on this.  As Christians we believe in the Resurrection.  The life of Mary Sumner was rooted in this faith.  Her work and her witness were aimed at revealing the kingdom of God, especially through the medium of family life.  Mary Sumner knew that she was relying on a greater strength than her own.  It is because the love of God in Jesus proved to be stronger than death, that we can celebrate the date of 9th August with joy and thanksgiving.

Mary Sumner wants us to grasp how great is God’s love for us and for the people we are called to serve.  These words are from the first reading for Mary Sumner Day, from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians: “I pray that you may have the power to comprehend with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fulness of God.”  Mary Sumner knew that this knowledge and love transform ordinary life into something extraordinary!

Richard

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