I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our parishioners, families, friends and neighbours — at home and abroad — a very happy and grace-filled Christmas. May this holy season bring you moments of peace amid the busyness, warmth in your homes and hearts, and a renewed sense of God’s gentle presence with you. Whether this past year has been joyful, challenging, or a mix of both, please know you are remembered in prayer and very much part of our parish family this Christmas.
I’ve written this year’s Christmas message to remind us that the heart of Christmas is beautifully simple — God is with us. In a world that often feels uncertain and pressured, I wanted to share a word of encouragement and reassurance: that God understands our lives from the inside, walks beside us in every season, and continues to be at work among us here in our parish communities.
I also hope the message helps people recognise the quiet goodness that is already present — in neighbourliness, generosity, volunteering and everyday kindness. Drawing on “It’s a Wonderful Life” and the reflection “Because of Bethlehem,” I want to remind each person that their life matters deeply to God, that faith is never about perfection, and that even small acts of love make a real difference.
Most of all, my hope is that anyone who feels distant, burdened or unsure in faith might find a welcome, a sense of belonging and a touch of hope in these words. Christmas is God’s gift of presence and peace — and my prayer is that everyone who reads the message may experience something of that blessing in their own homes and hearts.
Togher Parish 