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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Cardinal Vincent Nichols

Twas the night before Christmas

Good Morning.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve! A day of waiting, preparation, expectation.

Rremember the lovely verse: ‘’twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse!’
In one way or another, we seem to spend quite a lot of time waiting: at a bus stop, for an appointment, for relief of pain. Sometimes we wait with patience, sometimes with growing irritation, sometimes with overwhelming helplessness.

Perhaps there is a kind of ‘cosmic waiting’, written into our nature, a hope that somehow things will get better.

Yet now this cosmic waiting is answered, in a way that is both unexpected yet perfectly understandable: in the birth of a child. Yes, to every child who brings a promise of new hope, something better, to come. But double yes to this Christmas child, for he is not an everyday child. He is a child from all eternity.

We recall again the birth of Christ, the anointed one. He brings us healing, resolves our contradictions, gives peace. For in him alone is brought together the brokenness of humanity and the fulness of God. In him God stoops down to embrace anxieties and burdens. In him we are lifted up to know the fulness of our truth and receive the promise of our fulfilment.

Waiting truly answered.

Heavenly Father, help us to wait with patience and to look forward with hope, this Christmas and always.

Amen.

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