At its essence, Christmas is a celebration of Jesus Christ’s Birthday. It is a time of reflection and a time to give thanks.

It is a time for many to spend time with family and friends. It gives so many of us joy to see children in particular open presents and for adults to splurge on each other and to communicate the extent of their love and appreciation.

Christmas is also a time of sorrow and sadness for so many. Some will spend their Christmas whilst a much loved family member is away on active duty for their country. Many shift workers spend time away from their families.

Christmas magnifies joy and sadness. Whilst many will experience the presence of family and friends in get togethers in abundance, there will be many spending Christmas alone for a variety of reasons – estrangement and relationship breakdowns due to family disagreements, divorce, separation and mental illness. If we are lucky enough to be surrounded by people who care for us, give thanks.

Many too will be spending their first Christmas having just lost a loved one. So many others will be preparing to spend their last Christmas with their loved ones.

Let’s take a moment to think about and pray for those who are grieving, those who are homeless, those who are suffering as they fight illness knowing that this will be their last Christmas.

Many families are doing it tough this Christmas just barely able to put a meal on the family table. 2022 has been undoubtedly difficult with natural disasters such as fires and floods and a pandemic as well as tough economic times taking a huge toll.

Let’s pray for families and animals in war torn Ukraine where conflict has caused many to be displaced. Many will not celebrate Christmas because they are grieving the loss of life and home and escaping the ravages of ever present danger from missile attacks and an invading army’s offensives.

As I reflect on a very challenging year, my wish is no different than it is each and every year. It is a wish for peace. It is for people the world over to be kind, empathetic and generous towards each other. As cliched as this will sound, it is for us to be less judgmental, to not hate, to not approach life from a place of revenge. I hope that we are all more forgiving and that we place an emphasis on the value of love. Let’s check in with each other – the ‘R U Ok’ question is so crucial during this festive season. Let’s randomly ask it of each other because the ones suffering the most on the inside have become accustomed to masking their pain the best.

A Very Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!