Sunday 12 December 2021

A message from Father Francis Maple

 
FATHER FRANCIS MAPLE
 
 

This Christmas we need to focus on the greatest reality there is - that God loves us so much that He gave us His only Son to free us from our sins! 

We need to be grateful for His love and respond to His love; and the best way to do that is by surrendering our life completely to Him, as He has surrendered Himself completely to us. How do we do this - by putting Him first in our daily lives? This means that we build our day around Him. We need to give Him quality time in our prayer life. 

As we meditate on His birth and see Mary holding her divine Child in her arms we can think of her saying, "Would you like to hold Him?" Then she hands Jesus to you and you get to hold the God of the universe in your arms. But we do not just stop there – we realise EVERY DAY we can hold Jesus in our arms when we receive Him in the Eucharist! To believe that Jesus, who is God, and who the Universe cannot even begin to contain, became a little baby for us and continues this humility in the Eucharist is amazing - What a gift He has given to us! How very blessed we are!

I also realize and appreciate that there are some who think Christmas is a hard time. You may be experiencing loneliness or illness, or you may be in sorrow because you have lost someone dear. You need to know that you are never alone! Jesus became one of us so that He could be near us! There is never a time when you need to feel that no one cares or that you have to go through your struggles alone - YOU ARE LOVED! This is what Christmas is about, and this needs to be our hope that brings us through the darkness.

Remember that no matter how dark the darkness is - it can never conquer the Light! Try this - go into a dark room and light a match or candle and watch just how the darkness flees from the power of the light. Jesus is that Light and He is inside of YOU! That is so true. Cling to this Truth, and know His power!

This Christmas let us pray for each other and accept the love of the Christ Child, and of Our Father who gave Him to us, our best Christmas present. Mary and Joseph, we thank you for the part you played in bringing Jesus to our world.


24 comments:

  1. CHRISTmas is ALL about CHRIST, as is every other day when you are a believer. God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ...a favorite Christmas song!

    ReplyDelete
  3. "...respond to His love; and the best way to do that is by surrendering our life completely to Him"

    Aaaamen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amen indeed; difficult as it might be.

      God bless, Sandi.

      Delete
  4. What a great thought........we can think of her saying, "Would you like to hold Him?" WOW I love it.
    I hope you and the good Father Francis do not mind, when I read something about Father Ignatius I see him.
    Anyway.
    Sending love your way,
    Sherry & jack waiting.......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it is a nice thought to hear Mary saying this.

      I have known Father Francis for many years. He is a very kind man who has worked tirelessly for charity raising over £1m. The character of Father Ignatius in my books is based on a number of priests I have known over the years.

      God bless, Jack and Sherry.

      Delete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's all about Christ and his love for us and not about the latest sales at your favorite store.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very well said, Bill. Thank you so much.

      God bless you.

      Delete
  7. Great song ... great reflections! Your 3rd paragraph so powerful, I went back and read again. Then again. Love the analogy of lighting the candle in a dark room.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanx Mevely. This is not my article. It is a sermon given by Father Francis. I have told him that I have publicised it here and elsewhere on social media. He is very pleased and grateful.

      The imagery of the candle in a dark room is very powerful indeed.

      God bless you always.

      Delete
  8. Dearest Victor,
    Yes, it is all about the TRUE Christmas.
    That in itself makes me often sad, people are way too selfish and are busy decorating their homes, to outdo one another and also in buying gifts and more gifts. With all that, there is little room left for meditating on the real reason.
    Let's hope that more and more people will get back into the fold and with that also balance out their body/soul health FAR better.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We need to pray even more so that people turn to the real meaning that is Christmas.

      God bless, Mariette.

      Delete
  9. We can be in His presence every day, He's with us when the times are so hard. My hope and prayer is for everyone to find Him.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I wonder now if Mary did say "would you like to hold him" and how many took up the offer and held the baby God without fully knowing what they had.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We can only guess about that, River. Let us pray that people today understand what they really have with Christ in their hearts.

      God bless.

      Delete

I PRAY FOR ALL WHO COMMENT HERE.

God bless you.