Merry Christmas!
Today we celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord. Fr Brian, Fr Jim and the whole Salesian Community at St James’ would like to wish all our Parishioners a very Happy and Joy-filled Christmas. May God bless your families with peace and rest and may Santa be good to you!
Message from Archbishop Malcolm
Our times may be uncertain, and our Christmas may be different this year but the reason for our celebrations remains unchanged. Our annual celebration of Christmas is one of love and peace and nothing can change that. We believe that our love for one another is a sign of God’s love for us - ‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son’ – and through our celebrations we give thanks to God for sending us Jesus, born of Mary in Bethlehem, announced by the angels, and visited by those shepherds and later by wise men. It is the love of God that shines through this great feast, and we show that love by the ways in which we reach out to those around us. To our relatives and friends, to those alone at Christmas, to those in need who have much less than ourselves and by the way in which we welcome those seeking refuge in our country. May this Christmas be a time of hope for us all. I wish you a happy, peaceful and blessed Christmas.
Guiding Star
Lord, the sight of the guiding star brought hope, courage and joy to those who had journeyed to find you. When our journey seems long, when hope seems far away, when our courage is failing fill us with faith and trust; shine your light on our fears, lift our hearts with your joy. Help us to recognise you in our brothers and sisters throughout the world; show us how we can work together so that we may all come to share in the life promised to us by Jesus, the Saviour of us all. Amen