With most of his parish facing drought, water restrictions and the threat of fire we asked Armidale Roman Catholic priest Monsignor Ted Wilkes for his message to all this Christmas.
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As we celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ this year most of us could benefit from a renewal of Christian hope.
It has been a truly tough year for many, many people. If the Son of God was born into our world as we believe and celebrate, why is there so much despondency and despair evident everywhere?
Karl Marx held the position that Christians follow their religion to avoid facing the challenges of this life because they believe they will go to heaven in the next life.
Just put up with things now, believe in God and reap the rewards after you die. Today he might have said, like a giant dose of Valium to avoid doing something about injustice,environmental destruction and poverty in the world.
It is true that faith in Jesus and love of God and our neighbour gives us hope for heaven.
As St Paul says, "If our hope in Christ has been for this life only, we are the most unfortunate of all people" (1 Cor 15.19).
So much of this life ends in failure and disappointment. But Christian hope that took a giant leap forward with the birth of Jesus urges us to commit ourselves to working with God, not just relying on ourselves, to transform this world to make it the sort of place that God wants it to be.
Wishing you a blessed and happy Christmas
