2HOMENEWS

DECEMBER 23 2011 THE CATHOLIC HERALD

Foollllow Thhe Cathholicc HHeerrald oonn TTwiittterr At http://twitter.com/catholicherald

‘The greatest gift is Jesus Christ’ English archbishops and a Scottish cardinal offer their Christmas greetings to readers of the Herald

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I EXTEND my warmest greetings to you at this special time of year, as we anticipate the birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Christmas is of course a time to exchange gifts with loved ones. But let us not lose sight of what we are celebrating by doing so. The birth of Jesus should remind us that lasting satisfaction comes only from taking pleasure in what we can give, and not what we possess. We may give in many different ways, whether by giving time to someone who is often on their own, giving money to charities, working to alleviate the suffering of those less fortunate than ourselves or giving our support to someone who is going through a hard time to let them know they are not alone. Among all the presents and frivolity at this time of year, Christmas is a time to remember what we are truly grateful for: the greatest gift who is Christ, given to us by God because of his love for us.

The love of God, manifest in Christ Jesus, is a shining example of the ultimate act of giving and of sacrifice. Let us all reflect this love in sharing our kindness and generosity with others.

I wish you and your families a happy and holy Christmas, and a peaceful New Year.

A figurine of the Christ Child is seen inside St Peter’s Basilica in 2009 CNS photo/Giampiero Sposito, Reuters

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OVER THE weeks of Advent the centre of the city of Birmingham has been crowded with visitors to the popular German Market. Mostly these have been groups of people, families spending precious time together.

Being together with others is an important dimension of our Christmas celebrations and it reflects something at the heart of the Incarnation. Emmanuel is Godwith-us. Christmas celebrates the overwhelming love of God that bursts into the world through the conception and birth of Jesus Christ. The story of Jesus’s birth still has the power to move people, to bring us together to reflect and celebrate, and then to show kindness to one another.

There is a large and beautiful crib at the very heart of the German Market in Birmingham which I recently visited with the Rt Rev David Urquhart, the Anglican Bishop of Birmingham. In this traditional representation of the birth of Christ the figures of shepherds and wise men surrounding the Holy Family once again tell a story that is in danger of being forgotten. It silently witnesses to the values of faith that are more important than ever for the well-being of our cities. One of those values is mentioned in the Benedictus, the Song of Zechariah from St Luke’s Gospel. It speaks of the loving kindness of the heart of our God, who visits us like the dawn from on high. There is something about Christmas that moves us to be kinder and more considerate towards one another. We are living what we celebrate – a sharing in God’s loving kindness that comes to us through Christ like the daylight at the beginning of each day.

There is nothing sentimental about this kindness. It doesn’t depend on warm feelings before it happens. It is the simple desire to see the best in others, as God always shows us the best in ourselves.

Christmas empowers us to be kind in our dealings with others irrespective of whether we feel they deserve it, to give and receive forgiveness.

The spirit of this Christmas season can help us to set aside any differences or divisions that may have burdened us this year. As we come together with our families and friends let’s pray for the grace to forgive the unkindnesses that have hurt us and to show in our own lives the loving kindness of the heart of our God, who visits us like the dawn from on high.

I wish you and your families the blessings of unity and peace this Christmas – gifts that flow from the heart of our God.

CCAARRDDIINNAALLKKEEIITTHHOO’’BBRRIIEENN OOFFEEDDIINNBBUURRGGHHAANNDD SSTTAANNDDRREEWWSS

ITISindeedaprivilegebeingasked todeliveraChristmasmessageat thistime–and,forme,ajoytobe abletousethethemessuggestedby thisyear’sChristmasstamps. Thisyear,inaccordancewitha recentconventionofalternating secularandreligiousthemes,religion andtheGospelstoryoftheNativity isverymuchtothefore.Infact,the 2011Christmasstampsareexceptional,notsimplyinconcept–they adopttheNativitynarrativesof MatthewandLuke’sgospels–butin design.Theyarebeautifullyengagingandcolourfulrenditionsofthat incredible,wonderfulstoryofthe birthofJesusChrist,Godmademan. Thisseriesofstampstellsthat storyandIbelieveitisonewhich oursocietyneedstoheartodaymore thaneverbefore.ThatNativitynarrativeiscontainedinthetwoquotationsfromStMatthew’sGospel, whichremindusthatMarywillgive birthtoasonwhomustbenamed Jesus;andthatthismiraculousbirth fulfilstheprophecyintheOldTestamentthatasonwillbeborncalled Immanuel,anamewhichmeans “Godiswithus”.Aswethinkof thesewords,werealisesomethingof theloveofGodforhispeoplein givingthemhisSon,andwerealise thewonderofthatmessagethatthat SonisGodwhoisstillwithus. Recentreportssuggestthatthe costofachildisnowover£100,000 initsearlyyears.Inthemidstofour plentywemaylavishmanygiftson ournewborn.Yetthinkofthelackof anyexpensivetrappingsinthatbirth inastable,butrealisethatthatchild wassurroundedbywhatismost importantinthelifeofanyperson, namely,basiclove.Weheard recentlythatthepopulationofour worldhasreachedsevenbillion. Iwonderifeachandeverylifeis valuedasitshouldbe,asour Saviourwas. AsatthefirstChristmasshepherds andkings,thepoorandtherich,the deprivedandthemightyaltogether mustrealisethisChristmasmessage oftheloveofGodformankindand oftheresponsethatshouldbegiven byeachandeveryindividualperson intheirownlivestothatcalloflove fromGod. Yes,atthisChristmastimethese wordsshouldgiveusencouragement tocarrythatmessageoflovefrom theNativitysceneintoourcommunities,ourchurchesandourhomes. Godhasindeedshownhislovefor usandgivenhisSon,Jesus,asGodwith-us.Ourresponsemustsurelybe oneoflove,especiallyatthistime: loveofGod,loveofourneighbour, loveofthosewhoareinmostneedat homeandthroughoutourworld.

FARM STREET CHURCH

114 Mount Street London W1K 3AH www.farmstreet.org.uk

CAROL SERVICE

Tuesday December 20th, 7pm CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES

Christmas Eve Saturday December 24th

6pm Children’s Mass

(11pm Doors open)

11.30pm Carols 12 Midnight Mass Christmas Day Sunday December 25th 8am, 9.30am (Family Mass)

11am Sung Latin 12.30pm, 4:15pm, 6:15pm (with Soul Choir) Monday December 26th:

Bank Holiday

8am, 6pm

Tesco apologises for official calling Christians ‘evil’ ‘Miracle’ mother dies after collapse during Confession

BY SIMON CALDWELL

TESCO has apologised after a senior executive called Christians who oppose gay marriage “evil”.

The supermarket chain distanced itself from Nick Lansley, head of Research and Development for the Tesco website, after he said he was “campaigning against evil Christians” opposed to weddings for gays and lesbians.

In comments posted on his profile page of Flickr.com, the photo-sharing website, Mr Lansley introduced himself as someone who enjoys taking “creative hobby breaks from his job as Head of R&D at Tesco.com”.

But he then added: “I’m also campaigning against evil Christians (that’s not all Christians, just bad ones) who think that gay people should not lead happy lives and get married to their same-sex partners.”

Faced with the mounting prospect of a Christmas boycott of stores by churchgoers across the country the supermarket chain responded by saying Mr Lansley’s remarks “in no way reflect the views of Tesco”.

“Our values as a company are such that we abhor criticism of any religion, and we knew nothing about Mr Lansley’s comments until they were brought to our attention,” a spokesman said.

“We are very sorry that anyone might have thought that there was any blurring of the boundary between his personal comments and his work for Tesco,” he said.

“We have therefore asked him to remove the comments, and he has done so.”

The remarks were posted in 2008 but came to the attention of the public a month after Tesco withdrew its support for the Cancer Research Race for Life while deciding to sponsor Pride London, Britain’s largest gay festival.

Tesco is known for its sympathy for the gay rights movement, with three senior executives supporting a website called “Out at Tesco: Taking Care of Our Gay, Lesbian and Transgendered Staff”.

But leaders of the Church of England, the Catholic Church and most other mainstream denominations are opposed to gay marriage.

Some Christian groups and individuals had already announced plans to boycott Tesco in response to Mr Lansley’s remarks.

Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory Minister and a convert to Catholicism, agreed that Mr Lansley was “entitled to his view” but said: “I think that the words ‘evil’ and ‘Christian’ are paradoxical.

“I don’t usually shop at Tesco anyway,” she added. “I usually shop at Sainsbury’s.”

BY ED WEST

A CATHOLIC mother has died after collapsing during Confession, months after giving birth to a “miracle” baby that survived against overwhelming odds.

Sarah Bradbury, 30, from Portland, Dorset, suddenly fell ill as she made her Confession to Fr Stephen Geddes at St Augustine church in Weymouth. A doctor who was at the Mass tried to resuscitate her until paramedics arrived but she died later in hospital from an undiagnosed gastro-intestinal bleed.

Mrs Bradbury has suffered seven miscarriages, as well losing as another baby within minutes of birth, before giving birth to the “miracle” baby last year.

Along with husband Scott she had tried to start a family for 10 years but had suffered repeated miscarriages due to a medical condition.

She conceived for the ninth time in March 2010 but went into premature labour four months early. Their son Joseph was born at 23 weeks, below the legal limit for abortion in Britain, and weighed just 1lb 6ozs. Doctors gave him a 10 per cent chance of survival, and he had to endure eight blood transfusions and at six weeks underwent live-saving surgery to fix a valve in his heart. He also had to be given treatment to keep his lungs inflated. But he defied the odds and has gone on to grow into a “thriving” baby boy, being allowed home in April this year.

At the time Mrs Bradbury told the Daily Mail that her son was “a complete miracle” and that “it still feels like a dream and I keep thinking I will wake up and somebody will tell me that it isn’t true.”

The couple had attended the Christmas penitential service at St Augustine’s last Tuesday and Mrs Bradbury, a nursing assistant, was making her Confession to Fr Geddes at the time she collapsed.

Fr Geddes said: “It’s very, very sad. She had just begun to make her Confession when it happened.

“They had only been received last April into the Church and were warmly welcomed by parishioners. The parish has been very supportive of them and that was one of the reasons they decided to be received.”

Mr Bradbury, a 36-yearold customer adviser at a bank, said: “She was very generous and caring and cared more about others than herself.

“The one thing that is keeping me going is Joseph. He makes you feel so positive. He doesn’t understand the background but he can sense something is wrong because his mum isn’t around.”

NEWSBULLETIN

Bishop Hollis thanks flock for ʻoutpouring of prayerʼ IN A CHRISTMAS letter Bishop Crispian Hollis of Portsmouth has thanked parishioners for their support since he was diagnosed with bowel cancer.

He said: “No bishop could have hoped for a greater outpouring of generous love and prayer than I have received.”

Bishop Hollis, who last month celebrated his 75th birthday, is convalescing after two operations. He said he did not have the energy to write Christmas cards. But in a message online he told his flock: “My gratitude to you knows no bounds because you have helped me learn so much about the Lord’s loving providence and how I need to trust in that... as I prepare now for whatever may lie ahead. Thank you all.”

Popeʼs preacher visits Manchester THE PREACHER to the Papal Household has given a talk to the priests of Salford diocese about the presence of the Holy Spirit in a priest’s life.

Fr Raniero Cantalamessa OFM, who was given his title by Blessed Pope John Paul II in 1980, and for 20 years preached for the Pope on Fridays during Advent and Lent, spoke to priests at St Kentigern’s in Fallowfield, Manchester. He said: “Nothing needs to stop a priest from being intimate with God, since his love has been poured into the hearts of all, as St Paul himself said.”

He said that the Holy Spirit opens “our minds to understand Scripture, to see how true it is and that it is the word of God – the passionate word of a father to his children... The love of Scripture which results from receiving the Holy Spirit is unbelievable.”

He added: “Only the love of God can make a priest an effective instrument of Jesus Christ.”

Rev star to read at Cathedral TOM HOLLANDER, the actor who plays an Anglican priest in the BBC show Rev, was to give a reading at Westminster Cathedral’s Christmas celebration this Tuesday.

The actor, who plays an inner-city vicar struggling with diocesan authorities and shrinking congregations, was due to do a reading alongside newsreader Alastair Stewart, former politician Michael Portillo, and writer Peter Stanford.

Bishops go to jail at Christmas THREE Westminster bishops are to celebrate Masses at prisons on Christmas Day.

Auxiliary bishops Alan Hopes, John Arnold and John Sherrington will between them visit Feltham Young Offenders’ Institution, Wormwood Scrubs and the Mount Prison in Bovingdon. Bishop Arnold said it was “truly a great joy” to celebrate Mass at Feltham and that he was “always very moved by the respect” shown for Mass.

Gordon Ramsay to feed the poor GORDON RAMSAY will be volunteering at a Catholic soup kitchen on Christmas Day, it emerged this week. The television chef will be helping out at St Mary Magdalene church in Brighton.

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