An Cosantóir November / December 2024 www.military.ie/magazine
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A Chairde,
I
t is truly an honour and a joy to be offered this
opportunity to extend greetings to the women and
men of Óglaigh na hÉireann and to your families
and loved ones, as we prepare to celebrate Christmas
2024. The message of that first Christmas night comes
to us down through the years and is as relevant today
as it ever was.
I am sure that we have all been affected by events
in the Middle East and saddened by the casualties
suffered there. We can be immensely proud of the
positive contribution that our peacekeepers are
making. The debt of gratitude owed to these young
men and women, and to their families, is indeed great.
Finding hope in adversity is one of the themes
of Christmas. Jesus was born into a world full of fear.
The angels came to frightened shepherds with hope
in their voices:
'Fear not', they urged, 'we bring
you tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.
'For unto you is born this day
in the City of David a Saviour
who is Christ the Lord.'
Although we are capable of great acts of kindness,
history teaches us that we sometimes need saving
from ourselves - from our recklessness or our greed.
God sent into the world a unique person - neither a
philosopher nor a general, important though they are,
but a Saviour, with the power to forgive. Forgiveness
lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal
broken families, it can restore friendships and it can
reconcile divided communities and a divided world. It
is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God's love.
In the last verse of this beautiful carol, O Little Town Of
Bethlehem, there's a prayer:
O Holy Child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us we pray.
Cast out our sin
And enter in.
Be born in us today.
It is my prayer that this Christmas we might all find
room in our lives for the message of the angels and for
the love of God through Christ our Lord.
I wish you all a very happy Christmas.
An tAthair Paschal ÓhAnnracháin
HEAD
CHAPLAIN
FR PASCHAL
HANRAHAN
CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
