I took this photo recently at Doolin, Co.Clare of the sunrise just beginning, with light streaming across the rocks creating a beautiful landscape.
Sunday Homily: Today (Dec 21st) is the winter solstice. Those lucky enough to get inside Newgrange, Co. Meath this morning will see an incredible sight but only if the sun shines at sunrise. It is a world historic site and the passage grave was constructed five thousand years ago. Above the entrance to the passage there is a small opening through which the sun shines at 8.54a.m on Dec 21st. Its rays penetrate some 50 feet into the inner chamber where the ashes of the dead were kept. It is an extraordinary construction that required painstaking and precise work. The people feared the darkest of days and thought the world was going to end. Building Newgrange instilled in them a great sense of hope and a reminder that in the darkest of corners light will always shine.
We know that for all the previous generations who have gone before us, Dec 21st was a significant day and especially in Newgrange. So where does this fit into our story of Christmas. It actually fits in beautifully.
Jesus is born into our world as a wonderful and inspiring light. The invitation is to allow Jesus to be born into those parts of our lives that need him the most. We all have dark corners in our lives. Dark corners are part of everyone’s story, it’s the way life is. But dark corners can be filled with light too.
We crave and long for this light. Christmas is a reminder that this light can be ours too. We need support, love, companionship, friendship, light, hope and so much more. That’s why we make a special effort to reach out and include everyone at Christmas. The spirit of Christmas is meant to be alive every day of the year.
I am deeply touched by the amount of light, hope and kindness present in our community and especially here this morning. Yes there is darkness too BUT we thank God for coming into our world to lessen the grip of darkness. Even if there is only a tiny stretch to our evenings, its enough for us to give us hope. We invite God’s light to touch every aspect of our lives this Christmas.
(All of the above is updated daily)
Video 🎥
The beautiful Turbid Well at Millstreet, Co.Cork
If you would like to see a selection of my other videos on Youtube you can click this link here. https://www.youtube.com/@JamesMcSweeneyFr/videos
Thought For The Week
Every year we tell the story of Christmas but always in a different way. The story is different each year because our story is different. Christmas touches our own unique story. The story of Christmas reminds us we are not on our own, that there is light and hope in the midst of darkness and that is a meaning and purpose to life.
The events of Christmas night are far from ideal. Why would a baby be born in such an unexpected way and in such an unexpected place? God often comes into our lives in the least expected place. Maybe we are trying to find God in the wrong places and forget to look in the stable. The stable is that part of our lives that may not be pretty and not important and perhaps the last place we would want God. This is where God wants to be and where God wants to hold us, encourage us, help us, guide us, direct us, energise us and be with us every step of the way.
There is no such thing as a perfect Christmas. Every advertisement that you see on television suggests strongly that this is the way it must be. What a pressure to be under! All any of us can do is our best, to make it special in our own way and to make it as relaxing as we can. We need this time to recharge and revitalise in the depths of winter. In these precious days before Christmas, the invitation is to leave the stable door open, even ajar and let God do the rest. Happy Christmas to you and all your family and every blessing on you as we head towards 2026.
Thought For The Week is updated each Monday
