2002

10th December 2002
"When it gets dark enough you can see the stars" - A Christmas Message from Bishop Michael Malone
There is always a stark contrast between the message of Christmas and the world as it really is. Christmas 2002 is fast approaching and our world seems clouded by ominous signs. With all that is happening around us and to us, life feels quite fragile. There is a certain bleakness and tension in our midst, an underlying anxiety and vulnerability.

Our year has been marked by the tragedy of the Bali bombings which shocked and numbed us. At the same time, most of our farmers have suffered a long and severe drought. Devastating bushfires have impacted long before their expected date. We seem paralysed by the increasing threat of terrorism both overseas and here on our own soil. And to top it all off, we stand yet again on the brink of war, this time possibly against Iraq.

With this turbulent backdrop, our own lives are not without misfortune and anguish, be it broken relationships, sickness, unemployment, financial hardships …

The people of Australia will celebrate Christmas in the shadow of these experiences.

Christian leaders will attempt to explain the notion of celebrating Christmas in the midst of our troubled world to a grieving and shocked community, but will only be able to say that the shadow of Good Friday inevitably falls across the joy of Christmas Day. That is the reality of our world.

How is it possible to shed light and hope on the emptiness and darkness of people's lives? Charles A. Beard saw the possibilities when he wrote: "when it gets dark enough you can see the stars".

The first scripture reading of the Christmas Midnight Mass begins in a similar way: "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; on the inhabitants of a country in shadow dark as death light has blazed forth." (Isaiah 9:1)

At Christmas we remember and welcome anew the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Yet, as we ponder on Jesus, the remarkable gift of God's love, tanks and heavily armed troops occupy the very place of his birth. The power of armies and the indiscriminate violence of terrorism should be disarmed by the love and helplessness of this little baby. That's what should happen, but will it?

Those who profess to be Christian are challenged to make it happen, for we are God's messengers of love, peace and hope. How else will the birth of Jesus Christ bring light to the darkness of our world?

We can't deny the reality of our often-bleak world, but we mustn't let it overwhelm us. We tend to forget that Jesus was born into a world darkened by hostility and grief. And yet, this vulnerable babe brought immense hope and joy.

Christmas reminds us that God is still with us in our humanity - in our grief, our joy, our anxiety, our hope … in everything!

This Christmas and beyond, may we be people of the light; people who offer hope, who reveal a tender love, who show forgiveness, and who act with justice.

May the birth of the Prince of Peace bring you light and truth. Happy Christmas!

Christmas Mass Times for Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish Hamilton.

Vigil Masses: 24th December
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton, 6:00 pm Celebrant: Mgr Allan Hart
Vigil Italian Mass: 24th December Italian Chapel, Beaumont Street, Hamilton 8:00 pm. Celebrant: Cardinal Edward Cassidy
Polish Mass, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton, 10:00 pm Celebrant: Fr Tadeusz Swaitkowski
Prayer Vigil, 11:30 pm (before Midnight Mass)

Midnight Masses
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton. Celebrant: Bishop Michael Malone

Christmas Day Masses
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Tighes Hill, 8:00 am Celebrant: Mgr Allan Hart
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton, 9:30 am Celebrant: Mgr Allan Hart
Italian Mass, Italian Chapel, Beaumont St, Hamilton, 10:00 am Celebrant: Cardinal Edward Cassidy
Polish Mass, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hamilton, 11:30 am. Celebrant: Fr Tadeusz Swaitkowski

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