your turn

Dec 23, 2024

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It’s Sunday night as I sit to write.

Two more sleeps until Christmas and throughout the day as I pondered what to share at the beginning of this Christmas week nothing that seems helpful to share has come to mind.

So, rather than me cut and paste something from past years I want to give you the chance to share a Christmas message. Perhaps imagine you are asked to write one sentence for a Media Christmas special.

Just once sentence.

Ask Jesus what you might write.

Share in the comments section below – and check in later today to see what others have shared.

48 Comments

  1. Without joy there is no hope, without hope there is no Joy, a joy filled Christmas to all, may we all experience joy this Christmas, and hope in God present with us. Let us share this joy and hope with all. Happy Christmas.

    Reply
    • The sweetness of giving is the surprising gift of findimg the face of Jesus

      Reply
  2. Christmas, the Season of hope, a time we need to be aware of those for whom it is a time of uncertainty and unhappiness. May we all be touched by the true Spirit of Christmas.

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  3. This year I have been particularly aware of those celebrating their furst Christmas without a loved spouse, (parent and grandparent) and i pray they find comfort through the love of God, family & friends and their cherished memories..

    Reply
  4. Peace be with you today, share it with everyone you meet.
    Continue to work on it each day and let it ripple beyond your feet.
    The world may be full of war poverty and destruction,
    but let hope and peace beat corruption.

    Reply
  5. The great anticipation of Christmas and the coming of Emanuel is thankfully not just a Christmas Day only experience for Catholics but one we get to enjoy daily. Together with Jesus, we greet each new day that is gifted to us, eagerly awaiting His direction and desire to walk and work joyfully with us to bring His Love and Blessings to others. Let us not therefore, waste a moment! Blessings in abundance to All this Christmas.

    Reply
  6. May we all stop for a few moments, feel the warmth of Gods love, and share the hope and joy of Christ’s birth with all those around us

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  7. To touch one’s soul,to offer one hope and to act with love is the greatest and most lasting gift you can give this Christmas May your soul be touched in a profound way this Christmas season so that you too can touch the soul of others around you.

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  8. I Pray that Christmas will a time to grow in oneself. To think and act on what is important. To have joy and hope and be supplied with what you need. It may be family around, paid work, a home, a time of stopping an addiction, solitude, reflection, gratitude, appreciation of your environment.

    Reply
  9. Mary says: sit at the crib….
    receive the gaze of my baby son…

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  10. God’s gift to us is His Son Jesus because Mary said “Yes”

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  11. In the silence we see the gaze, hear the whisper, and experience the touch of His presence.
    What a gift to share with others.

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    • Dear friends Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you faith as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in as much as you participate in the suffereings of Christ so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1 Pet 4:12-13

      When relationships breakdown angry exchanges hurtful things said misunderstandings the heart bleeds. Jesus will always be the one to bring comfort healing hope and restoration. Light in the darkness this Christmas.

      Reply
  12. I hope and pray that this Christmas brings joy, peace and hope to all during the remainder of this holy season. God’s blessings to all and happy Christmas!

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  13. JOY

    JESUS
    OTHERS
    YOURSELF

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  14. JOY is a frequent Christmas word. We can see it as:: Jesus first, Others come next, Yourself . Note the order..

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  15. God surrounds us, everywhere and always.

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    • JOY has become my favourite word . May joy becomes you this Christmas and always
      AMEN. Margaret

      Reply
  16. At the first Christmas the angel of the Lord said, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people,” and the message remains the same all these centuries later.

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  17. At Christmas God broke into our dark and troubled world with His light and hope and love, in the shape of a tiny baby who became the Saviour of the world.

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  18. FAMILY
    JOY. LOVE . PEACE ON EARTH TO ALL MEN AND WOMAN

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  19. Let’s make a crib for Jesus in our hearts.

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  20. To have hope in Me is to know Me.To know Me is to love Me and know that you are loved by Me.Hope then is the expectation to love Me and be loved by Me forever.

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  21. As we contemplate the closeness of God this Christmas, let’s make our hearts a welcome place for Christ to abide so that we might be changed. Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.

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  22. Love of God, compassion, gratitude and peace in our hearts, families and our world. AMEN!!!.

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  23. Jesus bring peace and joy to our troubled world. Bless our families and those in need.
    Jesus I trust in you always.

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    • May Gods peace be with us all at Christmas and during 2025

      Reply
  24. This is a brilliant idea John. Perhaps suggest this more frequently, this encourages us all to share the love, joy, peace and hope of CHRISTmas.
    May you too know Gods rest and hope of CHRISTmas.
    Anne (Melbourne)

    Reply
  25. My first year celebrating Christmas in the East…!(Hawkes Bay).
    Has deeper significance for me as I pray Wise men and women may bring peace to the East sometime soon.

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  26. Dear child, my birthday is the gift of eternal life from our Father, unwrapped for you and all who believe, by the power of the Holy Spirit. With everlasting love, Jesus

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  27. May the love peace snd joy of the baby Jesus be felt by all in this troubled world

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  28. In these last days of Advent, I am yet again learning new insights into what it means to prepare frantically for Christmas. Unfortunately this comes in the form of a list of tasks around the house and section to be completed before the 25th. The pace of these tasks is relentless until I arrive at the Christmas Eve vigil at St Patrick’s Church in Kaiapoi with family and can get a physical and spiritual ‘breather”. How good will that be???
    So in a roundabout way, I am looking forward to the arrival of the baby Jesus, and all that means for us.
    Let peace reign!

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  29. The birth of Jesus changed human history. Hope was born. Human relationships were eternally changed. That’s why we count time as AD and BC (before Christand after Christ).

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  30. Dear Lord Jesus I thank you for all the joy and peace in my life and wish all the people in the world may receive it.

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  31. Remember Jesus is the reason for the season.

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  32. Dear Jesus, as I surrender all my worries and uncertainties for today and the days to come, I am faithful to your loving kindness, grace and mercy all the days of my life.

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  33. At Christmas you remember me but I remember you always.

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  34. For me Christmas is a time of celebrating the gifts of faith and family. Preparation this year has included lots of singing of Christmas songs of praise and joy on 6 separate occasions in two choirs. A great way to pray and to share the joy!

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  35. We play Handel’s Messiah at Christmas. The music continues to Easter. They are part of the same story. Jesus was born so that he would die and rise and we might share in his resurrection.

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  36. May we all know your Joy Peace and Hope this Christmas

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  37. I cringe when I see the word XMAS but for many that is the reality – the X is the unknown quantity; let’s do what we can to change the X to CHRIST.

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  38. The joy, peace and holy love that the Christ Child can bring to each of us in a special way at Christmas and every day of our lives and especially in the hard times in our lives.

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  39. Notes from the Bay of Islands…

    The pohutukawas are sulking…..
    Just a glimpse, a promise of that burst of Christmas joy
    Normally a ring of brilliant colour saurrounding the Bay

    We wait in expectation…….
    So on this Christmas Eve:
    Ring out you Bells, Shout out you Pohutukawas, our Joy to the Lord!

    Reply
  40. Pray for us O Holy Mother of God that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
    Thank you Fr John for your inspiration.

    Reply
  41. Whatever ese surrounds us, at the crib our hearts rest – in awe of God’s immense love.

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    • I have lost my father, my daughter, and my husband this past year, yet in spite of all that I have lost, I have gained so much more. My God has carried me, sustained me, strengthened me, and loved me throughout this agony. In the midst of my sorrow, throughout Advent, He filled me with hope, peace, joy and love. He humbled Himself to come to us as a baby to rescue us. He is Love Incarnate inviting us to rest in His love and know that He is God. Don’t wait a moment longer, run into His arms!

      Reply
  42. At christmas God reached down and broke the barriers of time and space to offer through the Christ child a radical way of life and love…the invitation never changes, the offer never ceases.

    Reply

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