Editorial

Christmas – Hope and Light

“I will light candles this Christmas. Candles of hope where despair keeps watch, Candles of joy, despite all sadness, Candles of courage for fears ever-present, Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days, Candles of love to inspire all my living Candles that will burn all the year long.” (Howard Thurman)

“Jesus said: I am the light of the world; Anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

A Christmas Prayer for all our friends and benefactors May the celebration of Christ’s birth light up your hearts and lives. May the wonder of his presence bring hope, love, joy and peace to you and your families. And may the New Year bring many blessings.

Advocate

Winter 2021 Volume 61 No. 3

Published by: Editor: Printed by:

ST. JOSEPH’S ADVOCATE

Mill Hill Missionaries Fr. Jim O’Connell Modern Printers, Kilkenny

CONTENTS Editorial ...................................................................................................... 2 “Today is Christmas Day – What?” ....................................................... 4 Deep Peace of the Son of Peace ............................................................... 7 Jubilee Day ................................................................................................. 8 Words of thanks from Cameroon and Kenya ....................................... 11 Long Singut now – 50 years on ............................................................... 14 Obituary List ............................................................................................ 16 Photo credits: Front cover – Nuala Higgins (See editorial), Fons Eppink, Donal Harney.

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St. Joseph’s Advocate Mill Hill Missionaries 50 Orwell Park Rathgar, Dublin D06 C535 Tel: (01) 412 7707 Email: organisingmhm@gmail.com Website: www.millhillmissionaries.co.uk

From the Editor

We are familiar with the way the first Christmas night is depicted in the usual crib scenes. Usually, Mary and Joseph are standing or kneeling, looking lovingly at the infant Jesus lying in the manger. There are shepherds and their sheep, as well as a cow and a donkey. The three Kings (Magi) are added at the appropriate time. You can see this familiar representation of the scene in the stable at Bethlehem in the photo of the painting of the Nativity (Page 3). You will notice that St Joseph seems rather detached – standing back as it were and not very involved.

We have a very different approach in the Stained Glass Window photo (above and front cover). Joseph is holding the baby Jesus in his arms while Mary is sleeping or resting in the background. Mary looks young

“Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; With you Christ became man.”

(Pope Francis) with a lovely peaceful face. Joseph looks younger and more involved than he often seems to be in the crib and in paintings. In the stained glass window, he is at the centre of things – as a father lovingly holding the infant Jesus. He looks rather serious, as if he is thinking deeply, perhaps worried about what lies ahead. The infant Jesus looks calm and secure in Joseph’s strong arms. Here we see Joseph in his role as father of Jesus and husband of Mary.

In the gospel stories about the birth of Jesus, Luke focuses more on Mary, while Matthew’s focus is more on Joseph. Mary was an ordinary humble young woman in Nazareth, when she was called and chosen to be the mother of Jesus, who was ‘Son of God and son of Mary’, - and also “referred to in all four Gospels as the son of Joseph.” (Pope Francis)

After a long and tiring journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, “Mary gave birth to a son, her first born, in a stable; she wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in the manger” (Lk. 2:7). Joseph was with Mary and no doubt was at hand to help her. Joseph became the legal father of Jesus - to whom he gave the name revealed by the angel: “You shall call his name Jesus” (Mt 1:21). For ancient peoples, to give a name to a person was to establish a deep personal relationship with that person. This is what happened with Joseph. Pope Francis describes Joseph: “He is a tender, loving father, who loved Jesus with a father’s heart and concretely expressed his fatherhood in his love placed at the service of the Messiah (Jesus). He is the earthly shadow of the heavenly Father. In him, Jesus saw the tender love of God. St Joseph did not think of himself, but focused instead on the lives of Mary and Jesus. He is the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence, who nonetheless played an incomparable role in the history of salvation. Cooperating in the great mystery of Redemption, he was called by God to serve the mission of Jesus.

Hail guardian of the redeemer, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

(Pope Francis)

(Stained Glass Window in the photo (front cover and page two) is by Sue Klayman. It is in St Joseph the Worker Church, Ozark, Missouri, USA. Photo: Nuala Higgins)