Introduction from Canon David

Welcome to the 2022/23 Winter edition of the Parish Proclaimer. Thank you to our editor, Melinda and to all our contributors. The need to proclaim the message of Jesus is always before us and through this magazine his message is proclaimed anew through our reflections on history, culture and spirituality. It has been a difficult couple of years and we are still not out of the woods yet, but the Gospel is preached in season and out of season (see 2 Timothy 4:2) because it helps us to face the challenges before us, especially to look out for one another. The Gospel is a message of joy that unfolds in history and therein lies our hope. This Christmas and New Year we can remember the words of Pope Francis reflecting on the Christmas crib, which can stay up until the feast of the Presentation of the Lord on 2nd February. He writes in a 2019 letter on the meaning and importance of the nativity scene: “Standing before the Christmas crib, we are reminded of the time when we were children, eagerly waiting to set it up. These memories make us all the more conscious of the precious gift received from those who passed on the faith to us. At the same time, they remind us of our duty to share this same experience with our children and our grandchildren. It does not matter

how the nativity scene is arranged: it can always be the same or it can change from year to year. What matters is that it speaks to our lives. Wherever it is, and whatever form it takes, the Christmas crib speaks to us of the love of God, the God who became a child in order to make us know how close he is to every man, woman and child, regardless of their condition.” As well as reading and enjoying this edition of the Proclaimer, please also stop for a thought or prayer by the Christmas crib this Winter season. With my best wishes and prayers, Canon David