大象传媒

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Fr Dermot Preston, part of the Jesuit Mission to St Dominic's Roman Catholic Church, Newcastle

Good morning.

It was a wintry rush-hour.

My friend was in the flow of commuters at the end of the day.

Ahead of her she saw an old man standing in the middle of the pavement He stood swaying slightly, with his cupped-hand raised, outstretched for help from the flow of commuters. People wove past him, professionally avoiding eye-contact.

By accident or design, my friend ended up in front of the swaying beggar. He d held his cupped-hand out in front of her. In it was a coin.

In the midst of the throng of people flowing around them, he quietly explained that he was wanting to make a phone-call from the cash call-box just to the side of the pavement. But his hands were too cold to push the coin into the slot for the money 鈥� would she help him to push the coin into the slot?

Although the Old Testament praises the virtues of the Shepherd 鈥� indeed King David himself had started as a shepherd outside Bethlehem 鈥� by that first Christmas, shepherds lived on the edge of an urban society ignored and shunned by the town. The religious authorities looked down upon them because being out in the fields they were unable to keep clean for the sacred rituals.

But it was to the shepherds, not the rulers, priests or princes that the angels in the field proclaimed;;

鈥淚 bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.鈥�
Lord, thank you that you do not exclude anyone, everyone is seen and valued by you and your good news is for all. Help us to see those otherwise shunned and ignored and to show them your love.

Amen

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