Christmas 2023 message: Catholic Bishop of Geraldton Michael Morrissey says Xmas is for greetings, peace, hope

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ more than 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, we may find ourselves pondering on “Where is the light of hope and joy for people living in darkness and uncertainty?” There was a wonderful example from the First World War, which was meant to be the war that ended all wars in Europe. On the Western front around the time of the first Christmas of World War I in 1914, soldiers from both sides of the conflict stopped fighting and exchanged greetings, presents, and even played a soccer game for a brief time. They didn’t see themselves as enemies but fellow human beings. You can well imagine their action, filled with hope and peace, was very much frowned upon by military leaders. The decision to step up out of the despair of the trenches was not made by political leaders, or those in power, but by ordinary folk who primarily just wanted to live lives in peace and in honour of the birth of the Christ Child who came to bring peace.It was the ordinary people who, in that moment in time, gave to each other the gift of joy and a glimmer of hope in what seemed impossible. For us it is a reminder of the very deep desire within human beings to want to live in peace. That is one the powers of Christmas and why it is so special. People of all walks of life and levels of faith recognise the importance of coming together as families or as friends to celebrate the gift of life, hope and peace, “. As part of the universe, called into being by one Father, all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal family, a sublime communion which fills us with a sacred, affectionate and humble respect” (Laudato Si 89).