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CHRISTMAS MESSAGES 1997 from the Archbishop of Dublin
From The Most Reverend Dr W.N.F Empey
Archbishop of Dublin, Primate of Ireland
The famous former hostage, Mr Terry Waite, in an address in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, spoke of his years in captivity. For most of those years he was chained to the walls of his cell, day and night, but an even greater trial to him was the amount of time spent in darkness for he had to remain blindfolded in case he should recognise his captors. On one occasion at dawn he was able to see a clink of light coming in through one side of the sheltered window. He was astonished to note that the narrow beam of light was able to fill the normally darkened cell. It came to him in a flash that light is always more powerful than the dark.
The traditional Christmas Gospel, St.John 1 verses 1 to 14, bears witness to this regarding the coming of Christ. There we read those words "In Him (Jesus) was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it". Jesus came into a dark and violent world but the light of His truth and teaching was not extinguished even by death.
We need to remind ourselves, especially at Christmas, that it is our responsibility as His followers, to shine the light into the darkness of violence, famine, sectarianism, homelessness, loneliness and such like. Not the sort of lights bedecking Christmas trees but the light of truth, of hope, of faith and of love. We should then be able to say with St. John "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it". That is the challenge that the birth at Bethlehem confronts us in the midst of all our celebrations.