Comments shared at the Zoom Eucharist on 13 December 2025
1. Today (13 December) is the Feast day of St. Lucy/Lucia. We are approaching the shortest day of the year. Then the light will shine again, like Christ. Recognise the good in our daily lives and when we make major decisions. Call things by their name. Conquer evil by the power of light.
2. The shepherds and Magi show what it means to be innocent. Not fixed on ideas of power and divinity. Respond to anguish. Follow the star. Fearless and innocent.
3. Experiences of wisdom and joy. Five adults were watching an 11 month old boy learning how to walk. He opened a door. Smiles. No one spoke. He closed the door. Opened it again. Rattled a teapot. Smiled at the adults. Got on his toes – would he walk? No. Crawling again. Hurt himself. His mother picked him up at once. Reading and music are gifts.
4. A reconciliation prayer with blind people. How do they interpret light? We get amazing insights from blind people who are in eternal darkness. Are we overusing the gift of sight/light? How do we see innocence in blind people’s eyes? The blind are the blessed ones – pure, no lust, not seeing. One of my nephews is blind. He has a sharp 6th sense. He sees things. Innocent. Blessed is he. He sees his uncle 5 miles away and tells his mother. His uncle Mr Bito arrives in 15 minutes. See. I told you. Have we spoiled the world with our eyes? Blind people can’t. What is our vision of the blind and their vision of the people with sight?
5. In a world of constant noise and judgements Kochurani has given us a gift. There is a rush for Christmas; buy; buy; go here and there. Kochurani’s gift is “The power of silence”. For 20 minutes. See yourself in glorious technicolour. Be in silence. Thank you Kochurani.
6. I am reminded of the emperor’s new clothes sold to him by fraudsters. Only wise people can see this magnificent costume. The emperor parades through the streets. A child calls out: “He’s got no clothes on! He’s naked!” Speaking truth to power. If 2000 years ago Trump had been amongst the shepherds or Magi, he would not have found the Christ child in a barn with animals. We must speak our truth to power.
7. Innocence and intimacy. The shepherds were the first to hear of the birth of Jesus. Practically every year I had a pet lamb in need of care. My dad would distribute them to look after feeding them with a child’s bottle. Nursing the lamb back to health. Then letting go when the lamb was healthy enough to let it go back into the field. Always waiting for another lamb again next year. Being the youngest, begging my mother to have another baby. All the children in my class had babies. I told my mother it was easy to have a baby – the midwife came with her bag of tricks. Innocence and intimacy linked for me.
8. Innocence is dangerous in today’s world. Be street smart. We need intimacy and innocence in our lives. A spirit of innocence.