Years ago, I had a friend in Belfast called Matt, who was known as Tracker. He was a prophet of sorts: the racing tipster for The Irish News. He has long since gone to God, but he came to mind this Advent.
One year, Matt, in a moment of inspiration, decided to surprise his friends with a visit to Dublin on December 25. He was disappointed to find his friends were not home.
It turns out they had the same notion – and went on their own journey to Belfast, only to find his usual barstool quite empty.
The memory made me think about who exactly I’m expecting this Christmas. And to really prepare this Advent so I do not miss the joyful encounter with Jesus.
Jesus
Of course, ready or not, the Christ child will be carried into the manger at my Church and my crib at home – but who really is Jesus Christ? Do Christians truly know who they are expecting? Anticipating perhaps a figure bearing little resemblance to the Redeemer – who arrived in first-century Judea in poverty, promised to remain with us and then to return in glory?
“Who do you say I am?” is as relevant today as it was when Christ challenged his apostles. After all, we live in a world which still strives to “do away with Jesus”. Increasingly, there is a blurring of Christ’s birthday, with festivals of ‘Winter Lights’, and greetings of ‘Winter Wishes’.
It was a great analogy – for the disenchanted world not only scoffs at Christ’s existence but laughs at the idea he will return”
Jesus holds many titles. Isaiah’s prophecy in Chapter Nine – celebrated in Handel’s famous oratorio Messiah – describes the baby given to us: “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.
Jesus is also called ‘The Son of the Most High God’ by the Angel Gabriel in the first Chapter of Luke.
But that was 2,000 years ago, and after so long a wait for his return, the truth of Christ’s identity has perhaps become jaded – marred too by faded hopes of his glorious return.
My parish priest Fr Ciarán Feeney gave an Advent talk to the local primary school children last week. “Have their mom or dad ever been late to collect them?” he asked. And what happened? After ten minutes or even half an hour of this waiting – did they begin to worry? Or doubt their mom or dad would come at all? Heads nodded.
It was a great analogy – for the disenchanted world not only scoffs at Christ’s existence but laughs at the idea he will return.
What about those who still profess faith in the Son of the Most High God?
Someone sent me a video the other day made by a Christian convert called Richard Ackerman, who promotes his somewhat controversial views under the brand, Redeemed Zoomer. Ackerman outlines five stages of what he disdainfully calls “Progressive Christianity.”
Stages
Stage One begins with the guilty idea that there is something wrong with historic Christianity. People in this stage still believe what the bible says – but also feel the Church needs to progress due to a bad history of being racist, sexist and homophobic.
Those in Stage Two still believe in the Gospel but devote more time to preaching social justice and politics.
Stage Three still holds to the basics of the faith, such as the Resurrection and the Trinity, but ignores scripture with regard to sexuality, marriage and abortion. These Christians are usually universalists (nobody goes to hell). Stage Four involves “explicit heresy”: denying Christ’s divinity, his resurrection and the idea that Christianity is uniquely true.
Ackerman calls Stage Five “Essential Atheist Christianity”, where God is just a metaphorical idea that can inspire us to do social justice.
It was his last point that really got my attention: ‘Social Justice Jesus’. How many only recognise and expect him?
In my Advent preparation, I returned to the final passage of The Eternal Galilean by Venerable Fulton J Sheen, who writes: “Christ lives! Why then do we not recognise him?”
Sheen claims that humankind has never really tried loving the Lord and Saviour, the True Man and True God”
According to Sheen, modern humanity, in its quest for truth (those that still bother) has experimented with loving Jesus the Teacher, Jesus the social reformer, Jesus the humanitarian, and he might have added Jesus the Progressive. But Sheen claims that humankind has never really tried loving the Lord and Saviour, the True Man and True God, the one who will knock at the door of our hearts this Christmas.
***
Rabbit
Identity confusion appears rife these days. I hear various accounts, with very specific facts, every so often: students in Irish schools identifying as cartoon characters or cats known as ‘furries’ (I was once given the name of a school which actually put kitty litter in the girls’ bathroom). These stories came from credible sources who would add: “But you can’t report that!”
Well, I have permission to report this one, which came from a credible source: a student is identifying as a rabbit in a British university and, due to bullying, has been moved into an all-female hall of residence. Now I have great sympathy for this poor creature – but I have none for the university authorities who indulge this irrational behaviour.
Maybe I am being unkind, but maybe a rabbit hutch outside would be more apt than a female hall of residence? I know of one man who went to register his newborn in Scotland and insisted that he was a cat; he was promptly told that animals were not allowed in the building. He soon changed his spots! The Catholic Church is right: our lives make no sense
without God.
***
As we approach the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patron of unborn children, on December 12, there’s been a few interesting twists in the battle over so-called ‘safe access’ abortion zones’.
These zones (introduced in both Northern Ireland and the Republic) make it illegal to protest, offer help and perhaps even pray outside an abortion clinic. Last December, a pro-life activist, Claire Brennan (54), from Doneyshiel Road, Rasharkin, Co. Antrim, challenged this – insisting she had a moral obligation, as a Catholic, to protest because life is sacred.
She was convicted in Coleraine Magistrates’ Court of breaching the zone at Causeway Hospital on October 3, 2023. Determined to appeal her conviction and £750 fine, Brennan found herself in a ‘David and Goliath’ legal battle in which she represented herself. Judge Ciaran Moynagh recused himself before he delivered his ruling because Brennan had complained that, in his time as a solicitor, he had labelled himself as “an abortion activist for human rights”.
The judge rejected the criticism as “without merit” but, citing an “abundance of caution,” he stepped aside to avoid any perception of bias. Now, Brennan, with backing from the Christian Legal Centre, has a legal team led by senior King’s Counsel, John Larkin, a former Attorney General for Northern Ireland. The Lord hears the cry of the poor. The case is up for review on December 11.
Preparing for Jesus the Saviour this Christmas
Years ago, I had a friend in Belfast called Matt, who was known as Tracker. He was a prophet of sorts: the racing tipster for The Irish News. He has long since gone to God, but he came to mind this Advent.
One year, Matt, in a moment of inspiration, decided to surprise his friends with a visit to Dublin on December 25. He was disappointed to find his friends were not home.
It turns out they had the same notion – and went on their own journey to Belfast, only to find his usual barstool quite empty.
The memory made me think about who exactly I’m expecting this Christmas. And to really prepare this Advent so I do not miss the joyful encounter with Jesus.
Jesus
Of course, ready or not, the Christ child will be carried into the manger at my Church and my crib at home – but who really is Jesus Christ? Do Christians truly know who they are expecting? Anticipating perhaps a figure bearing little resemblance to the Redeemer – who arrived in first-century Judea in poverty, promised to remain with us and then to return in glory?
“Who do you say I am?” is as relevant today as it was when Christ challenged his apostles. After all, we live in a world which still strives to “do away with Jesus”. Increasingly, there is a blurring of Christ’s birthday, with festivals of ‘Winter Lights’, and greetings of ‘Winter Wishes’.
Jesus holds many titles. Isaiah’s prophecy in Chapter Nine – celebrated in Handel’s famous oratorio Messiah – describes the baby given to us: “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.
Jesus is also called ‘The Son of the Most High God’ by the Angel Gabriel in the first Chapter of Luke.
But that was 2,000 years ago, and after so long a wait for his return, the truth of Christ’s identity has perhaps become jaded – marred too by faded hopes of his glorious return.
My parish priest Fr Ciarán Feeney gave an Advent talk to the local primary school children last week. “Have their mom or dad ever been late to collect them?” he asked. And what happened? After ten minutes or even half an hour of this waiting – did they begin to worry? Or doubt their mom or dad would come at all? Heads nodded.
It was a great analogy – for the disenchanted world not only scoffs at Christ’s existence but laughs at the idea he will return.
What about those who still profess faith in the Son of the Most High God?
Someone sent me a video the other day made by a Christian convert called Richard Ackerman, who promotes his somewhat controversial views under the brand, Redeemed Zoomer. Ackerman outlines five stages of what he disdainfully calls “Progressive Christianity.”
Stages
Stage One begins with the guilty idea that there is something wrong with historic Christianity. People in this stage still believe what the bible says – but also feel the Church needs to progress due to a bad history of being racist, sexist and homophobic.
Those in Stage Two still believe in the Gospel but devote more time to preaching social justice and politics.
Stage Three still holds to the basics of the faith, such as the Resurrection and the Trinity, but ignores scripture with regard to sexuality, marriage and abortion. These Christians are usually universalists (nobody goes to hell). Stage Four involves “explicit heresy”: denying Christ’s divinity, his resurrection and the idea that Christianity is uniquely true.
Ackerman calls Stage Five “Essential Atheist Christianity”, where God is just a metaphorical idea that can inspire us to do social justice.
It was his last point that really got my attention: ‘Social Justice Jesus’. How many only recognise and expect him?
In my Advent preparation, I returned to the final passage of The Eternal Galilean by Venerable Fulton J Sheen, who writes: “Christ lives! Why then do we not recognise him?”
According to Sheen, modern humanity, in its quest for truth (those that still bother) has experimented with loving Jesus the Teacher, Jesus the social reformer, Jesus the humanitarian, and he might have added Jesus the Progressive. But Sheen claims that humankind has never really tried loving the Lord and Saviour, the True Man and True God, the one who will knock at the door of our hearts this Christmas.
***
Rabbit
Identity confusion appears rife these days. I hear various accounts, with very specific facts, every so often: students in Irish schools identifying as cartoon characters or cats known as ‘furries’ (I was once given the name of a school which actually put kitty litter in the girls’ bathroom). These stories came from credible sources who would add: “But you can’t report that!”
Well, I have permission to report this one, which came from a credible source: a student is identifying as a rabbit in a British university and, due to bullying, has been moved into an all-female hall of residence. Now I have great sympathy for this poor creature – but I have none for the university authorities who indulge this irrational behaviour.
Maybe I am being unkind, but maybe a rabbit hutch outside would be more apt than a female hall of residence? I know of one man who went to register his newborn in Scotland and insisted that he was a cat; he was promptly told that animals were not allowed in the building. He soon changed his spots! The Catholic Church is right: our lives make no sense
without God.
***
As we approach the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patron of unborn children, on December 12, there’s been a few interesting twists in the battle over so-called ‘safe access’ abortion zones’.
These zones (introduced in both Northern Ireland and the Republic) make it illegal to protest, offer help and perhaps even pray outside an abortion clinic. Last December, a pro-life activist, Claire Brennan (54), from Doneyshiel Road, Rasharkin, Co. Antrim, challenged this – insisting she had a moral obligation, as a Catholic, to protest because life is sacred.
She was convicted in Coleraine Magistrates’ Court of breaching the zone at Causeway Hospital on October 3, 2023. Determined to appeal her conviction and £750 fine, Brennan found herself in a ‘David and Goliath’ legal battle in which she represented herself. Judge Ciaran Moynagh recused himself before he delivered his ruling because Brennan had complained that, in his time as a solicitor, he had labelled himself as “an abortion activist for human rights”.
The judge rejected the criticism as “without merit” but, citing an “abundance of caution,” he stepped aside to avoid any perception of bias. Now, Brennan, with backing from the Christian Legal Centre, has a legal team led by senior King’s Counsel, John Larkin, a former Attorney General for Northern Ireland. The Lord hears the cry of the poor. The case is up for review on December 11.
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