The prophet Isaiah wrote in the old testament that a virgin would bear a child and this child would be the saviour of the world. He was promised by God to all who believed in his only son that they would receive the gift of eternal life.

God chose a stable in Bethlehem where Mary would give birth to the infant Jesus. It was a bitterly cold night and the three wise men were guided by the star to where this wonderful event was going to happen. They were privileged that God chose them. Even the shepherds taking care of the flocks could feel the presence of the birth of Jesus. Today that spiritual feeling is what Christmas means to me, keeping in sight at all times the true meaning of this wonderful happening in our world.

I have always loved Christmas and personally I have some wonderful experiences of my own on Christmas eve. I suppose what I witnessed last Christmas was very special to me and my family. We were all in good happy form looking forward to the Christmas when we received word that our dad who was a long-stay patient at Our Lady's Hospice was not too well. We got over as fast as we could and gathered around his bedside.

There was a wonderful feeling of peace as he passed away. It was a most uplifting experience to witness the way he just slipped away into paradise on Christmas morning. On that special Christmas morning I felt the presence of a truly loving God the father of our Lord Jesus.