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 Christmas Year B - 25/12/2020 - Gospel: Lk 2: 1-14
Tough Year
The Covid-19 made  twenty- twenty a tough year for the entire world. It was a rough ride for all business during the lockdown. It was tough for both the powerful and the powerless. It filled all hospital beds; it forced medical doctors and nurses to work long hours; it made scientists to scratch their heads in trying to find a vaccine for the virus; it crippled the world economy; it emptied busy roads; it grounded all international planes; it closed the hospitality industry; it shut down cathedral and local churches alike; it put masks on people's faces. Masses were on line and essential meetings were on screen. Through its roughness, there were rays of hope. I saw individuals who prayed quietly, outside of the Church building, at the Shrine of Our Lady. Some lit a tea light candle- light dispels darkness; others placed a bouquet of flowers- symbol of freshness. Others again placed a pot plant under the feet of Our Lady- symbol of life and growth. They were signs of hope of returning to normality. In this time of difficulty, we placed our hope not in science alone, but we turned to God in faith, and hope. Ever since the restriction of movement began relaxing, parishioners gathered in Church, they were spacing from each other, and yet there was a real sense of solidarity and closeness. The spirit of unity was strong amongst them. The spirit of joy was obvious on the faces of the people. From a distance they smiled and threw their hands up in the air to express their joy. When people prayed in private we don't know what they prayed, but from the communal perspective, they were grateful for the frontline workers, such as police, medical testing people, doctors and nurses. They prayed for scientists for the wisdom to find medicine curing the virus.

I once thought science took a leading role in our world. The pandemic showed that instead of taking a leading role, science was chasing, using human wisdom to try to find a vaccine.

Through Mary, Jesus became a member of our human community; God asked Joseph to look after the Holy Family. John the Baptist went before, paving the way for Jesus. The world looks for human knowledge. We, Christians place our hope in God through human wisdom.

Thanh You for Your Faith and Happy New Year.

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