The busyness of modern life sometimes results in a loss of our ability to listen effectively to one another. There may well be a need for us to relearn how to listen - to the people close to us, to those we meet at work, while shopping and everywhere else, and, indeed, to God, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.

The Spirit of God who anointed Jesus as Messiah, the Christ of God, and confirmed him in his mission to the world, also continues to hover over each of us brothers and sisters of Jesus, inviting us to continue the mission of Jesus by reaching out to the lost and alienated, healing those who are hurting, feeding the hungry, freeing those who are imprisoned by fear, doubt, depression and loneliness, and bringing peace and justice and mercy to everyone with whom we engage, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.

As we celebrate the birth of God among us in the person of Jesus, our celebrations will be empty unless we in our turn become agents of peace and justice, of tolerance and encouragement, of forgiveness, hope and light for everyone we encounter. We send to one another at Christmas all manner of generous, loving and caring messages. Those messages will be meaningless unless we walk our talk and bring it to life in our actions and relating, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.

“Who are you?” and “Who am I?” are questions we all ask and explore at some time, or, rather, times, in our lives. In today’s gospel-reading, we meet a man who, simply and deeply knows the answer to these questions, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.

John the Baptist ushered in a new beginning in the story of God’s love for the world. That new beginning would be brought about through people, ourselves included, who would embrace a life-change, a conversion of mind and heart, demonstrated in action, writes Christian Brother Julian McDonald.