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POOR JUSTIN WELBY.
You know that week in work – the biggest one of the year – and you feel the sniffles coming on. All the Berocca and Vitamin C in the world won’t fend it off.
Arguably the most important day in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s calendar is today. And he has fallen prey to the “severe cold”.
He had to call in sick, missing his annual Christmas sermon.
Lambeth Palace announced the bad news on Twitter, along with a contingency plan.
According to The Independent in London, his sermon was due to focus on the unreality of the Christmas fairytale, noting that Jesus did not arrive to sell a ‘happy ever after’.
He was also expected to comment on the truce on Christmas Day in 1914 during World War I, describing it as all too brief.
Last night, Welby tweeted: “#ChristmasMeans that in Jesus, God has given us the most precious gifts of all: forgiveness and hope.”
Meanwhile, in Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin will talk about the progress being made in Stormont in his Christmas homily.
“It is important to hope and to believe that peace is possible. We all have a part to play in supporting and affirming peace. We must work to ensure that cynicism or negativity do not cause the strands of agreement to unravel.
“So tonight I thank God for the progress that our politicians have made and I pray that in the New Year they will continue to show courage, leadership and commitment in bringing us further forward.”
And, in Dublin, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin focused on the homelessness crisis, while Archbishop, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson lectured on the distant relationships that are being driven by market forces.
He said that we no touch, make direct contact with, know and engage with fewer and fewer people because of the chain of production, delivery and distribution of things we buy.
“The chasm has opened up between our getting something instantly and the range of people who get it to us in all the stages along the way,” he said.
“The gap between us and God in the modern world is not actually all that different. It is based on the fact that we have let the gap open up between us and our neighbour and thereby have failed to see God in our neighbour.”
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Shopped local. All local small businesses are happy to do a sale over the phone or on Facebook and I have collected it from the shop at the door. I want to see my village Main Street open again when this is over, not boarded up.
@2thFairy: So far, I have bought every Christmas present from an Irish retailer, but my god some Irish retailers really need to get their act together in terms of online service – I got something delivered from China quicker than from a shop 2kms from my house, I am still waiting for it!
@Lisa Saputo: hear ya
@Lisa Saputo: maybe it’s being made in China
No option for No, none of the above?!
@Marc: I don’t do the commercial side of Christmas/giving & receiving presents… but just getting together for the family dinner with a bit of chat and banter is by far the best part of the holiday for me
@Marc: Worse poll I’ve seen on the journal for options. There is no option I can click on to see results. No I have not done any Christmas shopping as every were is closed!
@IrishRedLFC: I donate the money to a homeless charity instead, much better use of the money normally wasted on items we don’t need in this unnecessary annual box ticking exercise of buying one for everyone in the audience ;)
@IrishRedLFC: it all adds up… 5K+ donated to date… ya must be flúicin loaded yerself if thats tight in your dept!
@Marc: A bit harsh the Journal deleted @IrishRedLFC just for calling someone a tight bas…. :|
@Marc: Christmas was always commercial…. sure wasn’t the babby jesus only just born when the three kings burst through the door..”look what I got ya” – Tommy Tiernan
@Brianán McBride: Just click the “Vote” button with nothing selected (as I only discovered myself today) and voila!
Have most of it done. All online. Mostly local too.
Where’s the “Not doing Christmas shopping” option?
Yes, all online this year, poor postman..
5hit! Is it Christmas eve already?
I have done loads of online shopping and a bit of click and collect also. Will leave some of it for December but I feel like shops will be emptied by the 2nd. We will have to wait and see!!
@Seeking Truth: yeah I think so too..there wont be a cracker in sight
Can someone please ask Tony if its ok to do Christmas shopping?
Did most of mine online.. thank you Amazon. PS5 will be a no show for xmas but hopefully in the new year. I tried to shop local but way too expensive
@Christina Colling: there’s more being released this week Christina
Why do people bother? Shop for what? It’s like any other week just get the usual! Why do people need to be excessive especially this year!? No need
@Jonnie Marre: yawn. Humans have feasted right through the ages, keeps us busy and staves off the dullness of everyday life. Buy yourself a bottle of something nice and get into it
Usually shop local and leave it to the last few days. Have found some great bargains to be had on the 24th.
The “Can’t afford it” option.
I work in retail that supplies all the major shops with electronics And it’s very very quiet at the moment…
The quiet before the storm maybe??
have your say