Plenary, 07 Jan 2004
Meeting date: Wednesday, January 7, 2004
Official Report
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Time for Reflection
Welcome back and a good new year. Our time for reflection leader today is his Eminence Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh.
Cardinal Keith O'Brien (Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh):
At this time of the year in the Christian calendar, we are still celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the prince of peace. Sunday is described as Epiphany Sunday, and the feast of the Epiphany was yesterday, the 12th day of Christmas. We can legitimately regard the whole of the Christmas season as a period of manifestation, celebrating the manifestation of Christ as Messiah to all the peoples of the world, represented by the three wise men.
Scripture records various manifestations and proclamations at this season. The angel, we are told, declared unto Mary, and she proclaimed her "Yes". On the occasion of the visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth, Elizabeth greeted Mary and Mary proclaimed that great hymn of praise, the Magnificat. John the Baptist, born of Elizabeth, was the man who had the responsibility of preparing the way for the Lord and proclaiming his greatness.
We ourselves can think of those various proclamations, but others have struck me over the past few weeks of Christmastide. Just before Christmas, I saw on television that a baby girl who had been born very prematurely was being returned to her parents following weeks of intensive care in a premature babies unit—a wonderful proclamation of love of life, no matter how fragile.
At the other end of the scale, our 83-year-old Pope John Paul II again proclaimed his Christmas message and celebrated the world day of peace on 1 January with the words:
"men and women tempted to turn to the unacceptable means of terrorism and thus compromise at its root the very cause for which you are fighting … at the beginning of the New Year 2004, peace remains possible. And if peace is possible, it is also a duty!"
That is a proclamation in words of our responsibility to work for peace in whatever ways we can.
Many others around us make their own proclamations to us and to our consciences about the value of each and every individual human being. We have an increasing concern at this time for the homeless, the unemployed and those whose employment may be threatened. We have concern for those who are less able in different ways and for all who seek our help.
These proclamations are made to us, and perhaps these simple words, reminding us of the nativity scene from St Luke's gospel, might help us to discern the way ahead. We are told:
"As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart".
At the beginning of this new year, near the commencement of this parliamentary session, perhaps each one of us could spend some further time treasuring, pondering and reflecting on all who come to us. In our positions, we have heavy responsibilities in proclaiming but, prior to that proclamation which is incumbent on us, there should be that treasuring, that pondering and that reflecting.