The Word became human and came to live among us and I met him.

God came to live among us in Jesus two thousand years ago and it was forty three years ago that I met him. The encounter changed my life and continues to do so to this day (all who are reading this and who have had similar encounters will know exactly what I am talking about). Forty three years walking with, and getting to know, my Saviour, my Lord and my Friend! The walk hasn’t always been easy, and I have tri

pped and fallen many times along the way, but he has never left me. The journey continues and I happily go forward with my friend at my side. To know that he will never leave me – that he is always there to guide me – contin

ues to fill me with peace and comfort.

Over the past forty three years he has revealed himself as Saviour, Lord and Friend:

As Saviour– I have come to the conviction that he took all the sins I have ever committed (and will ever commit) and on the cross he forgave me and saved me and freed me. To experience personally this freedom from sin and guilt is an amazing gift for which I am daily grateful. It really is good news! As Lord – I know when I place him on the throne of my life (thrones are places where Lords and Kings usually sit and from which they rule) – in other words, when I make him my boss and obey him in everything – then my life is filled with peace and joy and harmony. I also know that each time I take him off the throne and put myself there instead (making myself lord and failing to obey him), then things go wrong and the peace, joy and harmony disappear. As Friend – he is someone I share my life with, I talk to him and he talks to me and I listen to him. I love him. I spend time with him as friends do. He is always giving me signs of his presence and his love. I truly cannot imagine my life without him. (♫ Jesus loves me this I know….)

And this is how I now understand my faith. My faith does not consist in believing or accepting particular dogmas or creeds, or following particular commandments or rules, or even being a member of a particular church (although all these things are important) – my faith consists in a personal, one-to-one relationship with Jesus, the Word made Flesh, God become human. He longs for all his children to have this relationship with him, to open the doors of their hearts and invite him to come in.

May each of us have a personal encounter with the Word made flesh this Christmas. Happy Christmas!

Fr. Pat Kelly, SMA