Dear friendsWe are approaching the end of Advent, the fourth candle on the Advent ring will be lit on Sunday, and then we have the longest possible time between the 4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas Day - a whole 7 days.These won't of course be days without any activity - Nine lessons and carols on Sunday evening, the preparation and delivery of the food hampers for those families most in need in our parish to name just two key events in church before we get to Christmas eve, the crib service and Midnight Mass. I'm sure you all have other things you'll be doing in your lives outside of church as well. Even I have a life outside of church (!) and for me, it will be those last bits of shopping, wrapping, food preparation, card writing .... the usual "stuff" of the last few days before Christmas.However, we have those 7 days of waiting between the 4th Sunday of Advent and Christmas day to pay attention to.The Advent course this week (still available on line for those who would like to follow it) invited us to think about "what happened next" to those travellers we have pilgrimed with over the last few weeks. What did the shepherds and magi do after their encounter with Jesus? How did Mary and Joseph feel about what came next, when they had to move on from the place of Jesus' birth? We were encouraged to think of "moving on" as something that is both joyful and fearful.What difference will the message of Christmas make to you this year? How will you "move on" from Advent, through to the space next to the manger where we are invited to "come and adore" the Christ child. What difference will it make?Again, the Advent material invited us to consider what season of our spiritual life we are in, which may then help us to think about how we would like it to be!We have those 7 days of waiting to respond to this invitation, even if it is to pray that God would reveal to us the answers to the question.I pray that you will experience the Christmas story again and afresh over the coming days, in the familiar words you will hear and sing, telling a story you have heard many times. May this be a year in which you are open to "what will happen next" for you, as you engage more deeply with the message of light and love that came on that first Christmas.With love in ChristBecky