As the bustle, excitement and anticipation of Christmas begin to gain momentum, the December Messenger brings us back to the true meaning and Christian focus of the Christmas season. Bishop Fintan Monaghan writes about the Magi travelling in faith and hope, often on challenging and dangerous paths; in this time of the mass movement of peoples from persecution and war, we are reminded that Jesus himself and his family were migrants, dependent on the goodness and generosity of others; and in an extract from their new book, The Deep End, Jane Mellett and Tríona Doherty  suggest that Advent is an opportunity to take stock and identify what is truly important so we can experience the true joy which the season offers.

Fr Bryan Shorthall OFM Cap recounts the history of the Capuchin Day Centre, singled out by Pope Francis for a visit during his trip to Ireland in 2018; Brendan Comerford SJ pays tribute to Aedan McGrath, one of Ireland’s best-known missionaries and Eoghan Keogh, an exhausted parent of very young children finds that play, as well as periods of contemplation, can be prayerful. Plus all our regular features of cookery, puzzles, crosswords and prayerful reflections have a festive theme for the Christmas season.