Pope John Paul has said the true meaning of Christmas risked being lost by "a consumerist mentality which is fuelled by publicity." People should remember the poor and needy this season, to combat that trend, he said.
Speaking yesterday he said the simplicity of the nativity scene "contrasts with the image of Christmas that sometimes is shown by insistent publicity messages. Even the beautiful tradition of exchanging Christmas gifts among friends and family, under the impact of a certain consumerist mentality, risks losing its authentic sense of Christmas."
Instead, the holiday season gave the faithful the opportunity to turn gestures of gift-giving into gestures of "solidarity and welcoming toward the poor and needy", he said - Pope John Paul is due to celebrate midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
In a Christmas reflection the Catholic Primate, Archbishop Sean Brady said Christmas makes many demands within families and upon individuals. However, "the most precious gift of all, as is often said, is time".
But, "it is also important for the givers not to forget themselves in their gifting - to take a few moments to oneself to reflect upon the wonder being celebrated, and to realise again the precious quality of the time given," he said.
The Church of Ireland Primate, Archbishop Robin Eames has reflected that as the world anticipated Christmas "clouds of a possible war cast a shadow over Iraq and its neighbours".
Meanwhile, "famine continues to be the daily experience of men, women and children in vast areas of Africa and Asia; poverty co-exists with plenty for so many in the West, not least here in Ireland: little children continue to be the victims of abuse in so-called civilised communities - and the very soil Christ walked upon continues to see endless suffering through the conflict in the Middle East," he said
Chrtistians, in the excitement of Christmas "cannot and must not see it all in isolation from a world of need and suffering. Christ was to grow up as the divine person who reached out to what the New Testament called 'the poor' of society," he said.
The Presbyterian Moderator, Right Rev Russell Birney has said that to fail to engage in the task of peacemaking "is a denial of our calling" as Christians. Speaking of the Northern Ireland context he said "with the suspension of the Assembly we find ourselves standing at a familiar cross-roads. Looking back we see that 'cease-fires', conferences, agreements and, even opportunities to govern ourselves, do not bring peace in themselves".
An opportunity for peace was provided but was "as fragile as our ability as a community to make peace with one another. Neither can statesmen nor politicians make peace for us. The dynamic for real peace rests in each of us."
The President of the Methodist Church, Rev Winston Graham has said that "for many people living in today's world it in not a time of 'good cheer' at all, but rather a struggle with suffering, sorrow, disillusionment and even despair."
Advent was a time of hope, preparation and above all looking forward to the celebration of Christ's birth, he said. "In the midst of the rush of life and the mixed experiences of joy and sorrow, love and loss, pain and peace it is good to reflect on the sense of 'Holy Wonder' in the story of Christ's birth and his coming into the world," he said.
