Thought for the Day usually reflects the zeitgeist. Thus we were recently treated to Clifford Longley on this Radio 4 slot excitedly opining that the Church is about to "change" its stand on contraception. His remarks were found to be premature; indeed, to paraphrase Dr Johnson, they fell stillborn from his lips.
So it was an extraordinary event, indeed a unique occasion, to sit up in bed this morning and listen to the voice of a real Catholic. The "real Catholic" I refer to, is of course, His Holiness the Pope. The message he conveyed was profound in its very simplicity: out of love for us God came down to earth, to take on the human condition, to be born in poverty and obscurity, in order to bring us salvation. This is the Good News of Bethlehem: Christ brings us hope, he gives us the help we need; he is the true "Light of the Nations". We have heard the story of "this great mystery" as the Pope described it, countless times, but it still has the power to move us, even early in the morning on Christmas Eve – perhaps especially on Christmas Eve. Thank you, Radio 4, for permitting this privilege.
