Christmas in Autumn

I envisage so many are struggling right now with their feelings, yesterday's Mass by the Monseigneur being particularly poignant.

Radio Five Live has best echoed my feelings in its discussions, the bitter irony of additional weapons apparently being the best form of defense. I listened as Jason's school friend Phil Mackie reported live from Connecticut for the BBC and felt the need to message him to offer support in no doubt his hardest reporting challenge. I've been very vocal on gun control, recently having found myself in a very difficult and threatening situation over it which was eventually resolved satisfactorily. This week I celebrate 10 years of living in the USA as an immigrant. I'm very appreciate of my second home here, but there are fundamental cultural differences which I just cannot get over and which often come back to bite me.

Msgr. Torgerson lead an emotionally raw St Monica's Church last night with his comforting yet forthright words. When the soloist sang "Make me a channel of your peace" with such power, it would have been hard to have found a dry eye in the house of God. As ever, thank you dear parish for being such a source of comfort and solace to so many and for continuing to preach the messages of peace of love. They are all that truly matter.