Fr Paul reads from the Gospel of Luke (1:67-79) in which, Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, is filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited his people and come to their rescue…’Today on this Christmas Eve, Fr Paul expresses the wish, on behalf of himself, the priests and all our parish, that we each hope have a happy and holy Christmas.In today’s Gospel Zechariah acknowledges that John is the one to prepare the way, but it is Jesus whose birth we celebrate.Before closing, Fr Paul thanks his colleagues who throughout the year have stepped in at various times to provide these reflections. He also sends special thanks to Parish staff members, Megan and Kelsey, who work behind the scenes with him on the production and publication of these reflections.Again, Fr Paul, wishes us all a very happy and holy Christmas!