On Monday 11th January we move into Ordinary Time and we put on the green vestments. I would normally speak about not being able to sustain feasts and festivals for a long period of time and it is good to get back to “ordinary time”. Sadly we will not be going back to normality and after a year of unprecedented upheaval we are not near to a settled time in the near future. Sadly for some this Pandemic has taken family members, jobs, education, peace of mind and physical and mental health. We are desperately seeking reassurance, hope and some form of certainty but this seems to elude us. After some of the news programmes I find myself with my head in my hands thinking of the more fragile members of the parish and the town. We finish the Christmas Season with the Baptism of Jesus, the start of his adult journey to the Cross and, of course, his Resurrection. We are part of that journey too and he is our brother and we follow him . Let us pray to receive his grace and strength so that we can be beacons of light in this dark time. Let us reach out to all those students whose exams are in turmoil, to all those whose jobs have disappeared, to those who are grieving for lost loved ones, for those whom lock down means awful loneliness, or an increase in domestic violence. Pray to God.