The Apocalypse proclaims for us great and eternal hope: "The night shall be no more," and so the Church is guaranteed victory because Jesus the son of God, the light of the world is risen from the darkness of death and is the only light we need to allow us to reign with him forever, certain that the gates of hell will never overcome the Church.

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, we prepare through advent to celebrate the Birth of Jesus, in fulfilment of God's ancient promise (Gen 3:15) to send us a saviour.

Jesus, the true light of the world, undid the many forms of darkness which were the results of the sin of Adam and Eve. The darkness of unending death and of the great deprivation of that truth which Jesus affirmed as the source of true freedom.

All of our grand liturgical celebrations, the Annunciation, Easter, Advent Christmas, Pentecost, present us with a great array of graces to help us to serve God faithfully in this community of faith, love and hope which is the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ.