The innocent ones - 1st Sunday after Christmas 2025

Описание: In the midst of Christmas cheer and celebration, we are abruptly pulled back into horror and tragedy.
We hear the story of the ‘Slaughter of the Innocents’ in Matthew’s Gospel; a reality check, just in case everything was getting too sentimental too saccharine – we are reminded of the kind of world into which Jesus, and countless millions of children have been born.
And tragically, we don’t have to look very far or to a different time for the slaughter of the innocents. It is happening today.
In Gaza, over 20,000 children killed, another 42,000 wounded. In Ukraine child casualties, according to UN figures, stand at over 3000, with around 750 killed and 2300 injured. And around 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted to areas under Russian control and Russia – who knows if they will ever return? In Sudan 1.4 million children at imminent risk of famine.

Part of the Church of Ireland, St Nicholas Church, Adare and its fellow churches teaches and ministers within the progressive Christianity tradition, with influences from the scholars who built on the work of the Jesus Seminar. It seeks to be a church that is welcoming and inclusive, affirming and open in its liberal theology; and whilst we don’t claim to have all the answers, we are most certainly committed to ‘living the questions’. We have influences of Celtic spirituality in our worship and view of the natural world, living as we do in the beauty of County Limerick.
The Church of Ireland also forms part of the Anglican communion which is an association of Anglican churches from 38 provinces, including the Church of England, the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Church in Wales, the Episcopal Church in the USA (otherwise known as the Episcopalians) and churches across the globe. With 80 million members, it is the third largest Christian body in the world, after the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches.

Hymn: 'Good Christians all rejoice' - www.smallchurchmusic.com
Music: 'Verses' - Ever so Blue - www.epidemicsound.com