Watch: Christmas Message from Cardinal Vincent Nichols

Cardinal Vincent Nichols has just sent his Christmas message for 2016 in which he expressed his wish for us all to have mercy in our our hearts and show compassion to those nearest to us.

Watch the message here: https://vimeo.com/196440157

Read the full text below:

What a wonderful time of the year, just a few days before Christmas and all of those festivities to look forward to.

We have just finished the year of mercy in which I believe the church has grown greatly in its appreciation of God's mercy and of God reaching out to us that we may walk tall.

Of course Gods mercy literally takes flesh in the person of Jesus and in that incarnation we learn that God dwells among us, especially in the poor and in those who are most on the margins of society.

So as we come to receive again the word of God and his mercy our hearts need to be overflowing with compassion; for those nearest to us who we love, for those who will probably spend Christmas alone, for those who are suffering in mind and body, for the so many people without homes who are as keenly aware of their being virtually abandoned at this time of the year.

Let us rejoice mightily but also be generous, mightily generous so that we might in our lives reflect the great generosity of God and that others may reflect in theirs the joy that we feel.

A very Happy Christmas to you all and may God bless you.