I'm standing here in this exquisite chapel of St George at Windsor
Castle, so close to where my beloved mother, the late queen, is
laid to rest with my dear father.
I am reminded of the deeply touching l能tters, cards and messages
which so many of you have sent my wife and myself. And I
cannot thank you enough for the love and sympathy you have shown
our whole family.
Christmas is a particularly poignant time for all of us who have
lost loved ones. We feel their absence at every familiar turn of
the season and remember them in each cherished tradition.
In the much loved carol, 'O little town of Bethlehem,' we sing of
'how in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.' My
mother's belief in the power of that light was an essential part of
her faith in God, but also her faith in people. And it is one which
I share with my whole heart.
It is a belief in the extraordinary ability of each person to touch
with goodness and compassion, the lives of others, and to shine a
light in the world around them. This is the essence of our
community and the very foundation of our society.
We see it in the selfless dedication of our armed forces and
emergency services, who work tirelessly to keep us all safe, and
who performed so magnificently as we mourn the passing of our late
queen.
We see it in our health and social care professionals, our
teachers, and indeed all those working in public service whose
skills and commitment are at the heart of our
communities.
And at this time of great anxiety and hardship, be it for those
around the world facing conflict, famine, or natural disaster, or
for those at home finding ways to pay their bills and keep their
families fed and warm, we see it in the humanity of people
throughout our nations and the Commonwealth, who so readily respond
to the plight of others.
I particularly want to pay tribute to all those wonderfully kind
people who so generously give food or donations or that most
precious commodity of all, their time, to support those around them
in greatest need, together with the many charitable organisations
which do such extraordinary work in the most difficult
circumstances.
Our churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and gurdwaras have once
again united in feeding the hungry, providing love and support
throughout the year. Such heartfelt solidarity is the most
inspiring expression of loving our neighbour as ourself.
The Prince and Princess of Wales recently visited Wales, shining a
light on practical examples of this community spirit.
威爾士王子和王妃最近探訪了威爾士,詮釋了這種互相關愛的社區精神。
Some years ago, I was able to fulfil a lifelong wish to visit
Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity.
There I went down into the chapel of the manger and stood in silent
reverence by the Silver Star that is inlaid on the floor and marks
the place of our Lord Jesus Christ's birth. It meant more to me
than I can possibly express to stand on that spot where, as the
Bible tells us, the light that has come into the world was
born.
While Christmas is, of course, a Christian celebration, the power
of light over coming darkness is celebrated across the boundaries
of faith and belief.
So whatever faith you have or whether you have none, it is in this
life-giving-light and with the true humility that lies in our
service to others that I believe we can find hope for the
future.
Let us therefore celebrate it together and cherish it always. With
all my heart, I wish each of you a Christmas of peace, happiness
and everlasting light.'