The
Queen’s Christmas Broadcast 2013
December 25,
2013
I once knew someone who spent a year in a plaster cast
recovering from an operation on his back. He read a lot, and
thought a lot, and felt miserable.
Later, he realised this time of forced retreat from the world had
helped him to understand the world more clearly.
We all need to get the balance right between action and
reflection. With so many distractions, it is easy to forget to
pause and take stock. Be it through contemplation, prayer, or even
keeping a diary, many have found the practice of quiet personal
reflection surprisingly rewarding, even discovering greater
spiritual depth to their lives.
Reflection can take many forms. When families and friends come
together at Christmas, it’s often a time for happy memories and
reminiscing. Our thoughts are with those we have loved who are no
longer with us. We also remember those who through doing their duty
cannot be at home for Christmas, such as workers in essential or
emergency services.
And especially at this time of year we think of the men and women
serving overseas in our armed forces. We are forever grateful to
all those who put themselves at risk to keep us safe.
Service and duty are not just the guiding principles of
yesteryear; they have an enduring value which spans the
generations.
I myself had cause to reflect this year, at Westminster Abbey, on
my own pledge of service made in that great church on Coronation
Day sixty years earlier.
The anniversary reminded me of the remarkable changes that have
occurred since the Coronation, many of them for the better; and of
the things that have remained constant, such as the importance of
family, friendship and good neighbourliness.
But reflection is not just about looking back. I and many others
are looking forward to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next
year.
The baton relay left London in October and is now the other side of
the world, on its way across seventy nations and territories before
arriving in Scotland next summer. Its journey is a reminder that
the Commonwealth can offer us a fresh view of life.
My son Charles summed this up at the recent meeting in Sri Lanka.
He spoke of the Commonwealth’s “family ties” that are a source of
encouragement to many. Like any family there can be differences of
opinion. But however strongly they’re expressed they are held
within the common bond of friendship and shared experiences.
Here at home my own family is a little larger this Christmas.
As so many of you will know, the arrival of a baby gives everyone
the chance to contemplate the future with renewed happiness and
hope. For the new parents, life will never be quite the same
again!
As with all who are christened, George was baptised into a joyful
faith of Christian duty and service. After the christening, we
gathered for the traditional photograph.
It was a happy occasion, bringing together four generations.
In the year ahead, I hope you will have time to pause for moments
of quiet reflection. As the man in the plaster cast discovered, the
results can sometimes be surprising.
For Christians, as for all people of faith, reflection, meditation
and prayer help us to renew ourselves in God’s love, as we strive
daily to become better people. The Christmas message shows us that
this love is for everyone. There is no one beyond its reach.
On the first Christmas, in the fields above Bethlehem, as they sat
in the cold of night watching their resting sheep, the local
shepherds must have had no shortage of time for reflection.
Suddenly all this was to change. These humble shepherds were the
first to hear and ponder the wondrous news of the birth of Christ -
the first noel - the joy of which we celebrate today.
I wish you all a very happy Christmas.
青春就应该这样绽放 游戏测试：三国时期谁是你最好的兄弟！！ 你不得不信的星座秘密