Last year she said, "Many will have been inspired by Jesus' simple but powerful teaching: love God and love thy neighbour as thyself - in other words, treat others as you would like them to treat you. His great emphasis was to give spirituality a practical purpose." This year she broadened the message when she said, "All the major faiths tell us to give support and hope to others in distress." With this statement, I heard her sharing spirituality's practical purpose in a more generic way. It had me reflecting on the tragic events of September 11th - a day that shocked the world and reminded us of the compassion, courage and commitment to civil rights of the majority of humankind.

In her speech last year she mentioned that, "Whether we believe in God or not, I think most of us have a sense of the spiritual, that recognition of a deeper meaning and purpose in our lives, and I believe that this sense flourishes despite the pressures of our world." Surely she saw what we all saw this year, that despite the hectic pace of our lives we still have core values that keep us connected as a human community. This year she shared, "I believe that strong and open communities matter both in good times as well as bad." The behavior of the people of the world this year proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that we are a global community where, "We all enjoy moments of great happiness, and suffer times of profound sadness; the happiness is heightened, the sadness softened when it is shared." And, "But there is more than that." "A sense of belonging to a group, which has in common the same desire for a fair and ordered society, helps to overcome differences and misunderstanding by reducing prejudice, ignorance and fear. We all have something to learn from one another, whatever our faith - be it Christian or Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or Sikh - whatever our background, whether we be young or old, from town or countryside."

It seems that we took Her Majesty's closing words from the book of prayers in last years broadcast to heart. For then she quoted, "Go forth into the world in peace, be of good courage, hold fast that which is good, render to no man evil for evil, strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, help the afflicted, honour all men." This year she reinforced the sentiment with the simple statement, "Every one of us needs to believe in the value of all that is good and honest; we need to let this belief drive and influence our actions." Here I felt her reminding us that this we are trying to preserve what is inherently good in our world and we must continue to take the high road and constantly remind ourselves not to fall prey to paranoia that will rob us of a precious freedom - freedom from fear.

She brought home the theme of the human community with the following: "This is an important lesson for us all during this festive season. 
For Christmas marks a moment to pause, to reflect, and believe in the possibilities of rebirth and renewal. 
"Christ's birth in Bethlehem so long ago remains a powerful symbol of hope for a better future. 
"After all the tribulations of this year, this is surely more relevant than ever. 
"As we come together amongst family and friends and look forward to the coming year, I hope in the months to come we shall be able to find ways of strengthening our own communities as a sure support and comfort to us all - whatever may lie ahead. 
"May I, in this my 50th Christmas message to you, once again wish every one of you a very happy Christmas."

Another poignant, timely message filled with wisdom, encouragement and reverence for all that we have suffered and all that we have yet to achieve together. Though there are those who don't agree with me, I really do believe that the strength of Her Majesty both as a respected monarch and human being stems from the fact that she remains true to her values whether they be in vogue or not. Who would have thought her words of last year's speech, which seemed so old fashioned to many at the time they were uttered, would seem so wise and comforting only months later. As human beings we do sometimes suffer apathy when all seems so right with the world. It is during times of trouble when we look inward that we are reminded of what is really important. It is at these times that we prefer a solid, stoic leader to one who morphs with us from phase to phase. It is at times like these that the Queen and the strength of her conviction to her beliefs is recognized and appreciated. I'm hoping that this renewed appreciation will make her Jubilee Year a most memorable one for Her Majesty, as I do believe she deserves the recognition.

-- Eileen Sullivan --