NeuroDivine

Christmas Eve arrives with its familiar mix of candlelight, music, and last‑minute surprises.

I’ve played for the Midnight Eucharist in the Church of the Ascension, Rathdaire for the past few years, but this time I only got the call last night—when I checked in to see if they already had someone, it turned out they didn’t. So tonight I’ll be back at the organ bench at midnight, slipping once more into that quiet, holy moment where the story begins again.

Tomorrow brings its own rhythm:

• 10.00am Christmas Eucharist in St John’s, Monasterevin
• 11.30am Mass in SS Peter & Paul

Three services, three communities, one thread of hope running through them all.

And in the middle of it, today and tomorrow are my “weekend” from dialysis—a small mercy I’m grateful for. I’m pacing myself, trusting that the strength I need will meet me where I am.

If this season feels full, or tender, or simply a lot, you’re not alone. Christmas has room for every kind of heart.

May the music, the prayers, and the quiet in between be enough.

A Christmas Hymn About the Organ (CM)

Original text by Michael McFarland Campbell (please credit when sharing)

1.
At midnight, when the church is still,
The organ finds its voice;
And through its pipes the Christ‑child’s song
Invites the world rejoice.

2.
The bellows breathe like waiting lungs
That long for light to break;
Each chord becomes a cradle‑prayer
For Love now wide awake.

3.
The ancient timbres rise again,
Soft flutes and gentle reeds;
They carry hope through shadowed aisles
And meet our deepest needs.

4.
So let the organ lead us on
Where heaven’s music rings;
For in its steady, faithful sound
The newborn Saviour sings.