As we prepare for a different Christmas, thousands of families will be carrying the mental exhaustion of an unwelcome guest - debt. Debt erodes confidence and brings a whole host of stresses, and strains this festive season. Furlough, income reduction, job losses have all taken their toll. The recent collapse of Debenhams and Arcadia put a further 25,000 jobs at risk, on top of the thousands of jobs already hanging by a thread. Our poorest communities are hit hardest, with little or no savings to fall back on, and are unable to cope with the income shocks that this year has brought. Heating or eating is a brutal choice for many families. Pray that those struggling with financial problems and feeling isolated will realise that they are not alone and there is no shame in needing debt advice. May those needing such advice be put in touch with the agencies who are able to support them.

As the first Covid-19 vaccines are rolled out, many people are asking what Christians should think about the safety of vaccines developed and tested so quickly. There are questions around the equitable distribution of vaccines both in the UK and to the global community, plus the ethical issues surrounding a false rumour of their connection with tissue derived from an aborted foetus. The media are full of false vaccine claims - everything from alleged plots to put microchips into people to the supposed re-engineering of our genetic code. At a webinar hosted by the Evangelical Alliance NI two renowned speakers, Prof John Wyatt and Dr Mary Neal, addressed some of these issues and gave believers guidance on how to make up their own minds about what to do when their turn comes.

Across Europe there will be further lockdowns, curfews and travel bans as the number of people infected with Covid has increased. Italy’s prime minister Giuseppe Conte summed it up when he told Italians to expect a ‘more sober Christmas, without Christmas Eve gatherings, hugs and kisses’. We can pray for people to honour the various restrictions on public gatherings and to obey curfews where they have been imposed. Pray particularly for friends and families to exercise restraint on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Pray also for countries which will be easing restrictions prior to Christmas; may the public act wisely to avoid any further unnecessary sickness and deaths. See The EU drug regulator will meet on 21 December to decide whether to authorise the jab after desperate EU countries said the agency risked losing the trust of EU citizens if it did not act fast.

'Christmas reminds us that Jesus is our peace, our joy, our strength, our comfort’, Pope Francis said at the Vatican’s traditional lighting ceremony: ‘Let there be light.’ A 30-metre-tall spruce was placed just off-centre in St Peter’s Square. It was lit during a small and socially distanced ceremony as prelates invoked a spirit of peace and encounter after a year marked by the Covid pandemic. Across Europe there have been public unveiling of nativity scenes, lighted trees, angels, and other Christian symbols. We can pray that all who see these artistic creations will be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas.