“And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid. 10
And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy…”
My Fellow Nationals:
I extend to you warm and sincere wishes for God’s protection and mercy during this Christmas Season and always.
I have begun this year’s Christmas Message with a passage from the Book of Luke which takes us back to that holy night more than two thousand years ago when shepherds, quietly watching over their flocks, were confronted with an experience that was new and unexpected.
And they were plunged into fear.
The passage of time has made it clear, however, that there truly was no need for trepidation, and no need for dread; for He who created the Universe was about to demonstrate to the world the full extent of his love and mercy.
The Christ Child was born, and His life and His message delivered to us all a message of love and compassion so profound that we were to abide by them,there would be noalienation, no exclusion, no rejection by us, one for the other.For he knew that the solution to the problems of mankind, whatever they may be, was love. “A new commandment I give unto you”, He said, “That ye love one another; as I have loved you.”
And so, amidst all of the warm and wonderful traditions that make this time of year so special for so many, it is my hope that the message of love ushered in by the birth of Christ will reach deep into our hearts and have results that, for one reason or another, may be difficult to either initiate or achieve at any other time of year.
It is my hope that fractured relationships between sisters and brothers, parents and children, neighbors and co-workers, will, through the magic of Christmas, be gently and lovingly mended.
It is my hope that in the midst of our frantic activities, we will find the time to pause and think of someone who may be ill, destitute, or alone this Christmas, and that we will find a way to extend to them the friendship and caring that Christ’s teachings so clearly urge upon us – not only at Christmas, but all the year through.
Finally, it is my hope that we will remember those who are neither ill nor destitute, aged nor infirmed, but who, at various points throughout our lives, through acts of kindness or support, protection or friendship, helped us to become who and what we are today.
To those whose hearts are broken this Christmas, perhaps because loved ones are far away, perhaps due to illness or the material pressures of life, perhaps because you really trusted the government and expected a top-up as public servants and PEP trainees, I urge you to gain strength from the original Christmas story.
A woman is never more vulnerable than when she is about to have her baby. She is never in greater need of love and support. And yet, on that first Christmas night the mother of the Christ Child had no-one to whom she could turn; no-one on whom she could depend apart from her husband, Joseph; no-one with the influence to ensure that she and her husband would have a room in which to bring a new and precious life into the world.
And yet, two thousand years later, that baby, born in the most seemingly insecure of circumstances, is today revered and exalted across the face of the earth – not as a conquering hero, but as a source of infinite strength, and courage, and hope.....As the personification of goodness.... As the Son of God through him all things are possible.
And so, this Christmas, let us have souls buoyed by thanksgiving and hearts filled with love. And let us be lifted, always, by the shining and wondrous example of the life of Christ.
I once again extend warmest wishes for a safe and blessed Christmas, as we ready ourselves to move forward in a spirit of faith and thanksgiving into what, together, we must make a new and wondrous year.
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