Christmas messages

Message of love touches all - President

The season of Christmas brings with it the glad tidings of peace on Earth and goodwill among all people, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in a Christmas message.

President Rajapaksa said: "The message of all encompassing love preached by Jesus Christ, who was born on Christmas Day, has an undiminished relevance to this day, in a world faced with bitter divisions among people based on religions, nationality, ethnicity, language, colour and caste.

In our own country too, we see the need for greater understanding and tolerance that will pave the way to peace and harmony among people.The Christian message of love that is recalled every Christmas has a special meaning for the poor and the less advantaged who seek comfort in this world, and also touches all species in our world.

Christmas, therefore, should be a season where the love of human kindness is extended to all beings, beginning with the lowliest, and including birds and animals too if the message of the manger where Jesus Christ was born is to have full meaning.

I wish all who celebrate this great festival of peace and goodwill a very happy and a peaceful Christmas".

Peace on Earth, the Christmas message - PM

Peace on Earth is the message of Christmas. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem he was called the Prince of Peace, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka said in a Christmas message.

The Prime Minister added: "Jesus Christ was instrumental in changing the social patterns of his time by devoting his life to propagate the ideals of universal peace, kindness, compassion and human love.

He endured considerable suffering in cultivating these noble ideals. There are many Christians the world over including Sri Lanka. We have many Christians living in the North and East of our country.

Wherever they live and whatever community they belong to - whether Sinhala or Tamil the Christians should have the right and total freedom to celebrate Christmas.

I believe that after so many years the Christians in the East will have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas in peace.

Any religion will inculcate the virtues of discipline in human beings. Discipline, good behaviour and spiritual development that emanates from religions cannot be brought about by legislation or fiat.

What the ruthless terrorist do are contrary to religion and law. During this festive season when we celebrate Christmas we all should wish and fervently hope that peace will dawn on mankind with the elimination of terrorism. I wish everyone a very happy Christmas."

Reconciliation the mission of Jesus - Archbishop

Our celebration should not simply be the commemoration of a historic event nor should it be just the celebration of a birth. It should rather be a renewal of our commitment to Jesus Christ and to His mission on Earth, said Archbishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Oswald Gomis in a Christmas message.

"The mission of Jesus was that of reconciliation. He was on Earth to reconcile God and man and man and man. To this effect He showed us that our God is a kind and sympathetic Father.

He also showed that all of us, irrespective of our colour, creed, caste or any other consideration are brothers and sisters of one another. As such love should be the guiding principle of all human beings.

He proved his conviction by laying down his life not only for his friends but also for his enemies," he said.

The message: "Once again we celebrate Christmas at the time when the dark clouds of war are enveloping our country. As we sing and rejoice in some parts of the country there is bitter suffering and agony in others.

Apart from the war there are other factors that disturb the normality of life and even threaten the life of citizens. There are thousands still left homeless and forced by circumstances to flee into the jungles. Children are deprived of education and many others are displaced from their homes and work places.

Thus, especially those of us who profess to be Christians cannot forget our role as men and women committed to bring about reconciliation where there is strife and dissension.

There is no secret about the fact that there is dissension and division among the inhabitants of our dear land. We are divided on race and religion not to mention caste. And sadly there are persons among us who foster such division to promote their own selfish ends.

It is time that we realize the folly of division and engage in building unity and harmony among all those who are entitled to live in this blessed Sri Lanka.

We could do this only by building mutual confidence and not but force and suppression. Unless the forces for good join and work together at this crucial juncture of our country's history the forces of evil are bound to prevail.

As Christians we are privileged to have within our community members of both the major racial groups in this country.

I believe this gives us a greater responsibility to play the role of mediation among the two groups. Let us resolve during this Christmas to be true imitators of Christ and be committed peacemakers so that we may really be God's children seeing the words of Christ "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God." (Mt 5:9) fulfilled in us.

Compassionate inclusivity need of the hour - Bishop

The essence of the Christmas story is that God becomes a human and reconciles estranged humans, to demonstrate the value of humanity and call humans to live in reconciled, just, and integrated community. This is the Biblical understanding of peace, said Rt Rev Duleep de Chickera, Bishop of Colombo in a Christmas message.

"Consequently Christmas calls for a radical shift in our world-view if we too want peace. Because God became human and lives amongst humans, humans are to see the face of God in "the other" and strive towards a truly human community. In a nutshell, Christmas is the call to compassionate inclusivity," he said.

The message: "Christmas, the festival that celebrates the birth of Christ has been largely misunderstood over the years. Today it mostly suggests festivity and self-indulgence with some peripheral sharing and giving. This popular emphasis does little to change people and relationships for the better, and is limited to a few days known as the "season ".

Consequently Christmas calls for a radical shift in our world-view if we too want peace. Because God became human and lives amongst humans, humans are to see the face of God in "the other" and strive towards a truly human community. In a nutshell, Christmas is the call to compassionate inclusivity.

Through this Christmas message, God in Christ proclaims good news for Sri Lanka. We are called to establish a reconciled, just and integrated society in which no one is violated or excluded. We are reminded that the socially excluded and economically exploited, the traditional and historical enemy, and the feared and hated oppressor can come together in a redefined freedom.

We are taught that for this to happen grievances are to be addressed and healed and hostile relationships restored through repentance and forgiveness.

In practice this would require peace negotiations between the GoSL and the LTTE, the strengthening of trust between Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim, the recognition and affirmation of the forgotten, smaller, ethnic communities in our midst, and reconciliation between victim and oppressor, exploited and exploiter.

I urge our leaders and people to take note of the Christmas message and to be transformed and transform our beloved Sri Lanka into a land of peace where violence, corruption, discrimination and fear will be a thing of the past.

On behalf of our Church I wish all our people, specially the poor, the frightened, the harassed and the displaced of all communities, a new dignity and a new freedom this Christmas. May the New Year bring us all sustainable integration and fulfilment."

Time of prayer and sacrifice for our country - Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka (CBCSL)

Christmas heralds the birth of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. It is traditionally a time of rejoicing as Jesus, the Son of God came in search of us in order to communicate his unfathomable love and to redeem us from sin.

Prophet Isaiah had foretold the birth of the Redeemer in the following words: "Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold a young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel, which means God-with-us." (Isaiah 7:14). Further, Isaiah envisions his era to be one of peace and prosperity: "They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nations will not lift up a sword against nation neither shall they learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)

It is with the hope of lasting peace, that we are celebrating the feast of Christmas once again. There is no doubt that among all the worries and anxieties of the people of Sri Lanka today, the uppermost is the yearning for peace.

However, it is also a fact that peace in our country is still a distant dream. In the angelic song heralding the birth of Christ, we hear the words: "Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to people of goodwill." While we all speak with one voice about the need for peace, there seems to be the perception that the military strategy alone will usher in peace.

With so much violence, killings and cruelty even to children, there is a sub-culture of death and violence that seems to be getting entrenched in this beautiful island of ours despite the religiosity of our people.

Whatever divergent perceptions there may be about the present situation prevailing in our country, one truth stands out as indisputable: to find a negotiated political solution and usher in peace. As long as human dignity and equality of all citizens are not guaranteed and as long as there is any discrimination on the ground of language, ethnicity or religion, there cannot be unity, peace and harmony in our country.

The Second Vatican Council (1965) said that: "If peace is to be achieved, the first condition is to remove the causes of dissension between people." (Gaudium et Spes 83). Over the past four decades, our political leaders have made various attempts to address the burning issue confronting our nation.

However, it saddens us that there has not been any genuine effort to forge a consensus as regards the ethnic problem in finding a political solution. We therefore, in the name of God and of our people, during this sacred season when we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, plead with all our political leaders to shed all vested interests and with courage and conviction to unite to save our country from an inevitable disaster.

We all realize that it is a grave injustice to future generations to leave behind the legacy of disunity, disharmony and a culture of violence and death.

There is still hope for the country, if there is a determination to place our people and our nation above all other considerations. We once again reiterate as we have always done over the past twenty five years that the armed conflict alone as some believe, will never solve our national question. It is only a negotiated political settlement which will satisfy the legitimate aspirations of all sectors of our people that will usher in peace.

This is the need of the hour. We cannot go on giving into the chauvinism of either an ethnic, religious or linguistic identity. If we begin to think and feel as Sri Lankans, cutting across all diversity of our races, religions and languages and accept one another as brothers and sisters of one Sri Lankan family, we shall overcome all obstacles to peace.

This year, we cannot celebrate Christmas with external pageantry and festivities as there are so many men, women and children who are suffering in the strife-stricken areas.

The Lord Jesus by opting to come among us in the humble existence of his human birth directs our attention to those who are suffering, especially the children in refugee camps without even the security of a home and basic needs.

If we forego all unnecessary expenditure for external celebrations, we can channel the fruit of such sacrifices for the well-being of children especially of the dioceses deeply affected by the crisis of the present situation.

We hasten to urge our people to make this season a time of deep prayer and sacrifice for our country.

There is no doubt that the Lord will bless us with an inner peace, happiness and hope that is a real fruit of Christmas, if we celebrate this beautiful event of the birth of Jesus Christ in manifestations of love and concern for our suffering brethren.

Join Jesus in the manger wishing each other real peace

Rt. Revd. Kumara Illangasinghe, the Bishop of Kurunegala

The birth of Jesus has brought hope for all of us. "What has come into being in him was life and the life was the light of people" John 1:4. This birth of Jesus recorded in the Bible is just not a mere story. It is not a series of stories about miraculous happenings long ago in a land far away.

The birth concerns the most profound meaning of our experience in our own time and place. It is more relevant to this day when our country is longing for a lasting peace.

At this time of Christmas we should, in a special way join Jesus in the manger wishing each other the real peace we are craving for. Fortunately God's view of humanity was far more benevolent and expensive than ours. But as discerning people of faith we should grasp, that larger vision of divine goodness.

As St. John continues to say, since we received Him and believed in His name we have become the children of God. We are all offered that hope as it was God's will. God the creator in his own mercy and goodness, sent his only son Jesus as our redeemer. We are all preparing ourselves for this great coming of Jesus. To make his coming more meaningful to us, Jesus took the form of a human being.

God created through the impulse and nothing was made apart from it. This is why St. John is determined to show that the impulse that sent Jesus among us too has been in the heart of God from the beginning. This is why it is recorded in the Bible very clearly "In the beginning" was this World.

This same expressive impulse in the heart of God called Moses to redeem the Hebrew from the bondage of slavery.

So we should always understand that our Creator God is so merciful and is always in search of us. The normal form in our existence as human beings is that we have to pave our way to holiness, whilst God remain in the Heavens. But with the birth of Jesus everything is made to happen the other way around.

The Bible tells us about God's struggle to expand the human heart, because our capacity to love others is limited. We are called to change our attitudes and get used to this strange way of thinking if we are to make any sense of the Gospel. We are called to renew our thinking, according to the unique and divine perspectives.

For this purpose the Grace of God empowered us. It extends further that we may expect, even further than we find to be comfortable. The birth of Jesus liberates us from our impaired imagination concerning God's capacity to love the whole world.

One of the characteristics of human beings is a condition known in the social sciences by the technical term "Xenophobia", the fear of those who are different from us.

These can be those who look different from us and those who speak languages that we do not understand. They may possess customs that we deem to be odd and whose attire and behaviour can amuse or outrage us.

Sometimes we fear those who live in a different area of the same country, even though they may be like us in almost every other way. Xenophobia is so prevalent that we are tempted to accept it as natural or even inevitable. But with the birth of Jesus, the Gospel stands against that.

As said earlier, the God of the Gospel turns things upside down and puts before us a new vision, a glimpse of how life can be different from the views given to us by the prejudices that we have inherited.

The child of Bethlehem was born for the sake of all of us and not for the sake of a few. Jesus Christ is God's gift for the liberation of the whole world. Jesus was not born for a selected group of people nor just for the Church; Christ has come for all.

So we are called to think of his coming in a broader way. The gift of Christmas is not locked away in a stable in Bethlehem, limiting for a few shepherds, who were at the scene at the time of his birth. This gift is offered to all of us. The acceptance of this gift is revealed in the way we share it with others.

This gift has to be shared and not to hold on to it selfishly. It is by sharing we experience God's immense love for mankind. Then only we can proclaim as loudly as ever that we are God's chosen people. If we can experience this at this Christmas we can proudly say that we have achieved the real peace.

If we are not able to change our lives and understand each other we will be celebrating the coming of Christ year after year without achieving the peace we are striving for.

The human beings were no people, but with the birth of Jesus we discover that all of us, irrespective of any differences are God's people. Therefore, our task should be to seek out for those in our world, who are cast aside, robbed of hope and in despair.

Our mission is to let them know by word and deed that they too are God's people. Then, we would have celebrated Christmas appropriately and meaningfully.

May the blessings of the Prince of Peace be with you all.

Forgiveness central message

Karu Jayasuriya Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs

As the whole country prepares to celebrate Christmas we all remember the blessings that fill our lives beginning with the great blessings that came from the wholly night in Bethlehem.

For Christians around the world the birth of Jesus Christ is a central religious event and example of Gods profound love for humanity and the pathway to hope and to new life. Love, sacrifice and forgiveness is the central message that flows from the Christ's preaching.

As Jesus said "No matter what you do to me I will still forgive you and love you." This is the Christmas story that speaks to all generations.

It is my belief that if this message could be sincerely practised by all of us we could rebuild this society to be a better place for all of us to live happily.

I wish all Sri Lankans a happy Christmas.

Demonstration of God's love for Mankind

Rev. Kingsley B. Perera, President Sri Lanka Baptist Sangamaya

Its Christmas once again. A time when millions around the globe celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many today give different interpretations of His birth, therefore I would like to in the midst of your celebrations ponder on the significance of the birth and humanity of Jesus.

For this it is best to have a peep at the New testament whose writers say Jesus' birth was a marvellous demonstration of God's love for mankind. As Christians we believe that God the Father sent His Son into the World to live as a human being.

We see Matthew giving Jesus the name 'Immanuel', which means God with us, God came in the person of Jesus to be involved in our world. He came to live among us, to share our joys and sorrows, and ultimately to suffer and die.

This picture of God who is involved in our world is quite unlike any other picture of God. Many regarded their Gods as apathy-a word literally means 'freedom from suffering'.

These Gods had no feelings; they were unconcerned about the world and its suffering. Jesus was God living in the dirt and pain of human life; the one who had come to rescue us from suffering.

The writer of the New Testament letter to the Hebrews says that because Jesus became a human being, he is able to understand us completely. Jesus knows what it like to be human.

He lived and participated in village life, he had friends, did manual work and knew what it was to laugh and cry. On a deeper level, the same writer tells us that Jesus is himself a revelation of God; he tells us what God is like. Therefore because Jesus was human, we are able to understand God in human terms which we can understand.

Luke's account of the birth of Jesus includes the son of Mary, in which she praised God after learning that she was to bear a child. In this song, Mary spoke of God as her Saviour, who would do great things for his people through the child she was carrying (Luke 1:51-54).

Let us therefore demonstrate God's love for mankind at Christmas and throughout the year.

Christmas, a Season for giving and forgiving

Rev. Roshan Mendis, President, Christian Reformed Church of Sri Lanka

Christmas greetings! To the people of our dear land! On behalf of the Christian Reformed Church of Sri Lanka (formerly, Dutch Reformed Church) I would like to extend to each and every one of you a Christ centred Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year!

Christmas is a time when we give and receive gifts from family and friends. Most often we prefer to get than to give. At Christmas we remember how," God so loved the world that he gave his only son.... 'Likewise, this Christmas I encourage you to give to the many hurting people of our society, especially to those brutalised by the war such as the IDPs who suffer emotionally, physically, mentally, materially and also spiritually.

Even child could share their clothes, school bags, stationery items etc with orphans or needy children. Families could share food with a family from a different ethnic background on Christmas day.

Christmas is also a time when we forgive one another, even as Christ who came in to this world to save us, forgave us and enabled us to have peace with God. Even as the Holy Scriptures reminds let us forgive one another as Christ has forgiven us, let us forgive others who have hurt us personally, our families or our race!

If our hearts are right with one another then a new day can dawn upon our land where all ethnic groups irrespective of our religion, caste or creed could live in peace and harmony one with another as brothers and sisters in a united Sri Lanka.

May You all have a blessed and a Happy Christmas.

World needs society nurtured by Christian values

Message from JVP leader

The JVP in a Christmas message said Jesus Christ whose birth is commemorated by Christians the world over today, dedicated his life to redeem mankind from sins committed due to motivations of wicked, social and political forces.

Jesus Christ preached noble human values such as peace, love and brotherhood. The world today needed a human society nurtured by those qualities, said the message issued by JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe.

But unfortunately humankind has been forced to live in a socio economic and political environment which tried to distance them from those qualities. The exploitative free market economy practised in Sri Lanka for the last 30 years had inclined Sri Lankan Society towards selfishness and over consumerism, thereby making them distance themselves from the values taught by Jesus Christ.

Among the values preached by Jesus Christ 'Peace' had become the most discussed topic today. But this is the value, imperialist forces are trying to suppress today.

We are living at a time when there is a struggle between these wicked forces and people desiring a good and virtuous society.

Undoubtedly we should try to belong to the group desiring a virtuous society.

While calling upon the people to activate themselves on behalf of the virtuous group of JVP would wish Christians in Sri Lanka and the world over a merry Christmas.

Builders of bridges

Most Rev. Dr. Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nunciature in Sri Lanka

Peace is the most beautiful and appropriate wish during the Christmas and New Year season: peace with God, with yourself, in the family, in society.

For Christians and the whole world, it is a reminder of the joyful song and the wish of the Angels at the birthday of Jesus, the Prince of Peace" "Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth". (LK 2:14)

Jesus is also called "Mediator", because he reconciled man with God and with his fellow men. In the prayers and in the liturgy he is also called "Pontifex" which means "Bridge maker". Elevated on the cross, with outstretched hands he is the true "Pontifex" bridge maker between heaven and earth, among all.

In conflict situations, communication and bridges are destroyed as a consequence of the interruption of human and spiritual communication between communities and peoples.

We pray that at these joyful Christmas and New Year celebrations we may engage ourselves to restore communications, to be builders of bridges: with our neighbour, between the different ethnic and religious communities, bridges reaching out from Colombo to Trincomalee, from Jaffna to Galle, from Kandy to Mannar.

With God's help and blessings.

Celebrating Advent

Reverend Kumbuke Piyadasa, Moderator, Presbyterian Church

"And the word became flesh and lived (tabernacled) among us, and we have seen His glory as of a Father's only son, full of grace and truth..." St. John: 1:14. In celebrating of any event or person we focus on two aspects which are important. I name them as "commemoration" and "commitment" When it comes to Christians we commemorate the advent of our Lord and commit ourselves to implement the mandate given to us by our Lord.

I wish to enter into this devotional on 'Celebrating Advent' with a story which some of you might have heard before. Two civil engineers were given the task of surveying the land areas where a dam was to be erected across a river.

Peter and John set out on the assignment and as they were walking about the land John suddenly stopped at a place, bending forward so as to look for something. Being curious about John, Peter walked to him inquiring, what is the matter John, what is it that your are gazing at?"

It was an ant hill and ants were busy building their abode for their survival. So "Why worry John" queried Peter.

"Once we cross the river with the dam this area will be inundated, and my worry is how could I communicate this impending disaster to these ants? lamented John Peter swiftly told John, "there is no way except that you yourselves become an ant and talk to them in their own language" God's intent of Advent could be understood in the light of what Peter told John.

God whom we worship is intimately interested in people. Are we aware of it? It is good for us to keep in mind here that men/women are no different to the ants who were building their ant hill not knowing the disaster imminent.

Christmas, the beginning of true liberation

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Felix Perera

Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day to bring the message of love and comparison to the world. Looking from a wide angle it could be described as the beginning of true liberation. It was a poor family engaged in carpentry that God selected to bestow the great redeemer to the world.

The birth of Jesus or the Prince of Peace to a poor family was an attribution of divinity to human life.

The value of divinity is certain compassion which comes to mind to help a person in distress. We should all posses this quality.

Man's inhumanity to man is due to selfishness and misunderstanding. It is this feature which had caused social and international upheavals today. It is man himself who should solve all these problems.

"While wishing one and all a happy Christmas. I pray that the Christmas season will dawn a happy and peaceful future for people in Sri Lanka and throughout the world.