Christmas messages

President’s Christmas message:

Dawn of a New Era of Peace

The spirit of Christmas is one of loving and giving. It brings together families and communities to share the joy of the Birth of Jesus Christ that builds new bridges of tolerance and understanding, states President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a Christmas message.

The President’s message adds:

“As the world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace this year, Christians in Sri Lanka have more cause for the joy of Christmas in a country that is no more threatened by the dark clouds of terror.

“The spirit of Christmas is one of loving and giving. It brings together families and communities to share the joy of the birth of Jesus Christ who brought with him the great teaching of love that is at the core of Christianity. The people of Sri Lanka need an abundance of this underlying love that will build new bridges of tolerance and understanding, to rebuild the shattered lives of our people who have suffered through three decades of terror and restore our land to one of peace and harmony.

“The birth of Jesus Christ in a stable at Bethlehem is symbolic of the love that should transcend all barriers and extend to all, from the humblest of people, to all other beings that share our land, and to nature that sustains us all.

“The sound of Christmas bells will spread far and wide the joy of Christmas announcing the dawn of a New Era of Peace to all those of goodwill. “I wish you a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.”

Observe and propagate peace - PM

We should observe and propagate peace in the world through unity, states Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake in a Christmas message.

The Prime Minister's release adds:

"Jesus who attempted to convince the Jewish people of the importance of Peace and Freedom was forced to be silent by brutal rulers. However, the humane religion preached by him is embraced, appreciated and celebrated by people around the world. "The value of Freedom and Peace enjoyed by the people today would only be recognized when this peaceful situation is not prevailing any more.

"This Christmas, what we have to do is to observe and propagate peace in the world.

For this, we all should be united. Then the Peaceful world wished by Jesus would be realized.

"The darkness of hatred would dwindle and the glow of peace would dawn within the hearts of the people when the lesson of humaneness and peace is learnt. "I wish you all a happy and peaceful Christmas."

May peace reign in your hearts

Following Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith's Christmas message

Our celebration of the feast of Christmas commemorating the birth of Jesus, 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. The mission of Jesus was that of reconciliation. He was on earth to reconcile God and mankind and men and women among themselves. To this effect through his life and death He showed us that God is a merciful and loving 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. Jesus thus came to bring Peace and inner healing to all peoples. Christmas indeed is a feast of Peace.

Yet we live at a time when in our dear land there is dissension and division among its people. We often tend to concentrate on that which divides us than that which unites us. And sadly there are persons among us who foster division to promote their own selfish ends.

'Peace on earth and goodwill among men' being the perennial message of Christmas. When on that first Christmas the Angels sang 'Glory to God in the highest and peace to men of goodwill', we should feel called to work for true peace and harmony in our beloved motherland. Even though 'peace' is explained and understood by different people in different ways it is essentially the result of a life lived in communion with God and with all human beings. Such a sense of peace enables and liberates creation too from the evil effects of sin.

It is this Peace which Jesus brought on earth, that we wish all men and women of goodwill. For He is the perfect fulfilment of communion between God and man and between every human being.

We could give meaning to Christmas and transform it to become a spiritual fiesta and at the same time bring Christ's objective to fruition - to build a new humanity bonded by selfless love. For He said "By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples." Jn: 13/35.

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.

May this Christmas be filled with joy and happiness and may Peace reign in your hearts.

Peace and goodwill for all - our collective gift to Nation

- Bishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Duleep de Chickera:

At Christmas we remember God's unique gift to humanity - Jesus Christ. Jesus is God's gift of the way to peace and goodwill for all the people, everywhere and at all times.

Peace is possible when there is a balance between political integrity, economic justice, social security and personal dignity. Goodwill is what sustains relationships of trust and interdependence within and amongst communities. Peace and goodwill, eliminate discrimination and violence and lead to justice. God does not force these gifts on the people. Human initiative and co-operation are also necessary for peace and goodwill to happen. Just as human effort in digging a well is imperative if the people are to receive the gift of water, human effort is also imperative if they are to receive gifts of peace, goodwill and justice. As the people celebrate Christmas this year they are more aware of the forth-coming Presidential Election. It will have immense repercussions for future stability and well being. The people, Candidates and Officials are obliged to think and act sensibly. We serve our Nation best to the extent that we rise above self interest to give priority to peace, goodwill and justice.

Christmas helps build peaceful society - Cultural Minister

All religious teachings of prophets of the world were aimed at helping human beings to become useful to society. The well-being of human being superior in intellect and ethics should in turn be also beneficial to the animal world, Cultural Affairs and National Heritage Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said in his Christmas message.

He said, "I am happy to join in giving this message on the very special religious festival of Christians. Christmas is a time of parents, children and kinsfolk getting together to exchange greetings and take part in religious observances.

The positive thoughts that bring together people in unity on occasions like this helps to build a peaceful society in amity and during Christmas the importance of peace and people's minds blossom forth in the spirit of this day.

On this day when Jesus was born in Bethlehem with the message of peace to the world, I wish the Christians of our country and the world over, a Happy Christmas."

Christmas, time for solidarity

- Catholic Bishops' Conference:

(Luke 2:14)

"Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to all people of goodwill"

As we celebrate the feast of Christmas, once again we are reminded by the Prince of peace, Jesus the Lord, that peace is a Gift that is given to men and women of goodwill. The time of Christmas is a time of soul-searching for all of us to discern, if there is an atmosphere of goodwill, understanding and solidarity in us as a Nation.

After three decades of tension due to protracted war, we celebrate the feast of Christmas this year in an atmosphere where guns have been silenced. We have every reason to be grateful that there is no war in the country.

We urge all our faithful to make Christmas truly a celebration that will focus on our national priorities and commit ourselves as Sri Lankans to the work of peace-making and national reconciliation.

We wish all our faithful, including priests and religious as well as our brothers and sisters of other faiths, a peace-filled Christmas and a Prosperous New Year 2010.

Catholic Bishops' conference President Most Rev. Bishop Vianney Fernando and Secretary Norbert M. Andradi.