May peace reign in your hearts

Following Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith's Christmas message

(December 25, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) 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.