President David Granger
The Holy Festival of Christmas celebrates the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. His birth was a fulfilment of a prophecy foretold, centuries earlier, in the Book of Isaiah in the Holy Bible.
Christmas represents the promise of peace, an eternal and universal human aspiration. The Gospel of St. Luke in the Holy Bible reminds us that, on the night of Jesus’s birth, angels proclaimed: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Christmas recalls that Christ was born into a family. Jesus came into the world as a baby, born into a family, He belonged to a model family…the holy family. The family is a divine creation which must be protected.
Christmas is a time to strengthen the bonds of fraternity, friendship and family-hood. It is a time for family reunions and for spreading cheer by exchanging gifts, visiting friends, attending church, sending greeting cards, singing carols and sharing dinners within the home and community.
Christmas reminds us of our duty to each other, particularly the nurses, soldiers, policemen and other working people who will spend Christmas away from their families and homes. We are reminded, also, of the plight of the poor, the weak, the destitute and those who are sick, in grief and in need, at this time. We are all part of society.
Guyana is in a better place at this time. The future is bright. Things will get better in the months, years and decade ahead. Citizens’ quality of life will continue to improve. Everyone – regardless of class, ethnicity, gender or place of residence – will benefit from the continued growth and development in our country.
The Holy Festival of Christmas is an opportunity to strengthen the bonds which unite us – as a family, community and country. Let us be the agents for promoting peace and bearing goodwill to all. Let us ensure peace, goodwill and safety in our homes, on the roadways and in our communities.
PPP/C
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) takes this opportunity to extend greetings to all Guyanese, especially the Christian community here and in the Diaspora, for a joyous and blessed Christmas.
The holiday season is a time of joy, goodwill and sharing. It is also a time for compassion and kindness as we all endeavor to spread peace and love towards our fellowmen and women for the betterment of humanity.
Our dear country abounds with traditions for Christmas, as Guyanese, despite their challenges, find ways and means to share in the true spirit of the season. It is these traditions and values that have come to make this period here unique and much anticipated, epitomizing what we have all come to hold dear at this time of year.
As we celebrate in the ways we can, our Party urges reflection so that the pertinent messages and significance of this festive time are not lost.
Christmas marks the birth of the savior Jesus Christ whose exemplary life and teachings provide guidance for the upliftment of humanity.
Let us all be inspired by what he stood for and continues to represent so as to build a more tolerant society and a better Guyana.
Our Party also urges that we all keep in our thoughts and prayers, the needy, the less fortunate and the many others who are faced with personal challenges thereby preventing them from truly experiencing the festivities of this season.
Roman Catholic Bishop Francis Alleyne
This year’s Christmas Novena focused on conversion. While various areas of conversion were identified – integral, pastoral, cultural, Ecological and Synodal – the main theme of the Novena was conversion.
In the opening prayer for December 17th we read “… that your Only Begotten Son, having taken to himself our humanity, may be pleased to grant us a share in his divinity”. This is the conversion into which we are invited; to nurture a greater share in his divinity, contemplating his word and mysteries and allowing them to prompt us more wholesome ways of living.
In the Gospel of December 18th (Mt 1:18-24) we heard the account of Joseph confronting a grave dilemma; he has come to know that Mary was with child, an irregularity in the expectation of the culture with severe consequences. But Joseph, Mathew tells us, was a man on honour and brought that quality to the situation in such a way as to minimize the negative impact on Mary. He decides to divorce her informally and spare her any embarrassment or humiliation.
This is noble. This man of honour trying to bring about the best outcome within the limitations of cultural norms. His honour and integrity take him further. Matthew, using the metaphor of dream to describe a deep encounter with God, tells us of Joseph’s meeting the divine and the result of this is a divine response, “… to take Mary home as your wife”.
At Christmas we come to the crib to encounter the divine with a desire to have a fuller share in his divinity. We, like Joseph, face realities in life, in the culture, that could have grave consequences for ourselves and others. For us, like Joseph, it is not a matter of clinically separating ourselves from the difficulties and dilemmas but looking towards the paths opened by the divine and rise above the established norms.
There are some very grave issues that face the whole of Guyana at present; Climate Change, oil, violence, corruption, elections to name a few. With climate change the science is clear. Planet earth has been mis-managed, the stewardship over God’s creation has been neglected and earth’s resources have been severely exploited to the point of irreversibly upsetting the balance and harmony of nature not to mention the very damaging impact this exploitation has had on people who inhabit the places where the resources are found. May we be counted among those granted a share in the divinity and ensure, at all costs and foremost, that God’s children are protected and valued and provided for and that right relations are restored between God and his children, his children between each other and his children with the whole of creation.
The advent of oil has generated much discussion and speculation about this new reality for Guyana. This is another resource that has and will attract the attention of those who wish to capitalize on new find. Much of the science and economic information suggest prosperity and relief for the citizens of this country. For people of honour and integrity questions are raised about the proposed favourable outcome. It has not been that way for some other countries that discovered oil reserves. As alluded to at the Chrism Mass last year the oils that we invest in, because of our communion with the Divine, are those that bring healing, salvation and give the capacity to live as prophets, priests and kings.
Elections will be upon us early in 2020. Those vying for seats in the national assembly are already presenting and will continue to present themselves and their promises to the Guyanese public. This too we need to bring to the divine. This is an important moment and an important process for the nation. In all the political activity may divine intervention prompt political parties to maintain the greatest respect for themselves and the people whose vote they solicit. With divine guidance there can be no deceit, manipulation, intimidation, fear or threat. Rather the language and ways of trust, reconciliation, collaboration, unity under divine guidance we pray will shape the way forward for the nation.
My wishes to all are that the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ at his birth, God taking on our humanity, may open many paths for us, his children, to have unlimited access to his divinity.
GPSU
The Guyana Public Service Union extends Seasons’ Greetings to all Guyanese, especially members of the Guyana Public Service Union, their families and friends during this time of peace and goodwill. May your hearts be joyful, and wishes come through; may we always have peace and love in abundance as we share precious time with our loved ones, relatives and friends.
This Christmas, I would like to pay tribute to those public servants in and out of uniform, particularly doctors, nurses, revenue collectors, air traffic controllers, members of the Guyana Defence Forces, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Fire Service and other security personnel who would be working through the holidays to ensure that the public enjoys bliss and comfort.
The year 2019 has been a difficult year in many regards but we must remain resolved as we tackle injustices, secure our patrimony and accomplish necessary and positive change. This Christmas, we have another chance to listen, another chance to reflect and to remember all the things that brings us together. This Christmas we must also remember to be benevolent and compassionate, whilst helping those in need. The hope that Christmas brings is unchanged as we must continue to face and confront all the challenges to the promise of Peace on Earth.
As families gather to celebrate Christmas, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you and your families a Merry Christmas on behalf of myself, family and the Union’s Executive Council. I hope that this time of goodwill brings happiness to your homes.
