Dearly beloved in Christ,                                                                            

“God never gives someone a gift they are not capable of receiving. If He gives us the gift of Christmas, it is because we all have the ability to understand and receive it.”  – Pope Francis.

Christmas is a very exciting time, for adults and children alike. It’s a highlight of the year and part of the excitement is the giving and receiving of gifts. We know that the first visitors who came to see the Christ-child brought gifts. The shepherds who were watching over their flocks near Bethlehem were poor, but they brought possibly what they had in kind– a lamb. The Magi brought expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and knelt before the little child in honor and worship.

Sometimes we focus on the gifts so much, that we miss the fact that Christmas is God’s gift to us. Son of God is a gift given out of extreme love that the only Son of God was born as a vulnerable and helpless baby born to human parents. His first bed was a manger; his first visitors were strangers.

Mary and Joseph were to soon realize that this tiny bundle was God’s gift not only to them but also to the world and, he will give everyone the greatest gifts of all – joy, peace, forgiveness, reconciliation with God and eternal life. You and I know what devastating effect sin has in our lives. Sin destroys everything good. It destroys our good relationship with God and people. Christmas changes all this. The baby in the manger is our Savior – Jesus – the one who rescues us from our sin.

The World has witnessed the deadly pandemic, a tragedy caused the loss of the loved ones. We wonder why this must happen. When will it end? When will we have peace of mind, health, and restoration of normalcy again? How will you ever be able to cope with? Christmas changes all this. The gift that God gave us at Christmas is our Savior. As unintelligible as it is to think of Almighty God becoming a weak helpless baby born in a manger, that is what happened so that he could be Emmanuel, that is God with us. At the end, the only thing that counts is the gift we receive from God. The gift of a Savior is “God with us.”

I express my sincere gratitude and thanks to all for your prayers and participation in the Church family night and Thanksgiving service. It was a great time of fellowship and sharing. I pray that may the Lord continually help us to celebrate more events in the coming year.

I wish that we all may experience the birth of this wonderful Savior in our hearts and homes so that we will have a blessed Christmas and prosperous New Year 2022.

In His Service

Shalu Achen