We wish you all Merry Christmas

It is the time of the year when Christians all over the world celebrate Christmas, which commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ.

Christmas marks the birth of the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of the Living God. His birth was foretold many times in the Old Testament, and in the fullness of time, He was born of the Virgin Mary.

The message of the Saviour’s birth, as delivered firsthand by the angel, was that of ‘Good News of Great Joy’.

This is the message of the Church to the world at Christmastide, and it is for all people everywhere, individuals and nations.

It's also a time of great joy. The birth of the much-awaited Saviour brought happiness and pleasure. This is the time of year when families travel from near and far to share in the festivities and great memories.

During this festive period, families come together for weddings and birthdays, but nothing compares to the joy of Christmas. Families and relations travel from far and near just to spend the festive season together, while some embark on merrymaking and wild celebrations.

But, most importantly, it's the most wonderful time of the year because all people from all regions of the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ who came for all people! And that is the beauty of the season — the unity it brings.

The Christ Child is sent to remind each and every one of us that we are worthy of honour, dignity and, above all else, God’s unconditional love. And we, in turn, are invited to share that love with others, bringing them hope and joy and peace!

In Christendom, the Christmas season represents joy, peace, hope, love, goodwill and imminent salvation. These worthy values which Jesus’ Advent symbolises are very much needed in our country at this time when we are confronted with diverse challenges, including economic crisis.

Ghana requires the Christmas values of joy, peace, hope, love, goodwill and imminent salvation to stem the economic crisis.

We urge Christians to remember the country in their prayers, especially for divine guidance and grace for the government in its efforts to improve national security and strengthen the economy.

We want to encourage you to embrace this Christmas message of hope, comfort and joy and join us in reaching out with care to others. We all know 2022 has been a tough year in so many ways. But we all have something to offer someone else to help brighten their day and spread some Christmas joy.

Over the years, we have seen Ghanaians rally together in friendship and support; we’ve also seen Ghanaians find innovative ways to overcome national challenges, a case in point being the period of the partial lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We encourage all Ghanaians to continue to walk along with their neighbours and friends. We should look for ways to intentionally offer acts of kindness, compassion and generosity this Christmas.

These days, it appears we are abandoning the virtue of philanthropy and benevolence. It is important, during times like these, to reach out to the less-privileged and the vulnerable in society. We must always look out for one another and put the smile on people’s faces, especially during this period when the prices of food have skyrocketed and are beyond their pockets.

There is the need to continually uphold the values of kindness and selflessness as citizens, even in these times of adversity.

Let us not allow the economic challenges squeeze out all the good values and rich morals that our ancestors have passed down to us from ages and rather let the love of Christ, peace and joy that His birth brings fill our hearts and our homes, so that we can exude His light wherever we go.

We wish all our esteemed readers a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous and Happy New Year.