CHRISTMAS 2021
A NATION STILL IN SEARCH OF TRUTH &
VINDICATION
Christmas Message by Bishop Matthew Hassan
KUKAH, Catholic Diocese of Sokoto
1: Good news to the World:
Hello everyone, men and women of goodwill
all over the world, we to whom the news
of the birth of Jesus was first announced on that cold winter night where the
shepherds kept watch, that night when the first Noel was pronounced. The choice
of poor shepherds living in such open, dangerous and harsh conditions as the
first hearers of this good news must be seen as evidence that the birth of
Jesus is a guarantee for the healing of our broken world. His choice of time,
place and circumstances of entry into the world remain in sharp contrast to His
Kingship, its glory and power. Let us open our doors to receive Him.
2: Jesus is the King and the Truth:
Questioned by Pilate about His claims of Kingship, Jesus said: Yes, I am a king. I was born for this, I came into the world for this: to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice. (Jn. 18: 37). These words of Jesus have a deep sense of finality that force a life changing decision upon us depending on the choice we make. When we are confronted with the message of Jesus, we can either abandon everything and follow him as Peter and his brothers did (Mt. 5:1ff), come down from our tall trees of pride as Zacchaeus did (Lk. 19:5), leave our Accounting Desks as Matthew did (Mt. 9:9), or jump into the water even though we cannot swim as Peter did (Jn. 21:7). We can even get up from a sick bed and attend to Him as Peter’s mother-in-law did (Lk. 4:38ff), or, feel so upset by it all that we call the message intolerable language and simply abandon Him (Jn. 6:60). We can, faced with the Truth, go into murderous rage like Herod and order the killing of all children for fear that your kingdom is under threat (Mt. 2:16ff), or like Herodias, ask for the head of a carrier of Truth like John the Baptist on a plate (Mk. 6:25). The authorities would take the extreme option of ordering His crucifixion.
