AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of council and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the lord and his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. – Isaiah: 11: 2 and 3.
IN A FEW DAYS the Christian world will be celebrating Christmas Day, which is being observed as the birthday of Jesus Christ. But as we celebrate, we must remember that it is more than a time of eating, drinking and gifts and merriment.
We should reflect on it as a time when God gave the world the gift of his son Jesus Christ, who came to give light to those who sat in darkness. For the prophet Isaiah prophesied that he would be a symbol of peace, something that the world needs very badly.
This symbol of peace is very clear in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together.”(Isaiah 11:5)
His stepfather Joseph was engaged to Mary, but before they lived together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace planned to dismiss her quietly, but the angel said to him in a dream, “for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
My question to you at this time is if your wife or girlfriend was found to be in the same situation as Mary or if your husband or boyfriend had some other person pregnant, what would you have done? I am sure that some of you would have resorted to violence, for that is what it is these days.
At this time let us put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility.
Happy Christmas and a bright 2017 to all my readers.
Recital
The St Mary’s Augmented Choir presents a recital of Christmas Music on Sunday, January 1, at 6 p.m. Guest artistes include the choir of the Central Bank of Barbados and the Royal Barbados Police Band. The public is invited.
Musical
The Holy Trinity Anglican Church will be presenting a musical entitled One Bethlehem Night on December 26 and 27 at 7 p.m. The public is invited.
Christmas services
Services at the Cathedral of St Michael and All Angels Christmas are listed below:
December 24, Christmas Eve:
11:30 p.m. – Vigil and Sung Eucharist
December 25, Christmas Day:
7 a.m.– Holy Eucharist
9 a.m. – Sung Eucharist
11 a.m. – Choral Matins
St Joseph and St Aidan
The St Joseph and St Aidan Services
December 25, Christmas Day:
5 a.m. – Sung Eucharist
8.30 a.m. – Sung Eucharist
December 31: 11:30 p.m. – Sung Eucharist
January 1 – 9 a.m. – Sung Eucharist
All Saints
11:50 p.m.: Christmas Eve – Sung Eucharist. The preacher will be the Rector Father Selven Lowe. This service will be live on Q 100.7 FM.
8 a.m. Christmas Day – Sung Eucharist. The celebrant and preacher will be Canon Errington Massiah.
New rector
The St Mary Anglican Church has a new rector. She is the Rev. Jillian Crawford. The appointment takes effect from March 1, 2017. The announcement was made at St Mary’s Church last Sunday, December 18.
Christmas day service
The Moravian Church invites the public to its Christmas Day service at 5 a.m. at the following churches: Calvary, Roebuck Street, St Michael; Sharon, Jackson, St Thomas; Bethlehem, Maxwell, Christ Church; Fulnec Moravian, Watts Village, St George; Clifton Hill Moravian, St Thomas and Mount Tabor, St John. Come and worship Christ the Saviour.