Avoid extravagant spending and share Christmas joy with disaster victims – Archbishop of Colombo
The blessed Christmas, which commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, who brought a message of peace to the world, was celebrated by Christians around the world on December 25. The birth of Jesus Christ in a manger in Bethlehem in the cold month of December is a Christian religious festival celebrated with deep reverence by millions of believers around the world.
The main Christmas Midnight Mass was held on the night of Dec. 24 at St. Mary’s Church, Uswetakeiyawa under the patronage of His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo.
Addressing the devotees, he emphasized that greed must be eradicated in order to purify society. The Archbishop of Colombo, in his Christmas message, urged Sri Lankans to celebrate Christmas in a humble manner this year, avoiding all forms of extravagance and sharing the joy of Christmas with those affected by the recent disaster and the poor.
Christmas services were held in churches across the country, with services also held on Christmas Eve.
The Catholic Church has made a special appeal to the faithful to refrain from celebrations and parties as many people are currently displaced due to floods and landslides.
Accordingly, several Christmas events planned at the Aquinas College of Advanced Studies in Colombo have also been cancelled.
Meanwhile, the first Christmas mass after the enthronement of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV was celebrated at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
In his Christmas homily, the pope said that the story of Jesus being born in a stable because there was no room in an inn showed his followers that refusing to help those in need is tantamount to rejecting God himself.
“A distorted economy leads us to treat people as mere commodities, while God is equal to us, revealing the infinite dignity of every person,” Pope Leo said. “Where there is room for the human person, there is room for God. Even a stable can be more sacred than a temple.”
