- Proclaiming birth of Lord Jesus
Bhopal, Christians across the globe are celebrating Christmas with religious devotion and fervor. Similarly, Christian devotees across the city enthusiastically participated in the prayer services organized on Sunday Eve and Monday morning in the churches.
To mark the event, all the churches in the city are illuminated with attractive lights. On the eve of Christmas, despite the harsh cold, a large number of devotees visited various Catholic churches in the city, including Assumption-Arera Colony, Lourde Mata-Seva Sadan, Infant Jesus-Ayodhya Bypass, Holy Family-Habibganj, Queen of the Universe-Kolar, St. Joseph-Idgah and Barkheda, and all other small and big churches, and participated in the Christmas Night Vigil. The Holy Eucharist concluded with the readings and reflection of the chapters of the Holy Bible narrating the events of the Lord’s birth.
Archbishop Dr. A.A.S. Durairaj SVD, celebrating the Holy Mass at St. Francis Cathedral in Jehangirabad, said in his sermon, “Christmas is about our beloved Lord, who descended on earth to bring light and life to humanity in darkness and distress. The celebration of Christmas invites us to worship Jesus, the Light of the World, and receive the light of life. God was born on this earth as a human being, and it is an incredible event to see him living among us as Jesus.” We have immense faith that God came to earth to inculcate in our minds the qualities of love, peace, and service and to inspire us to live a life of holiness, said the archbishop.
At midnight, the Archbishop held up the statue of the infant Jesus to the devotees to proclaim that our Saviour had been born. After which, the devotees lined up, kissed the infant Jesus, and took blessings. At last, the Archbishop cut the cake and wished everyone on the birth anniversary of the Lord by saying “Happy Christmas.”
Fr. Alfred D’Souza, the PRO of the M.P. Catholic Church, also extended his Christmas greetiongs to all and said, “Christ lived and preached the path of love, non-violence, and tolerance towards all. Let us continue to pray for the world peace and brotherhood.
