(Christmas message presented during the festival of carols at the Catholic Church of the Ascension, Bodija, Ibadan; on the 9th of December, 2023)
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him would not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3.16)
Your Grace, Most Rev. Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Ibadan, our Pastor, Rev. Fr. Francis Awotoye, the parish priest of the Catholic Church of the Ascension Bodija – Ibadan, Rev. Fr. Sylvester Odugbemi, the parish priest of St. Patrick Catholic Church Basorun – Ibadan, Rev. Sisters and my beloved people of God. It is a privilege for me to give this year’s Christmas message. Kindly note the verb “to give”.
One of the most popular biblical passages of all time is John 3.16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him would not perish, but have eternal life”. In fact, as little children we were taught to memorize John 3.16 and recite it every other day. It will interest you to note that the gospel of John 3.16 in a way summarizes the story of our salvation. God loved us from the beginning of time and he gave us his only begotten son. Many a time, whenever preachers and teachers of the gospel explain John 3.16 they tend to lay more emphasis on two verbs therein in the passage: LOVE and BELIEVE neglecting the verb in between; that is GIVE. As such, my Christmas message to you all will be centred on the verb “to give” in the gospel of John 3.16. Hence, the theme of my Christmas message is: “Christmas: A time to give.”
What does it mean to give? It means to present something to someone voluntarily, without expecting compensation. When you look at the personality of God, God is always in the act of giving. Our God is generous. The first two chapters of the book of Genesis presents to us the first act of generosity of God to humanity. God created everything in the universe, handed them over to man, and placed man in charge. God indirectly gave his possession to man. Even when our first parents disobeyed God, God never relented in his act of giving. He raised kings and prophets for his chosen race and he gave them his word. And at the fullness of time God gave us himself in his son – Jesus Christ, for our salvation and redemption. Can anyone of us give what is most precious to him or her voluntarily without asking for compensation? The only person that came close in giving his only son according to my knowledge of the scripture is Abraham. Abraham was willing to give God Isaac the son of his old age because he understood what it means to give, and who he was giving to. Abraham act towards God did not go unnoticed, he was richly blessed by God; Genesis 22.15-18 says: “And the angel of the Lord called Abraham from heaven a second time, “By myself I have sworn, it is the Lord who speaks, because you have done this and not held back your son, your only son, more and more I will bless you, and more and more I will increase your posterity and make them numerous as stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the lands of their enemies. All nations of the earth will be blessed through your descendants because you have obeyed me.” Abraham was blessed by God because he was generous. No wonder St. Paul in his second letter to the people of Corinth (2 Cor. 9.7) says: “God loves a cheerful giver”. (“God loves a cheerful giver give all you got he loves to hear you laughing, when you’re in an awkward spot, when the odds add up against you, it’s time to stop and sing praise God to praise him is a joyous thing”)
How do you intend to celebrate Christmas? Growing up, Christmas was all about wearing new shoes, new clothes, eating jollof rice with chicken, drinking krest or Dr. Pepper, and going to trans amusement park or the village (I am from Eluoma in Isukwato LG, God’s own state – Abia State) to go and show them that we have arrived (my mum was always of the habit of keeping new notes from the beginning of the year, and share them to my relations in the village). Many of us spent the Christmas season in this way, and some of us are still spending the Christmas season in this way. However, as I grew older I became aware that celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is more than new cloths, new shoes, jollof rice, chicken, drinks, vacation or going to the cinema; but Christmas is all about the birth of Christ; God giving us his only begotten son. The centrality of Christmas is Christ, God’s gift to humanity. As we celebrate this season of Christmas I sincerely urge us all to emulate the generosity of God the Father. Our celebration this year should necessarily move beyond the sharing of jollof rice, chicken and drinks which we are used to. God gave to safe humanity; let us also give to save our brothers and sisters. God was generous to humanity by giving us his only begotten son; we are called this Christmas season to be generous to our brothers and sisters. Being poor or rich financially is not the yard stick to measure generosity, but the willingness to give. “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers that you do unto me” says the Lord (cf. Matthew 25.40). In the midst of the hardship of the present moment, for many of us that God has blessed this year, what would you be giving to save life or lives in this Christmas season? Remember God gave us His only-begotten son to save humanity.
Thank you all for listening to this my early Christmas gift!
I wish you all merry Christmas and a prosperous new year!
Rev. Fr. Victor Chika Ugbor
(Catholic Priest from the Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan)
