Christmas Message

          Christmas is a time of blessings and it is a time when the Lord shares his life with us in the form of grace and it is a special time for all the followers of Christ. It is a time when we recall the great events in the life of Jesus and celebrate the greatest gift of God himself to all the believers. About 2013 years ago Christ was born in a manger in Bethlehem and the angels from heaven came down to sing the praises of God and to announce to the people about the birth of Jesus. The angels went to the shepherds near by and proclaimed the message and the shepherds hurried to meet the new born child in a cattle shed. Then the three kings from far off countries were guided by a star to reach the place of the birth of Christ. To their surprise they found the great contrast between the life of Jesus and the life of the kings. They offered to Jesus the gifts which they brought along with them. This occasion of joy is celebrated with the Christmas tree, with the coming of Santa Claus and the way Santa distributes the gifts and the sweets to the poorer and the under-privileged children. It is a time when we send greeting cards and wish everyone the very best for their life. It is a time of gratitude to God for sending his Son into the world to bring about life and salvation to everyone.

          This year we celebrate the midnight mass at the Grotto at 11.00 P.M. and before that we will have singing of the carols for an hour. The grotto has been given a new look and more facilities and an ambience of simplicity is manifested at the grotto. There is a new flag post about 65 feet in height and the flag itself is very big in size. The main attraction is the new roof above the grotto. The grotto itself is untouched and the roof above is to protect the entire building of the grotto. For the benefit of all, the room behind the grotto is removed and is shifted to the top of the adjacent room and it is now apt for ‘parikrima’. All around the grotto, the place where the people used to sit has been leveled and there is a visible conducive ambience for prayer, meditation and worship. At the grotto, HOLY OIL, HOLY WATER and the HOLY CANDLES available. In course of time we hope to have more and more additions to make the entire area into a true pilgrim center. I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a bright and prosperous New Year. God bless you.  

Fr. Amirtha Raj, OP

Director - Lourd Mata Mandir.