Rev. Father Vincent Ekeneme, the Associate Parish Priest of SS Peter & Paul Catholic Pro-Cathedral, Lagere, Ile-Ife, has said that celebration of Christmas annually offered new hope to the world.
In an interview with Newsmen on Thursday in Ile-Ife, Ekeneme explained that Christmas is a time that Christ, who is God, came in the form of a man so that he can liberate people and grant man restoration and true freedom from every forms of bondage.
Ekeneme added that prior to the time that Jesus Christ was born, people were living in darkness, just like in our own time that people are experiencing their own dark time whereby citizens are not secured in Nigeria again.
“Everyday, we hear the news of killings, abduction, kidnapping, rituals, banditry, Boko Haram insurgency, Fulani herdsmen, and money laundering, among others.
“And even the political sector is not so palatable, for they work for their own selfish interest alone.
“But Christmas gives the opportunity to expect Christ, who will liberate us from that dark moments of our own situation as a Christians,” he analyzed.
According to him, Christmas is a time of joyful expectation of the coming of the Lord, because our predicament is coming to an end gradually and bondage of sin inclusive.
He assured that if all can give their totality to God, all hope is not lost, for God is abundantly able to save and deliver the nation, but we’ll pave the way for Him to intervene.
The Rev Father admonished children of God to open their hearts to the Lord to come in, allow peace to reign, love each other with the love of Christ, give hope to the hopeless and liberate the captives.
The Minister of God urged them to ensure that they celebrate this Yuletide moderately by cutting their clothes according to their sizes, for their schools would resumed soon after the festivities.
Ekeneme reaffirmed that Christmas is not based on merriment alone, but those that have been saved should rise up for the salvation of others.