Christmas and New Year Message from His Holiness Moran Mor Dr. Samuel Theophilus Metropolitan

Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forevermore. All my brother bishops, reverend priests, reverend deacons, brothers and sisters and faithful spread far and wide across continents, cultures, language groups and nations, greetings to you from the World Church Headquarters. And may I wish you happy and joyful season of Christmas and a very fruitful and blessed New Year.

It is said that we can live many days without food and water. But we cannot live long without hope. Hope is the fuel of the soul. It gives us motivation to rise each day, courage to continue in this life and strength to endure. And it is also said that to live without hope is almost like we are dead. Cease to live. It is said in the Holy Scripture and I think it is in the book of Hebrews chapter 6 verse 19. It’s very profoundly said, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong it provides stability and security.”

Now the question is: What does it mean to give hope? In my way of understanding to give hope means to inspire someone. Give that person optimism to move on. Showing that person a positive future. Hope is a spark. Spark of belief that things can get better. It act as a beacon when someone entirely lost and have no hope.

I do remember and recollect this old song. Very good song. The title of the song is “Pass It On”. It says, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going. And soon all the those around can warm up to his glowing.” How true it is. We are in the season of Christmas and a new year is anticipated and we wait eagerly.

Now what is the heart of Christmas? The one core center of it all is Jesus the Child. He Himself is the peace. And He Himself is the hope. And He has often said during His life on earth, “Peace be with you all.” And that is the very crux of the whole season of Christmas.

Our hope is not in wishful thinking. It is not in any dreams. It is grounded and established in God Himself, the Creator, the One who made each one of you and me.

And having said that, I would like to present before you seven simple practical steps or ways that you and I can impart hope to our people around, our brothers, our sisters, our friends, our parents, our peer groups, our co-workers, the people with whom we live in our neighborhood, wherever.

One: Demonstrate love and care. Go out of your way to give care to somebody and give hope and inspire positivity in that person.

The second point is this: Make feel others deserve happiness. Everybody deserves happiness. They may not tell you but remind everyone all the time, in all the circumstances, whether it is in good time or bad time that they have plenty of things to be happy about. They’re not depending on things that happens around but thinking through and saying I can be happy.

The third: Show acceptance. See, sometimes we pick up people whom we like. That way, we cannot spark hope. Please understand, no one is perfect. All of us have, including me, terrible flaws and imperfections, and at times we all feel, including me, oh my god, I feel I am not enough, I’m insufficient. So, instead of looking at the flaws, look beyond those weaknesses and give people hope and unconditional love.

Fourth practical step: Offer help. All of us need help, a helping hand. Many times and most of the time, people will not say it. But please remember even a tiny little help you can offer and I will say that even with a simple smile at someone can spark hope and can make them come out of Himalaya kind of struggles they face and make them live better.

Fifth: Show everyone appreciation. Acknowledge people. Compliment them. Tell them they are good. Even telling them, “Oh my, your shirt look very good. Oh my, your face looks so happy today.” Give a compliment. We are all different in that. But work toward complimenting one another saying they are good.

Sixth: Help people uncover their innate interest. What does that mean? All of us got lot of potentials hidden within. We don’t know about it. But if someone can give a spark and try to help them understand what are the potentials hidden in them, even the little least and no one that we think will have purpose, direction, passion and strength to make a life much bigger than they can imagine. Please love doing it.

And lastly: Stay connected. You and I make lot of friends, right? For me, I have story of some 30, 40 years of life before me. Lot of good friends. Stay connected. Value their relationship, and tell you appreciate them for what they have contributed in their life. Give them a hand of friendship, and a company, and sometimes willingly choose to do it, and by making your presence known to them, you will create hope and so much of value in their life.

Just 5 days ago, someone I met years ago, when I say years ago, in the year 1977 January, he sent a message to me in WhatsApp text. “Respected Bishop Iyya, I wish you a happy year ahead. Enjoy the season. You are blessed and God has been faithful. I still remember when you met me as a little tiny boy and God has blessed you. You got something much large thing than what you begin to think about yourself.” And that is not extraordinary statement for me because I have heard that so many times. But then it instilled lot more fire and hope and illuminated all of my surroundings because I say 40 years ago someone met me and he is able to stand with me and be able to see me as someone who is much important than what I was 40 years ago.

May you give life and hope to people and help them to live and make their life much better in the days ahead and particularly during this season and the New Year to come. And that way we are creating a new world. We are creating peace around. We are bringing hope. We are bringing joy. And when all of us begin to do in a little way with our own limited capacities, the world will be illuminated. Your village will be illuminated. Your society will be illuminated. And your home will be illuminated with joy, sparks, excitement, and something beyond your own little world. And that’s my prayer for each of you.

And I want you to pray for me also in that way. So, that we together build one another, giving hope and making them feel better and live better.

And I wish all of you a happy Christmas and happy New Year in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.