Christmas is the feast of man. A human being is born in Bethlehem. He is one of the millions and millions of people who have been born, are being born and will be born on earth. A human being, one item in the vast range of statistics.

It is not without reason that Jesus came into the world when a census “was being held”; when a Roman emperor wanted to know the number of subjects in his territory.

A human being is an object to be counted, something considered under the aspect of quantity, one of many millions. Yet, at the same time he is a single being, unique and unrepeatable. If we celebrate with such solemnity the birth of Jesus, it is to bear witness that every human being is somebody unique and unrepeatable.

If our human statistics, human categories, human political, economic and social systems, and mere human possibilities fail to ensure that man can be born, live and act as one who is unique and unrepeatable, then all this is ensured by God. For God and before God, the human being is unique, someone thought of and chosen from eternity; someone called and identified by his own name.

At this time in our human history in which the original temptation of “becoming like God” in various areas of our reality has become so evident to the point of eliminating or replacing God, may this Christmas help us to rediscover the beauty of “becoming more human” and to find in this a continuous inspiration and motivation for undertaking efforts and initiatives to make our world more united and more beautiful through the uniqueness, as well as, the variety of those who are components of this world.

Blessed Christmas to each one of you, my dear friends, living in this beautiful island of Bermuda! My good wishes, full of heartfelt affection and sincere respect, are addressed to you in the various situations of your life, many of which are marked by tension, struggle, stress and challenge. May this festive occasion inspire peace, hope, reconciliation, forgiveness and openness in each one of us, within our families, within our Bermudian society, within our world. There is an incredible load of positive energy in what happened in Bethlehem. Let’s allow ourselves to be charged with it! Please forward my best wishes and fervent prayers to your loved ones.

God’s blessing and grace be upon you daily in 2017.