in Bermuda, I would like to extend sincere Christmas greetings and best wishes to all the people of Bermuda.

This Christmas Eve at St. Theresa's Cathedral we will be returning to an earlier tradition of celebrating a Bilingual Midnight Mass in Portuguese and English. It will be a symbolic celebration of our unity in Christ with Portuguese-speaking and English-speaking worshippers welcoming the new born Saviour in faith and joy. The thought of this celebration fills me with joy and hope. My hope is that the Midnight Mass will be a celebration of a unity which goes beyond ethnic unity, that men and women, young and old, black and white, rich and poor, Bermudian and non-Bermudian will all worship together as one community of believers. We will be one in the Lord. In this setting we will come to know the meaning of John's Gospel: "And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as the Father's only Son, full of grace and faith.'' (John 1:14) My prayer for Bermuda this Christmas is that the birth of Christ the Lord which we celebrate will give us the grace and the determination to work together for religious, racial and ethnic unity in promoting the common good of our Island home.

May the Lord bless our Governor, His Excellency Thorold Masefield; our Premier, The Honourable Jennifer Smith, all the Ministers of Government, the Members of Parliament and the Judiciary as well as all those who serve our country in the civil service.

Christmas peace and blessings to all. Feliz Natal e Propero Ano Novo.

THE RT. REV. EWAN RATTERAY Bishop of Bermuda At Christmas we celebrate with great joy and thankfulness the birth of Jesus.

This is an event of such significance that both those who believe in Him and those who do not are caught up in a festive spirit at this time of year. The Christmas tree and lights, the turkey, the presents, the crowded streets and shops, the gathering of family and friends are all because of the Child, born of Mary, Jesus the Christ.

His coming into our world means different things to different people. The American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow writes eloquently in "Christmas Bells'' of the universal longing for Peace on Earth.

I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old familiar carols play, And wile and sweet The words repeat, Of `Peace on earth, good will to men!' And thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The broken song, Of `peace on earth, good will to men!' Till ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day -- A voice, a chime, A chant sublime Of `Peace on earth, good will to men!' And in despair I bowed my head; `There is no peace on earth,' I said, `For hate is strong And mocks the song Of `peace on earth, good will to men!' Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: `God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! The wrong shall fail, The right prevail, Of `Peace on earth, good will to men!' Such Peace is the gift of the Christ Child, may that gift be received into hearts and lives of all of us. May that Peace soon reign in all the World.

I wish you and all whom you love, Peace this Christmas and always.

REV. HENRY SHEPHERD Christ Church, Warwick Do you remember the line from the Cowboy Carol, "There's a new world beginning from tonight''? That was a good line. For the great thing about Christmas is that it is world changing.

A lot of people want us to think about Christmas in a different way. The great thing about Christmas is the children. Well, they are important but not if Christmas only means that we should buy bigger and better presents. Or, the great thing about Christmas is the family; but if travelling hundreds of miles to see the family you haven't seen since last year only means you don't speak to them again till next year that's not so good either. Or the great thing about Christmas is never to mention it. To celebrate the Season, to send Season's Greetings, to have a Cool Yule. But if the important thing is not to offend our Jewish friends or our pagan ones, have we not forgotten the Reason for the Season? That's why the Gospels are so insistent upon the angels' message, the coming of the wise men, the way God prepared for Bethlehem, because they are convinced that the babe lying in the straw means that things can never be the same again.

That's why before too long men and women started to count time in a new way, not for the foundation of the city, Rome, upon which their security and their livelihood depended, but before Christ and after Christ, BC and AD -- because all time from this time onward is a year of our Lord. A New World had begun from that night and life would never be the same again.

Since early November we have spoken a lot about a new beginning. And indeed we need to travel again with hope, with a desire to change things for the better.

But the effectiveness of that needs more than a political decision. It needs a change in the hearts of men and women, if what we build is to be the Kingdom of God. That starts with the coming of the Christ Child into our world and into our hearts -- with the New World that begins from Christmas Eve. May it be truly so for each of you this year.

May I wish you all a very happy Christmas.

Bishop Robert Kurtz Bishop Ewan Ratteray Bishop Ewan Ratteray