2013 Christmas Message from Prime Minister Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit

Fellow citizens,

The triumph of hope and progress over darkness and backwardness is best captured in the words of the first stanza of one of our favourite Christmas Carols “O Come, Divine Messiah”, in this way:

O Come, Divine Messiah,
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph
And sadness flee away.
Sweet Saviour, haste
Come, come to earth
Dispel the night and show thy face.
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.

These words speak of the desire of the human spirit to break free of all the bonds that hold back happiness and development, and thus usher in a new day when the sun will shine through all efforts to lift the development of the human condition and when all can say with sincerity, “Yes, life is worth living”.
At this time of the year, Christians the world over prepare, in a wide variety of cultural traditions, to commemorate and celebrate the virgin birth of the one true Saviour and Liberator, the man Jesus, the Christ.

He is God, in the form of human flesh, true man, and His mission, which continues today in the community of those who believe He is Lord and Saviour, was to teach the way to a new life – a life of justice, peace and love – with the assurance of everlasting life to those who were faithful to this way of living.

Christmas has become for us, a period of waiting and preparing to receive He who was born of the Virgin Mary. It is a period of reflection, cleansing and adorning to welcome the birth of the King of Kings and the Lord of
Lords on Christmas Day.

Christians believe that Christ was born in a lowly stable, for there was no room for his expectant mother in the hotels of the day. For the individual Christian, this period of preparation is intended to get rid of all the garbage, the unforgiveness, the hurts and disappointments that stand in the way of
Christ becoming alive in our hearts and steering us closer and closer to His kingdom.

My friends, the truth about the Christmas story, is that the epic entrance of God into the world as Christ, is not merely to be taken as an event that occurred over two thousand years ago, but is a phenomenon and a reality that continues to be alive and active today among those who are Christians.

In Dominica, Christmas is the time when the spirit of giving, sharing and reaching out, especially to the less fortunate, spontaneously overflows. The sharing of Christmas gifts, exchanging Christmas cards, gathering together for a Christmas meal, have become a tradition, drawing individuals and
families together in an atmosphere of joy and goodwill. This giving connects us directly with the love of God, who gave His only begotten Son so that those who believe in Him may have eternal life.

Viewed in the right perspective, the ultimate purpose of any government is to do its part to make the spirit of Christmas a tangible, daily reality for everyone. The government which you have given me the honour to lead, will continue to work tirelessly to live up to the standard of trust you have
placed in us. We will spare no effort to so transform Dominica, that there is equality of opportunity for all, and the vulnerable and helpless protected.

In spite of the challenges with which you may be confronted this Christmas, it is my hope that your spirit will never be crushed, that you and the members of your family see even better days ahead, because of the programmes for Dominica`s advancement which, with God`s help and guidance, will unfold to your benefit in the New Year.

As the year draws closer to its end, we thank God for sparing us from the effects of storms and hurricanes and for His watching over our country and our families. We thank him for the gift of geothermal energy and I ask you to pray that in the New Year we will see our plans for this resource coming
to fruition.

On your behalf, I send Christmas greetings and say thank you to the many friends and benefactors who have supported the development agenda of Dominica over the past year.
I wish each of you a peaceful, happy and enjoyable Christmas filled with God`s blessings.

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