2005-03-06
Two thousand years ago, in the immense and powerful Roman Empire, Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken. Somewhere in the border region of Palestine, a young humble couple Mary and Joseph set out from the insignificant town of Nazareth and travelled to the town of Bethlehem of Judea. There was no room for them in the inn and so Mary gave birth to a son and had to put him in a manger. An angel said to the poor Shepherds: “That child lying in manger is The Saviour born to you and to the world: He is Christ the Lord.” Christmas is a festival that surpasses colour language and creed; hence, it’s celebrated by many people, a feast that embraces all cultures and all people.
This same good news was proclaimed once again a day before Christmas Eve at the Official residence of the Hon. Speaker. Christmas carols programme inaugurated by the Hon. Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara, was an historic initiative taken with much enthusiasm and relevance and was initiated with much discussion and consensus. The Catholic Church and the National council of churches worked in close collaboration in this regard. The main idea that motivated the Hon. Speaker was to promote the good will of Christmas among our people in this beautiful country of ours. It should be noted that the first ever Christmas Carols Programme was conducted on 22nd December 2004.
The setup for the evening was a serene one with a soft melody echoing throughout the premises. A podium put up in the garden was where the carols were sung while the live crib was a fascinating experience to the attendants. The live crib was escorted to the residence by Kandyan dancers and amidst the sound of drums and oriental music provided by the Police cultural band. The service was conducted by His Grace the Arch Bishop Dr. Oswald Gomis while Fr. Benedict Joseph was the compere for the entire event. The colourful procession was then led out in order to create the live crib comprising Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds and Angels etc….
The texture of the programme was a variety of quality carols selected from the very early traditions to the contemporary numbers. The initial carols were specially chosen from those of Fr. Jacome Gonsalvez and Fr. Mercelline Jayakody, along with well renowned English, Sinhala and Tamil Carols. A huge crowd of more than 2000 were there to witness the Carols being sung by several bands and choir groups. Late in the evening, every participant was treated in a big way with the arrival of a ‘Santa Claus’ giving away gifts and contributing to the spirit of Christmas.
His Excellency the President, the Hon. Prime Minister, the Hon. Speaker graced the occasion while the Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, Members of Parliament and other Religious dignitaries were also present. This year’s event was organized in conjunction with the Christian section of the Ministry of Religious Affairs while the Secretary-General of Parliament and her staff played a major role in making this endeavour a great success.
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