This evening, through the gift of music and the dedication of our choristers, our hearts have been lifted, our burdens lightened, and our waiting for Christmas given a beautiful voice. Please join me in appreciating our wonderful choristers with a round of applause. Our theme for this evening’s celebration is Peace on Earth, Glory to God in the Highest. Dear friends, this theme gives us the recipe for the reign of peace, whether it is peace in our hearts, peace in our homes, peace in our country or peace in our world. What do I mean by this? The theme is saying to us that if we want peace on earth, we must first give glory to God. There can be no lasting peace where God is ignored. To give glory to God is not lip service. It is not limited to our hymns or our prayers. To give glory to God means allowing God to shape our choices, our conduct, and our priorities. When God is honoured in our hearts, peace begins to grow. When God is honoured in our homes, peace is nurtured. When God is honoured in leadership and public life, peace becomes possible. There can be no peace within us when money is made through fraud, corruption or exploitation. As a person who sells tomatoes in the market, you cannot have peace when you hide rotten tomatoes under fresh ones and sell to your unsuspecting customers. You cannot have peace when you have tampered with the meter of your fuel pump so that when people pay for 10 liters of petrol, they are getting less than that. Such crooked paths may indeed bring temporary gain, but they do not give glory to God, and what does not give glory to God cannot give lasting peace. So, if you want peace in your soul, make choices that give glory to God.
Our theme for this evening’s celebration is Peace on Earth, Glory to God in the Highest. Dear friends, this theme gives us the recipe for the reign of peace, whether it is peace in our hearts, peace in our homes, peace in our country or peace in our world. What do I mean by this? The theme is saying to us that if we want peace on earth, we must first give glory to God. There can be no lasting peace where God is ignored.
There can be no peace in our homes when couples and family members refuse to forgive. Peace disappears when past wrongs are stored in our memories and brought up at every disagreement. There is no peace where a husband is violent to his wife, or where a wife openly disrespects and dishonours her husband. Such actions destroy love, break trust, and turn the home into a place of fear. They do not give glory to God, because God is love. But where forgiveness, love, and mutual respect prevail, God is honoured and peace is enshrined. There can be no peace in a nation where power is exercised without accountability, wealth is pursued without conscience, and authority is claimed without service. There can be no peace when we, as citizens, sell our votes for a bag of rice or a few naira, or when we choose leaders simply because they are from our tribe, religion, or region, rather than because of their character, competence, and commitment to the common good. When elections are traded for personal gain, when conscience is sacrificed for convenience, and when truth is exchanged for loyalty to narrow interests, we deny God the glory he deserves. Such choices wound our nation at its roots. Where God is not honoured in our civic responsibility, peace cannot endure. Therefore, if we want peace in Nigeria, we must stop trading our future for crumbs and begin to give glory to God by voting for leaders of integrity, compassion, and proven character, leaders who fear God and truly serve the common good.
When leaders govern without fear of God, conscience gives way to selfishness, injustice grows unchecked, and violence finds room to thrive. It is against this background that the security crisis in our nation becomes deeply troubling. For too long, persistent killings, abductions, and targeted violence affecting many communities, particularly Christian communities, have been met with silence, denial, or half measures. We think, for example, of the Catholic school in Kontagora, where about 165 children and staff remain in captivity. It is our hope that these persons will be reunited with their families to celebrate this Christmas. It is, indeed, painful that Nigeria had to wait for external voices before treating the problem of insecurity with the seriousness it deserves. Protecting life is not a favour prompted by foreign pressure; it is the primary duty of government. Every Nigerian life matters regardless of whether he/she is a Christian or Muslim. A nation that honours God by protecting every human life is a nation where peace can take root.
Yet, dear brothers and sisters, it is precisely in the face of the painful realities confronting our nation that the message of Christmas must be clearly heard. The mystery of the Incarnation assures us that we are not alone. God is Emmanuel. He is truly with us. It is no coincidence that we chose to celebrate our Christmas Carols on this Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, when the Church calls us to rejoice even in the midst of hardship. To rejoice is to refuse despair. It is to carry hope within us and to become a sign of hope for others. We rejoice when we choose gratitude over bitterness, when families still pray together despite empty pockets, when we share the little we have with those who do not have, and when we remain warm and compassionate to one another. If St Maximilian Kolbe could sing hymns in the darkness of a concentration camp, then we too can rejoice. If St Paul could raise songs of praise while chained in prison, then we too can rejoice. And if our dear Pope Francis could continue to live joyfully even as he struggled with grave illness until his very last day on earth, then we too can rejoice. This is not shallow happiness; it is courageous joy, born of faith in a God who is always with us.
To rejoice is to refuse despair. It is to carry hope within us and to become a sign of hope for others.
In conclusion, I want to seize the opportunity to appreciate all of us here present: our Parishioners and guests, for taking out time to be here. I extend my warmest gratitude to our Choir for the sacrifices they made in preparing for this occasion. Every night, when I go round the premises, I hear them practising. Dear Choristers, know that I am a lover of music and I appreciate all that you do to enrich the singing in our Chaplaincy. Thank you for taking us majestically into the mood of our Coming festivities of the Lord’s Birth. In a special way, I appreciate the Deputy Secretary General for the coordination of our event today. I am also grateful to you, my brother Priests and the religious, for blessing our gathering today with your presence. I also wish to acknowledge and thank the CSN staff and all the agencies of the CBCN present here today. I thank Miss Doris for coordinating the CSN Choir and for the sacrifices she made. As we return to our homes after this event, may God’s protection be with us and may we enjoy now and always the peace that his birth brings to us. Amen.
I wish you all a blessed Christmas.