H.E THE PRESIDENT RATU WILIAME KATONIVERE'S 2023 CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

My fellow citizens at home and abroad, and visitors to our beloved Fiji.
 
Miau sa bula re and a very good morning to you all.
 
I am   delighted to address you this Christmas morning, a day of reflection and celebration with family and friends.
 
Christmas day will see many of our citizens gathered in churches to worship and thank the Almighty for his abundant and unfailing love in the past year.
 
Some of us are not with our families as we serve the sick in hospitals, or the aged, neglected and destitute in homes or shelters. Some of us serve the nation overseas as diplomats or peacekeepers.
 
For some of us, it is a difficult Christmas, the first without the presence of loved ones whom we lost this year.
 
For others, it is a difficult time as they struggle to put food on the table. This morning, please know that you that you are not alone. You are the subject of many prayers and I am hopeful that a neighbor will visit you today, to bring you some Christmas cheer.
 
This morning, I am reminded of the prophesy by the Prophet Isaiah fulfilled some two thousand years ago when the Messiah was born.
 
On this Christmas day, we gather as a nation realizing that we live in a world that is not perfect, there is suffering, war, despair, chaos, and crisis of all sorts.
 
Nevertheless, our hope is rooted in a promise from God.

The birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ was heralded in the Bible, thus “For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men”.
 
This child was a symbol of peace, love, and hope.
 
One year ago, Fiji went through a transition period in our governance, It has been a year of challenge, sacrifice and triumph for all citizens in our beloved nation.
 
On the world stage, Fiji stood with our fellow Pacific Islanders.
 
With one voice we called on the world to ensure global warming does not exceed the 1.5 degrees centigrade target.
 
Despite being a small and vulnerable nation, Fiji stamped its mark on the international arena by reaching out to both traditional and non-traditional partners, to strengthen existing ties and forge new ones.
 
At home, we continue to do what we can to care for the less fortunate and the vulnerable.
 
For instance, our national budget promises to:
reduce the overall cost of goods and services for the benefit of ordinary citizens and it continues to focus on health and education, the development of infrastructure, and among other things,
 
It will allow all of us to do more to improve the overall socio-economic status of our people.
 
I would like to remind us all that this Christmas season gives us the opportunity to reflect on our lives and make a personal commitment to embody the love and hope of Christmas.
 
Christmas is a time of fellowship and merry making with friends and family members.  Allow me to remind you that it should also be a time to make new friends and mend relationships, to be accommodating and to forgive.  Christmas is also a good time to reflect on what has transpired, learn from shortfalls, and make commitments to be a better person.
 
It is also a time to reach out to the less fortunate, whether it is through sharing, giving, visiting, healing, talking, or just praying for someone.  Let us for once be thankful for the gift of life and do what little we can to assist.

Let us consider the many blessings we have received and appreciate everything, from the simple things we often take for granted, to milestone achievements.
 
This Christmas, I request that we remember all citizens who will be spending Christmas away from home - wives, husbands, daughters, sons and grandchildren whose family members are abroad working, studying or visiting - especially those serving as peacekeepers in some of the world’s most volatile and dangerous conflict zones.
 
The significance of Christmas will become manifest to us if we focus our attention on Jesus Christ and his teachings regardless of our ethnicity, socio-economic background, religious affiliations, or social standings.
 
The peace and joy of Christmas signifies that God loves us, God is with us, and God is for us.
 
Let us, therefore, remain hopeful regardless of the surrounding circumstances, that a better Fiji is not beyond our reach, that God has better plans for our nation.
 
I wish the beloved citizens of Fiji and visitors alike, a safe and blessed Christmas and a Meaningful and Prosperous New Year.
 
May God bless Fiji !
 
Vinaka Vakalevu!