By Evelyn Jock
It’s Christmas Eve and the Catholic faithful are gathering to participate in the traditional Mass at 7:30pm. By 5:30pm the pews were slowly filling up. There were new faces in the pews, visitors out of towns and European tourists on holiday in Sandakan. Chairs had to be taken out to accommodate the throngs of unexpected faithful gathering of people coming to welcome the birth of the Child Jesus.
Days of preparation coming together and bonding with each other (priests, groups/communities and individuals) has transformed the Cathedral and surroundings with creative decorations of dazzling LED lights, wreaths and other festive displays. But most importantly, the manger was completed in time for Christmas. The much awaited Christmas feast was celebrated on 24 December 2024 at 7:30pm.
Mass began with the customary blessing of the Baby Jesus in the Manger by Rt. Rev. Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom, Bishop of the Diocese of Sandakan. Then the solemn procession into the Cathedral. Christmas is a gift from God, stated the prelate. Jesus whom the people are adoring on Christmas is the same crucified Jesus. Jesus became human and came into the world to raise us up and to lead us to the presence of God, the Father.
The prelate explained that 2025 has been proclaimed by the Pope as the Jubilee Year 2025 with the most inspiring theme ‘Spes Non Confundit’, which means ‘Hope does not disappoint’. In the years before Christ, there was darkness, a world without hope. But then, 2024 years ago, in the year of the Lord (‘Anno Domini), Jesus came to the world to give us hope.
Bishop Julius exclaimed, ‘What is hope?’ When we lose hope, we find that life has no meaning and depression sets in. However, hope gives us power and the reason to go on living in spite of our challenges, weaknesses as well as sinfulness. The shepherds coming to the manger indicates that hope that they had longed for, as they adore the baby Jesus with joy and gladness in their hearts.
The greatest gift this Christmas, that we can give to each other, according to the prelate is ‘Hope’. Give that hope to those in need, abandoned by society and the marginalised. Jesus, also called ‘Emmanuel’ which means ‘God is with us’, is found in these people. He has come to stay, journey and living with us, today.