BUT HOW CAN THIS COME ABOUT? 

Founders exhortation on the Gift of Love Campaign, 2025

Glory to Jesus both now and forever. Amen

We thank the Parish priest, the organisers and everyone who came out today. I hope you will appreciate this Gift of Love and thank our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself, God, to be born as a human at Christmas. The great Emmanuel!

Before we go further, I would like us to look at the difficult question Mary asked when she was told she would give birth to God. You know, when you are faced with a complex problem that the solution seems impossible, you will begin to ask questions. The topic, in fact, is the question Mary asked, as it was a serious matter. She asked the Angel Gabriel:

BUT HOW CAN THIS COME ABOUT? 

I call it The difficult question at Christmas.

Let us first read it in the bible. This is the gospel reading for last Saturday:

Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever, and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the angel answered, ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God. ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary, ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.

I am pleased to see that happiness is on our faces today, despite the problems in our country. Actually, everybody faces one issue or another. Yet, in such moments, we are still appreciative. We still thank God. We are grateful that God still provide for us one way or another. This CODEF Christmas Gift of Love is one of the ways God puts smiles on faces. And I believe we are grateful for these gifts, which are actually a symbol of the sacrificial giving of His only Son, who left His Godly privileges in heaven to take a human body at Christmas and pass through suffering like any other human to save humanity.

When our mother, Mary, was told that God would come down to be a man through her and save the world. She asked, How can this be? Because she did not understand how it would happen, nobody can understand, only God.

Since Mary asked this question, we have all passed through impossible situations that made us ask, ‘How can this be?’

In my opinion, I believe that our government or those in authority could do more to help us. But they cannot be trusted. I would be happy if a family member could help you out, but they are dealing with their own personal problems.

So, we are in search of a solution as we ask, ‘how?’ How can I get to my next level? How can I provide for my children? How can I get help?

But the Angel Gabriel answered Mary when she asked, ‘He said to her, ‘God’s power will do it.” And God did it. He made a virgin, Mary, to conceive without any man, and no science can explain it.

So, while I cannot tell you who will help or how things can change, by the miracle of Christmas, I can tell you that God will help you. The power of God will do it for you. God will bring people to help you. Just as God uses the Champions of Destiny Foundation, people you don’t know, to bring you gifts today. But because God knows you, He knows your address and shows you favour, just as He knew the address of Mary and sent an angel to her. God will send people to help you.

All you need to do is believe and trust in God. Serve Him with all your heart. Give yourself and everything to Him. That was how Mary gave herself to God. She said, ‘I am the servant of God; let God do whatever He wants to do with me.’ And God bless her; God did not forget her, and to this day, every person with sense calls her blessed.

So give yourself to God and trust Him. He is a good Father. He sees you. And He will never leave you without help because you are His child.

Nobody can help you unless the power of God brings them to help you. So thank God for the people He used to help you. Thank God for the Champions of Destiny Foundation and pray for them. Then do your part: serve God, work diligently, and be kind to others. God will bless your work and your children. God will bring people who will help you if you follow him with all your heart.

Whenever things become difficult, and you don’t understand, and you want to cry and ask why? Don’t say why. Go to God and ask Him how? How can this thing change? How can this situation get better? And remember Christmas, because the answer is in Christmas. The power of God will do it for you because Emmanuel! God is with us.

Happy Christmas!