Report on Christmas, 25th December 2005

[Guest guest]

offering by the Brass Band of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning,

Prasanthi Nilayam. The band leader came forward and showed a beautiful card to

Swami and sought His blessings for their programme. They kept the audience

enthralled by playing carols. Following this, the students sang many popular

carols like "All night long I shall burn my Christmas candle", "Rudolph, the

red-nosed reindeer, had a very shiny nose". The songs were preceded by a brief

commentary by two students on the significance of the song. As the song "Jingle

Bells" was being sung, Santa Claus came to the front and after getting his bag

of toffees blessed by Bhagawan, went dancing and distributing the goodies to

everyone in the hall. The morning session concluded with Arati. In the

afternoon, Bhagawan arrived in Sai Kulwant Hall at 3.50 p.m. Devotees from

overseas had assembled to present a musical offering in the form of Christmas

carols. The program began with a short skit which explained the true spirit in

which Christmas is to be celebrated. The skit portrayed how the celebration of

the birth of the Saviour has been reduced to a mere shopping and merrymaking

instead of being imbued with sacred feelings of gratitude and veneration. At

the end of the play, a child dressed as Jesus Christ came and bowed before

Bhagawan and prayed to Him to bless everyone and guide them along the path of

love. This was followed by the choir by the overseas devotees, first by

children and then by the adults. After the invocation to Lord Ganesha, the

devotees sang a number of carols celebrating the Yuletide spirit. The sound of

hundreds of voices united as one in adoration of the Divine filled the hall

lifting the hearts of the

thousands who gathered there. The songs were in worship of all the

manifestations of Divinity – be it Jesus, Allah, Krishna, Buddha, Mahavira and

Zarathrushtra set to scintillating music. The programme concluded with

arati and prasadam being distributed to the devotees. Wishing everyone a

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Source:

http://srisathyasai.org.in/Pages/Events/xmas_05_rep.htm