Season’s Greetings from the Grand Master and Lieutenant General of Knights of Malta (KMFAP)

Merry Christmas to all Dames and Knights!

His Eminent Highness Jose, Prince
Grand Master and Head of the State
And

H.G. Prof. George Popper

Lieutenant General of Knights of Malta

Dear Knights and Dames of our Sovereign Order and State,

CHRISTMAS, all over the World, is much more than only a religious celebration, it became a Family Festivity regardless of the Religion of each one.

Christmas is a season of Love, and of Family Gathering and the gifts that we exchange are nothing but the token of our feelings of Love and of Friendship.

Many of us tend to pay more importance to material values than to the spiritual ones, therefore I would like to underline that what matters is not WHAT is under the Christmas Tree, or over the Table of the Family Supper, no, what really matters is WHO is around the Tree and sitting around the Table, therefore, in my personal name, in the name of my family and on behalf of all members and of the Government of our Sovereign Order and of our State, I come to wish to our Knights and Dames a Family Festivity full of Peace and Love, an occasion when all your friends and beloved ones may be present, either around the Tree or at the Table, and, if not, that they may be present in your hearts and in your memory.

One more year – 2017 – is almost finished. During this year, our Sovereign Order and our State succeeded in important achievements both in our Humanitarian Work and in the Diplomatic field, besides a remarkable growth in our implantation worldwide, so I seize this occasion to express my deepest gratitude to all our Knights and Dames, for one more year of undeniable Friendship, Brotherhood, Commitment and Support.

The NEW YEAR is always the dawn of one year of Hope and as Hillary DePiano said “We all get the exact same 365 days. The only difference is what we do with them.” So I come to wish to all that you may in the coming 365 days do great things, great for yourselves and for the others, great for the Peace and for protecting the Environment of our World, which is the house of all of us and of our Family. I wish that, again, in the coming year you may feel the pleasure of having and the happiness of sharing what you have with those who need. I wish you much health and no better words could express my wishes than the beautiful poem by D. Simone:

“May Light always surround you;
Hope kindle and rebound you.
May your Hurts turn to Healing;
Your Heart Embrace Feeling.
May Wounds become Wisdom;
Every Kindness a Prism. May Laughter infect you;
Your Passion resurrect you.
May Goodness inspire your deepest desires.
Through all that you reach for,
May your arms never Tire.