Parish doubles Christmas celebrations with baptism, first holy communions

The St Paul’s parish in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands, had a double celebration on Christmas Day.
The parishioners celebrated Christmas and also the sacraments of baptism and first holy communion.
Fourteen children, mostly students on holiday, received holy communion while eight others, including two infants, were baptised.
Assistant parish priest Fr Paul Musik, who celebrated baptism and first holy communion, welcomed the new members into the church during the second mass on Christmas Day. Musik said that what they did was exactly the same thing Christ himself did on his ministry.
He told the parents and guardians that there would be many temptations facing the youngsters outside church.
He urged them to support their children through prayer and in meeting their daily needs.
He said that Satan took Christ after his baptism into the wilderness and tested him, but Christ did not fail.
“Christ, after the temptation, told Satan to worship the Lord, who is the only God.”
Musik said that they too must follow the example of Christ and stand firm in their Christian faith.
He said that Christmas is the time when they think about the birth of Jesus.