A outou afioga i Sui o le Fono a Sui Tofia;
Lau afioga i le Tamaitai Palemia ma le Kapeneta, faapea Minisita Lagolago;
Lau afioga i le Faamasino Sili ma Alii ma Tamaitai o le Faamasinoga;
Lau afioga i le Fofoga Fetalai ma Sui Mamalu o le Palemene;
Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Faauluululuga o Matagaluega ma Faalapotopotoga a le Malo, Pisinisi ma le Vaega Tumaoti;
Le Paia o Taitai o Ekalesia, faapea le paia o le Aufaigaluega a le Atua;
Le Paia maualuga o Samoa i le afua mai i ona ao seia pā’ia ona i’u. O le paia lava lea auā Tama ma o latou Aiga, Aiga ma a latou Tama, Tumua ma Pule, Ituau ma Alataua, Aiga i le Tai ma le Vaa o Fonoti.
E le vaea foi le fala ooto i le faafofoga tapuai mai a le faigamalo a Tutuila ma Manu’a. I le afio o le Afioga i le Alii Kovana ma le Kovana Lutena, aemaise le paia maualuga o le Tafatolu o lana Faigamalo. O le paia lava lea auā Sua ma le Vaifanua, Fofo ma Aitulagi, Saole ma le Launiu Saelua. Afifio Faatui, Tootoo o le Faleula ma Upu i le Manuatele. Ua faamalo le soifua manuia.
O lea ua ifo i le tuasivi faiva o le manusina sa tofuina le taisua ma le tai loloto. Ua silimea foi le seuga a aliimau o le vaosa ina ua faliu le la o le ata gafoa, ae talitali uli fetu na sopolagi ina ua mapu i fale matū le ta’atiuga a tautai o le vasaloloa. Ua logo ai nei i tino matagi lelei auā o lea ua tau mai lelei le igoa ipu ina ua tepa i ula ma ua tagai i ula. Ia tatou sula ailao laia o le alofa ma le agalelei o le Tapaau Sili i le lagi auā o lea ua taoto ataata vaaia o Tauleleia ina ua lalaga le vaa o manu ae faatafea le vaa o mala. Ua tatou aulia manuia mai ai le Kerisimasi o lenei tausaga. Ou te faatalofa atu ai ma ofo alofa atu i le suafa manumalo o lo tatou Alii Faaola o Iesu Keriso. Ua faamalo le folau, ua faafetai le pale.
O le asō, na liu tino tagata ai le Upu i Peteleema, o loo mau foi o ia ma i tatou. Ua tatou molimauina lona mamalu, o le mamalu lava lea o le Alo e toatasi o le Tamā, ua tumu o ia i le alofa tunoa ma le faamaoni – Ioane 1:14. O le ‘au’au lena o le feau taumolimoli mo lenei Kerisimasi ma o lo’o faamanatu mai ai pea le ‘auga ma le ūte o lenei aso ua tatou faamanatuina ai le Soifua mai o le Alii Faaola: O le faatofalaiga mamana a le Atua, na Ia auina mai ai lona Alo pele e toatasi ina ia tatou maua ai lana faaolataga. I lona afio mai, na ia aumaia ai le malamalama, ma o lena malamalama na tatou mau tufa’aga ai i sosia o lona alofa tunoa, ma lona filemu aemaise o lo tatou faamoemoega sili i le ola e faavavau.”
A tatou toe to manatu i le tatou folauga i lenei tausaga, e maeu le agalelei ma le alofa o le Atua na ala mai ai faamanuiaga ua tatou ‘ae’ae ai nei. Auā o ia lava o lo tatou maluapapa i taimi o faigata ma o le poutu toa foi lea o le malosiaga o aiga, o nuu, o ekalesia ma le Malo. O faailoilo ia o tatou faiva na saili faatasi ina ia manuia Samoa ma e foi ai pea le viiga i le Tapaau Sili i le lagi.
E le nā foi ma le lāina le avea pea o luitau ma faigata o lenei soifuaga ma auala ua le maua ai e nisi o nai o tatou tagata le fiafia i lenei Kerisimasi. Ia tatou manatua ai i latou uma iā tatou talosaga molia, ina ia avea pea le filemu ma le alofa tunoa o lo tatou Alii o Iesu Keriso e fai ma o latou toomaga.
I lenei vaitau o le loto faagae’etia, e ao ai lava ona tatou faailo le sao tauā a i latou uma na velo ‘aso i soo se matata mo le manuia o tatou aiga, o i latou e iai manaoga faapitoa, o nuu, o ekalesia, le atunuu faapea le Malo.
E momoli ai le faafetai ma le faamalo i le Aufaigaluega Paia a le Atua e tusa ai ma o outou faiva faaositaulaga o lo’o mapo ai pea le soifua faleagaga o le atunuu. O lo outou tulivae ma faasifo i le Atua e ala i le tatalo, o lo’o malutia ai pea le soifua ma maua’a ai lo tatou faatuatua. Ua saga faamausaliina ai pea le mau, o Samoa o le atunuu Kerisiano e Faavae i le Atua le Tamā, Le Alo ma le Agaga Paia. Ua faamalo le tatalo.
Lau Afioga i le Tamaitai Palemia ma le mamalu o le Kapeneta, e momoli atu le agaga faafetai i la outou faatautaiga i lenei tausaga. E le gata i le lotoifale i le atinae o si o tatou atunuu ma ona tagata, ae faapea foi i le va i fafo i faalagamaea ma isi atunuu o le lalolagi. E le mavae le faafetai i le faafoeina lelei o le taligamalo a le atunuu i le malaga asiasi mai a le Tupu o Salesa III faapea ai ma le fonotaga a Taitai o Malo o le Taupulega (CHOGM) ia Oketopa. O talaave o le maualuga o la tatou talimalo, o le a manatua pea, ma o le faailoga lea o le maoopopo o le taitaiga ma le galulue faatasi o le Malo, ma itutino uma o le tamaoaiga, aemaise le lagolago mai o si o tatou atunuu.
Ou te faafetai atu i lau afioga i le Fofoga Fetalai ma Sui mamalu uma o le Palemene o Samoa. Ua pale i fuga matagofie lo outou faiva malo i lenei tausaga, ona o le tofa faatamalii ma le utaga fetala’i. E le faigofie la outou pitolaau, e iloilo mafua lelei auā Samoa ma lana tapuaiga. Peitai, o le Atua, e ou le tamaoaiga o le Upu o le poto ma le faaaliga e tului atu la outou utu.
I lau Afioga i le Faamasino Sili ma Alii ma Tamaitai o le Faamasinoga. Ua afu lenei tausaga, o lo o outou taunapo pea i le to’o, aua lo outou faiva. O lo outou fitā i tuga i le fa’atautaiga o le Itu Mavae o le Fa’amasinoga a Samoa, o lo o mausali ai pea le tausiga o le Tulafono mo le filemu ma le nofo lelei o le atunuu. Faafetai tele le tauata’i.
Le mamalu o le aufaigaluega a le Malo, o Pisinisi ma le Vaega Tumaoti, aemaise a tatou paaga mai fafo, faafetai tele mo lo outou sao tāua i le faatinoina o galuega aemaise le unaia o le atina’eina o le atunuu. O le fatu e totoina nei, e selesele i le lumanai ma e autupulagā manuia pe afai tatou te pulunaunauina pea lo tatou soifua faitaulaga mo Samoa ma ona tagata.
Le paia e o Samoa le atunuu pele, faafetai tele mo lo outou sao i so’o se itu o la tatou galuega tausoa faatasi. E afua mai i le Pulega Mamalu a alii ma faipule. Faletua ma tausi, saoao ma le malosi o Nu’u, a lea ua tini le uto ua tau lo tatou ‘ai. O a tatou faatinoga e nanea ai taumafaiga a le Malo, e tulaga ese ma e maua gatā pe a faatusatusa i isi o tatou uso a atumotu i le Pasefika. Ae a Samoa, o lau aganuu ma le agaifanua ma lo tatou talitonuga i le Atua Soifua, o loo mafa totoga ai so’o se tatou faamoemoe. Aua o le sa o le Samoa, e fautele ma fau faatasi.
E le faagaloina foi afi’a i si ona vao i le tapuaiga mau a nai o tatou matua tausi, o ao sinasina o loo avea pea ma fetu pupula faatonu folau. O la outou tu’umumusu ma le tu’ualalo, o lo’o tāolaola ai pea a tatou tu ma agaifanua o loo malu ai aiga, o nuu ma ekalesia. Faafetai le tapua’i ma le tatalo.
E momoli atu foi le faafetai i nai o tatou aiga o loo alala ma papaaao i atunuu i fafo i lo outou alolofa mai i si o tatou atunuu ma aiga, i faamomoli eseese e pei o tupe ma taumafa ma isi mea e tele. Faafetai agalelei ma ia faamanuia pea le Atua ia te outou.
O lea foi ua tini le matalalaga ma faai’u aoaoga a nai fanau i lenei tausaga. Fanau e, ia manatua lo outou faapulega ma ia outou teufatu; ‘o outou o le lumanai o Samoa’. Afai e lelei ona tapu’e lo outou soifua aoaoina i le poto salalau ma taula i le Atua, e manuia outou, ma o le a lē valetuulima Samoa i le lumanai. Ia manuia tele outou le fanau.
Samoa e, ia tumau pea ona fusia i tatou ile alofa tunoa o le Atua i lenei aso Kerisimasi. O Iesu Keriso le mafuaaga o lenei aso. O le Tupu ua afio mai, ua maua ai e tatou uma ua faatuatua i lona Suafa, le manumalo ma le manuia i le ola e faavavau. Ia tatou maua le olioli o le Kerisimasi, ma le loto faafetai.
Ia uluulu mataafolau i le filemu mai le Atua, e leoleoina ai o tatou loto ma agaga ia Iesu Keriso. Ia avea foi le malamalama o le alofa tunoa o le Atua e taialaina ai la tatou savaliga i le tausaga fou.
Manuia tele le Kerisimasi, Samoa.
Soifua
CHRISTMAS ADDRESS BY AFIOGA I LE AO MAMALU O LE MALO – TUIMALEALIIFANO VAALETO’A SUALAUVI II -Wednesday, 25th December 2024
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” – John 1: 14.
Today, let us remember with solemn gratitude the true essence of Christmas, and celebrate with joy the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. As the divine Word made flesh and sent by our Heavenly Father to redeem the fallen world and bring salvation to mankind, Christ is indeed the radiant light that dispels darkness and hopelessness and illuminates our path to the endless blessings of His grace, and His gift of eternal life.
Throughout the world, love is the profound and timeless message of Christmas, the one event of the year that unites hearts and spirits of many in godly love, giving and sharing with others; remembering, acknowledging, and thanking others; and forgiving and reconciliating with others. That is the amazing miracle of the celebration of the birth of Our Lord Jesus.
As we reflect on our journey this year, we are prompted to praise and thank our Heavenly Father for His grace upon us all and our nation. He has been the ultimate source of our blessings and protection from many adversities; and He continues to be the unwavering pillar of our strength within our families, villages, churches, and government, and our collective resolve to progress and prosper as a people and nation. We acknowledge and return all honour and glory to you our Almighty God.
It is inevitable that trials and tribulations are depriving some of our people of the special joy of Christmas this year. Let us remember them in our prayers and may the love and peace of our Lord Jesus comfort and strengthen them.
In this season of joy and reflection, let us honour all our people who selflessly devote their time, effort, and expertise, working tirelessly for the well-being and progress of our families, people with special needs, communities, villages, churches, country, and government.
At this juncture, I would like to thank the clergy for their steadfast commitment to their priestly ministry, which continually nourishes and strengthens the spiritual life of our nation. Through your prayers and supplications, you continue to uphold and sustain our faith, firmly rooted in the infinite grace of God.
I thank the Honorable Prime Minister, Cabinet, and government for their leadership and stewardship at all levels of our nation’s socio-economic development. The milestones accomplished this year attest to the importance of collaboration and partnership. One of the highlights of this year was the successful hosting of the State Visit of His Majesty King Charles III as well as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in October. We witnessed therein the patriotic spirit and pride of our people, united and contributing their best, for the good name of Samoa. As a milestone that has again put the Pacific, especially our country and people on the world stage, it speaks volumes to our resilience and commitment to contribute to both regional and global fora on important matters facing the world, and especially small island countries like Samoa.
I thank the Honourable Speaker and Members of Parliament in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities. Challenging as it may be at times, your commitment to the work of Parliament is commended.
To the Honourable Chief Justice and the Justices of the Courts, I thank you for upholding the rule of law and integrity of the Judiciary.
I acknowledge the public and private sectors, and the business community for their continued dedication to serve our country in various professions. We commend all your efforts in advancing every facet of our nation’s development.
I acknowledge our development partners for their continuing support and assistance to Samoa. May we continue to embrace the spirit of partnership and cooperation in all undertakings.
I thank and congratulate all our Samoan people, both at home and abroad for their invaluable contributions. Your various roles in uplifting the welfare of our families and communities, and upholding peace and harmony are no small feat. Thank you for your service to make our country safe and prosperous.
As another academic year has come to an end, I am pleased to congratulate our students on their achievements. Your education is important because you are the future of our families and our country. But remember, the Bible declares, ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’. Such wisdom enables you to embark on a successful career path that God has predestined for you.
As we celebrate Christmas this year, let us find renewed joy in the Lord, the gladness of heart that comes from knowing God our Heavenly Father, and abiding in Christ our Lord and Saviour, and being filled by the Holy Spirit. Then we bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, in the true spirit of Christmas.
May the peace of this sacred season dwell within our hearts, and may Jesus, the radiant light of God’s grace illuminate our path into a New Year filled with hope, love, unity, and prosperity.
Merry Christmas, Samoa.
Soifua.
