    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [December 11, 1996]
    [Pages 2191-2192]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message on the Observance of Christmas, 1996
    December 11, 1996

        Warm greetings to everyone celebrating Christmas.
        Each year during this blessed season, the world pauses to look back
    across the centuries to the birth of a Child. This Child was born to
    poor but loving parents in the small town of Bethlehem--born into a
    world where few noticed His coming, except for some simple shepherds and
    a few wise men. He was the Son of God and the King of Kings, but He
    chose to come among us as servant and Savior.
        Though two thousand years have passed since Jesus first walked the
    earth, much remains the same. Today's world is still caught up in the
    challenges and cares of everyday existence, and too often we crowd God
    into the background of our experience. Too often we still ignore His
    loving presence in our lives and the precious gifts of peace and hope
    that He so freely offers to us all. And today, as on that first
    Christmas morning, He still reveals himself to the loving, the wise, and
    the simple of heart.
        As we gather with family and friends again this year to celebrate
    Christmas, let us welcome God wholeheartedly into our daily lives. Let
    us learn to recognize Him not only in the faces

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    of our loved ones, but also in the faces of those who, like Jesus, are
    familiar with poverty, hardship, and rejection. And let us be inspired
    by His example to serve one another with generous hearts and open hands.
    In this way we will approach the dawn of a new century and a new
    millennium confident in God's abundant grace and strengthened by His
    timeless promise of salvation.
        Hillary joins me in praying that the peace and joy of this holiday
    season will remain with you throughout the coming year. Merry Christmas,
    and God bless you.

                                                                Bill Clinton