Besides being the most important festivity for the Christians, Christmas has become – for the people of all religions and even for non-believers – the celebration dedicated to the Family and the New Year, in accordance with the globally accepted calendar. Christmas has become for everyone the Festivity of Hope, hope for a good, fruitful and prosperous new year to come, therefore, in this significant season I would like to present to all our Knights, Dames, Squires, Damsels and Humanitarian Work Volunteers my warmest heartfelt greetings.

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which tragically marks 2020 forever as a dark year, we will all be forced to live this Festive Season quite differently than we have all lived before. This time in the absence of many of those we love, either part of our families or true friends, however we must remember that Absence is for Love, what the Wind is for the Fire: if it is small, it will soon be extinguished, but if it is big, it becomes bigger and stronger. So, may the forced absence of our loved ones contribute to make our love for them greater and stronger, and may the Hope for a prosperous 2021 be stronger, now that we see the light closer at the end of the dark tunnel of 2020 in the form of new vaccines against this terrible coronavirus.

We must not expect to return to what our world was before the pandemic, instead we all need to do our best and utmost to make the world after COVID-19 a much better world than it used to be.

Dear Knights, Dames, Squires, Damsels and Volunteers, two things are important in this festive season, one that shouldn't be forgotten, and one that should always be remembered:

- We must not forget that the spirit of Christmas is not about having beautiful lights outside, but about having a wonderful light in your heart.

- We must always remember all those who have no house, no food, no love, no companionship and no peace in this season, while we are in the comfort and warmth of our houses among our loved ones, and having a good supper in peace. Remember the fallen, the poor and the helpless, because they are our brothers and sisters as well, remember them, because they are and they have been our reason to exist as a sovereign hospitaller knightly Order for almost one thousand years.

Season's Greetings to everyone!

16th December 2020