Your Graces!
Most honorable fathers, dear brothers and sisters, inhabitants of the land of Kazakhstan!
Once again a great divine mercy has been granted to us – the gracious opportunity to meet, in spiritual joy, the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Beneath the vaults of churches and in our homes, together with angels and saints, we hymn the heavenly song: «Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill among men!» (Luke 2:14).
The shepherds, who beheld the «multitude of the heavenly host praising God» (Luke 2:13), say to one another: «Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us» (Luke 2:15). Holy Scripture, and following it the Church’s hymns and the preaching of the holy fathers, call us to contemplate the Nativity miracle: «Come, O faithful, inspired by God, let us rise up and clearly behold in Bethlehem the divine descent to us from on high». We follow this call, and to our inner sight there is revealed the great mystery of godliness (1 Tim. 3:16) – in a dark cave, in poor manger-cradles, wrapped in swaddling clothes, there lies before us the very Lord of the universe and Savior of the world – the Christ Child. Encountering the miracle of the Nativity, together with the Apostle John we reverently repeat the Gospel truth: «And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth» (John 1:14).
«Christ is born, to restore in us His image fallen before», the Holy Church reminds us of the essence of the Incarnation in one of the festal hymns. These words apply not only to ancient, Old Testament humanity, but to each of us living today, since moral errors, sins and passions inevitably darken and distort in every person the image of God. Therefore, the annual Nativity celebration is a call to all of us to remember the dignity of the human person, created as the crown of creation, as a reflection of the image and likeness of the Most Holy Trinity. Christ Himself bears witness of Himself that He «came to seek and to save that which was lost» (Matt. 18:11), that is, to extend to each of us a helping hand, to deliver us from evil and to bring us with Himself into the House of the Heavenly Father. Through the Nativity of the Son of God, in the words of St. Symeon the New Theologian, we become sons of God the Father and brothers of Christ. Year after year, as we meet the feast of the Nativity of Christ, we must more and more clearly realize our responsibility before those people who have not yet known the joy of the Gospel message, or have forgotten it, or have not been able to perceive its true meaning.
Through the Incarnation there takes place a complete renewal of human nature. The Nativity of the Savior, which occurred two thousand years ago in Bethlehem, finds its continuation in the birth of Christ which again and again takes place in our hearts. The greatest miracle of the Incarnation lies in the fact that, having occurred once in history, it is renewed in every person who comes to Christ. «The Tree of Life blossomed in the cave from the Virgin», we hear in the words of an ancient hymn. The incarnate God became for those who believe in Him the source of eternal and blessed being, surpassing the beauty and greatness of primordial paradise. The Nativity of the Savior finds its continuation in the mystery of the most holy Eucharist. The Lord, born in Bethlehem – the «House of Bread» – became the true Bread of Life for humanity. Therefore, the best celebration of the Nativity of Christ will be our participation in the Church’s mysteries – Confession and Communion. In this sacred triumph, renewed and purified by true repentance, let us approach the Cup of Life and unite with the Son of God, who for us men and for our salvation came down from Heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary.
«Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hath shone upon the world the light of reason», the words of the principal festal hymn, the Nativity troparion, often resound during the holy days. According to the Apostle, «the Son of God is come, and hath given us understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and that we may be in His true Son Jesus Christ» (1 John 5:20). The light of Christ enlightens all, and therefore every Christian is called to become a lamp, illumining the world around with evangelical love. The Lord awaits our decision: shall we let Him into our heart, or will it be occupied by the cares of this age. Do we have, like the evangelical wise men, precious gifts – the gold of faith, the incense of prayer and the myrrh of repentance (Matt. 2:11) – in order to worthily meet the Divine Infant.
Every person desires to love and to be loved. May this holy time – the days of celebrating the Lord’s Nativity in the flesh – become for us an occasion to share the riches of our souls with our neighbors. May the Bethlehem star point out to each of us the true path to the hearts of our relatives and colleagues, neighbors and friends. For the sake of Christ’s love, let us leave behind past bitterness and forget grievances. There have been and remain many difficulties and trials in our life, yet we must fearlessly walk the path of salvation, «for God is with us» (Isa. 8:10) and He is «an everlasting Rock» (Isa. 26:4).
During the days of celebrating the Nativity of Christ, according to a good tradition, let us offer fervent prayers for our native Kazakhstan, that the Lord may bless the life and labors of everyone for whom this land is a true home, that unshakable peace and brotherly love may abide across the expanses of the Great Steppe.
I cordially congratulate all of you on the great feast of the Nativity of Christ and the New Year. May the Lord, «Who was born in a cave and laid in a manger for our salvation», grant to all of us spiritual and bodily health and His great and abundant mercy.
CHRIST IS BORN – GLORIFY HIM!
CHRIST FROM HEAVEN – GO MEET HIM!
With the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the New Year!
HEAD OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF KAZAKHSTAN
METROPOLITAN OF ASTANA AND KAZAKHSTAN
Main
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