Republic of Greece
Church of the Genuine Orthodox Christians of Greece
The Holy Synod
To be read in Church on the
Feast of the Nativity
Protocol No. 2295
NATIVITY MESSAGE for 2015
“For a young Child is born for us, Who is the pre-eternal God”
Beloved Children in the Lord:
The birth of every human being is a source of such great joy that the very mother of each indi- vidual forgets the labors and pangs of parturition “for joy that a man is born into the world” (St. John 16:21).
When the fullness of time came and the Son and Word of God was born as a man upon earth in Bethlehem, of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, that is, without pleasure or travail, very great was the joy of all creation.
The Angels leapt for joy, glorifying and hymning the Author and Bestower of peace, the Shep- herds worshipped the Divine Infant Who was laid in a manger, “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world,” and the Magi from the East offered gifts to Him Who feeds everything that has breath and grants us life and incorruption.
For the young Child, although He was a man as are all of us, save without sin, was at the same time the Preëternal Word of the Father, true God of true God, through Whom all things were made.
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Our Lord Jesus Christ, “meek and lowly in heart” (St. Matthew 11:29), cherished children and took them in His arms with the utmost affection and love, for He discerned in them simplicity, in- nocence, unaffectedness, warmth, honesty, kindness, compassion, mutual helpfulness, sincerity, brotherliness, and love.
Our Lord, Who “did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth” (I St. Peter 2:22), found rest in the spirit of children and embraced their guilelessness, peacefulness, freedom from cares, and bliss.
The virtues and attributes of children adorned Him, and they adorn all who have preserved their childlike innocence and purity, who walk “in newness of life” (Romans 6:4), and maintain their faith untainted and maintain a blameless life.
They also adorn all who, through the envy of the Devil and the deceit of sin, have lost them, but who have nonetheless repented, received forgiveness, and been restored to their former dignity, be- cause they “loved” the young Child “much” (cf. St. Luke 7:47) and have been renewed by Him.
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Beloved Children in the Lord:
Our Lord desires and exhorts all of us to renounce vice and wickedness and become like chil- dren: “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the King- dom of Heaven” (St. Matthew 18:3).
If we do not exhibit the virtues of children, if we do not perceive things as do they—weak, yet human and genuine, cheerful and hopeful, rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep (cf. Romans 12:15), and especially placing complete trust in our Almighty and All-Good Father in the Heavens—then we will truly be unable to fulfill this Divine exhortation, and the King- dom of Heaven will be far removed from us.
The majority of people around us are openly deviating from the straight path, disdaining and trampling upon the Divine commandments, behaving unjustly and arrogantly, and committing crim- inal acts, turning against the young Child and against His Kingdom on earth, that is, the Church.
Peace is being banished from the world, and the utmost confusion and madness prevail, since peace is being expelled first and foremost from the hearts of men, who say hypocritically that they love children and care about them, whereas in actuality they ally with Herod and slaughter them! What else, if not slaughter, are the increasing number of abortions performed with the legal pro- tection of the State? What else does the exploitation of children throughout the world, in all of its different forms, betoken? As for the vulgarization and desacralization of the world by every man- ner of means and the corruption of consciences, to the extent that no one remains free from defile- ment, where are these leading us?
It is not possible for the Peace of Christ to prevail and triumph where faith is driven out or de- stroyed, where prayer and sacred symbols are banished, and where morality is derided and per- verted to the point that even the abhorrent and unnatural union of persons of the same sex is legalized!
Grim reality proves that the Image of God in man, in every suffering, persecuted, unfortunate, hungry, and afflicted person, is cheapened; children are suffering; the human person is degraded and reduced to a mere statistic; there are broken homes; the family is in jeopardy; society is belea- guered; nations are shaken; and the world is threatened with unimaginable ruin!
Who will again make us like children? Who will bring back light, hope, peace, and innocence? Who, other than the young Child, Who comes yet again into our midst, in our Eucharistic Synaxis, on the immaculate Altars of our Genuine Orthodox Church, unpolluted by the heresy of ecumenism, and Who assures us: “Abide in me, and I in you” (St. John 15:4).
Repent and become like children, says the young Child, so that you might resemble me and consistently and steadfastly show the tottering world the path of Truth and sacrifice, of peace and love, and authentic humanity.
May we, together with our Lord Who is born, prove worthy of our calling, so that we might over- come the world and the prince of this world and be vouchsafed the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen!
Holy Nativity, 2015
Christ is born!
With paternal wishes and blessings,
THE HOLY SYNOD