NATIVITY MESSAGE OF ARCHBISHOP CHRYSOSTOMOS II 2005
Brethren and children in the Lord
God�s goodwill, which comes from His boundless love, has deemed us worthy once again to celebrate the birth of Christ on earth.
The heavenly message of worldwide joy which was spoken by the angel to the shepherds of Bethlehem �Behold I announce to you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people�, resounds in our ears.
Joy filled heaven, earth, and the souls held prisoner in the deepest depths of Hades that were awaiting redemption according to the prophets.
Great joy, which dissolved the darkness of man�s ignorance, enlightened the benighted nations and guided them to the knowledge of God.
What is this great joy? The angelic message to the shepherds continues, �For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.�
A Saviour is born unto you this day! A message that was awaited for ages; incomprehensible and unexplainable, that Christ would appear on earth in the flesh for the salvation of humanity.
The prophets foretold, the nations awaited the promise until the fullness of time came and �the Father sent forth His Son into the world that we might receive the adoption of sons� (Gal. 4:4)
During the ages that have past the renowned wisdom of this world has not had the power to discover the true idea concerning God and came up with mythology concerning many divinities with human appearance and weakness.
The divine apostle Paul states: �For after that in the (creative) wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of (the Apostle�s) preaching to save them that believe.�(1 Cor. 1:21)
The heavenly announcement of great joy filled the angels first according to the Gospel narration �And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOODWILL AMONG MEN.�
Aside from the words of the prophets and the angelic announcement concerning the arrival of Christ the Saviour, the heavenly father twice sealed the issue, in the Jordan and on Mount Tabor saying, �THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.�
O the wonder! Given that while, �no one has ever seen God�, according to St. John the Theologian, we the earthborn have never the less heard His voice concerning the truth of the God-man�s witness!
However, how many people today live up to this divine revelation of immeasurable love? How many hearts are beguiled? The estimate is grim! �For the heart of this people has become gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed.� says the prophecy.
This foundational Feast of the Nativity has become simply a feast of decorations and celebrations.
The mystery of the divine economy in Christ touches few hearts and the heavenly sacred ceremony has ended in a barren land.
The essence has completely evolved with the grievous result of the coldness and indifference of the people toward the divine things and the upright faith.
While the Synod of Orthodox Patriarchs in 1848 called the faithful to be protectors of Orthodoxy, in our days the people thus honored have become indifferent collaborators with the ecumenists and the traitors of the faith, except for a certain group of �theologians� who never the less are content to restrict themselves to a mere war of words; and even this they are afraid to do. On the other hand, the Patristic response to those who undermine the faith is walling-off and renunciation of such errors.
It is the only sincere resistance, which the �little flock�, the �remnant according to the election of Grace� in other words the people faithful to the venerable patristic traditions may make against the storm that has broken out against the Orthodox Faith by the leaders of Church and State.
It is honor and praise to those who fear God and do His will and not the will of the present age.
The pious strugglers for the patristic calendar today piously celebrate the Nativity of Christ, �following the word of the Fathers� and not the Papophile innovators.
We celebrate with heart and soul glorifying and thanking the All-good God Who has sanctified our human nature by His incarnation and by Grace has made it divine.
Celebrating, we invoke God�s grace and blessing so that we may pass the twelve days of Nativity as well as the rest of our lives righteously, pleasing to God and peaceful being deemed worthy of the heavenly kingdom together with the incarnate Christ.
In conclusion we command together with St. Paul �Watch ye, stand fast in the faith quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity�.
May the grace of Jesus Christ which saves be with you all, together with my humble prayers.
May the new year of God�s good will, 2006 be peaceful and fortunate for all. Wishing you many years blessed by the Lord,
Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Athens