FELICITATIONS UPON THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST AND THE NEW YEAR !

 Dear Sons and Daughters of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad,

Once again the Lord has found me worthy of greeting all of you on the occasion of the radiant Feastday of Christ's Nativity and of wishing you all the best in the New Year.

During these holy days we always greet one another and express our wishes for spiritual peace and joy.  The principal angelic hymn declares: «Glory to God in the highest, and on the earth, peace, good will among men!». These words contain the complete spiritual and moral essence, the entire heavenly and earthly meaning, of this holy day.

Each and every feast in the Orthodox Church consists of several days, i.e., the forefeast, the Feast itself, and several post-festal days.  Thus, we initially prepare ourselves for the Feast, as for a great spiritual event.  The Nativity of Christ should be, for us, a reminder of our own birth.  At first, we did not exist; then we were born into this world and must not only properly, but also righteously, live out our earthly life, which will determine our state in Eternity.  Properly, in relation to each other and to those around us...  Righteously, in relation to the Lord God and to His Church...

Death does not exist for us, for that which we call death is but the exodus of our soul from out of the body which was its home up to that moment.  This so-called house of our soul, i.e. our body, is buried and soon it will return to the dust, as it is said: «dust thou art and unto the dust shalt thou return». Inasmuch as we are not only «dust», it can be said of us that we are eternal.  The Lord was born precisely in order that He might show us the way into Eternity through His life and His suffering.

Thus, let us express for all the wish that they might find their true Christian path in life, seeking, first of all, the Kingdom of God, and all the rest the Lord will add unto you.

I invoke God's blessing upon you.