His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America
Greetings to the Washington/Baltimore Area Christmas Show
Saint George Greek Orthodox Church
Bethesda, Maryland
December 17, 2021
Beloved Children in the Lord,
I am so pleased to be with all of you this evening, and especially with the children. For there is no other holiday that brings out the child in all of us like the Feast of Christmas.
This is our second Christmas show that brings our communities together around this preeminent “feast of the family.” The story of the Nativity focuses our minds and hearts on not only the children in our midst, but the child in each of our hearts.
Tonight, I look forward to being inspired by the words and music that our children will share with us. I hope they call to mind echoes of your own childhoods, and the happy memories you associate with Christmas.
For Christmas is a time when we all have the opportunity to get back in touch with the child within – the child of God, who has God for a Father, and the Church for a Mother.
If our Lord Jesus Christ was born in a Cave, He is also born anew within the caves of our hearts. For the heart of a human being can never be filled by material things.
Only God can fill our hearts:
with joy,
with hope,
with faith,
with satisfaction,
and ultimately, with love.
Therefore, my beloved friends:
Let us open our eyes and ears to the message that these beautiful children will bring to us this evening.
I commend all of you for coming from near and far to honor their ministry. These children truly are ministering to us tonight, and we should be very proud of them!
I also would like to thank our host parish of Saint George for the warm and hospitable welcome they have extended to all of us.
Unlike the inn, their door is always open, as it is in all of our parishes from coast to coast.
I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy and Healthy New Year of 2022!
May God bless us all!