Archiepiscopal Encyclical for the Nativity of Christ (2018)
The Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to the Flesh is
depicted throughout our churches in the familiar and radiant icon of the
Nativity. Every element of the Gospel account, historically and
theologically, appears before our eyes to inspire wonder, worship, and
peace. In every detail, the icon proclaims without words that the Child
born this day in Bethlehem is none other than the Prince of Peace. For by
His birth, peace entered into a world plagued by hatred, hurt, and
conflict.
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios for The Nativity of Christ 2017
We glorify Christ on this blessed and glorious Feast for having come to us
and for revealing the abundant and redeeming grace of God
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios for the Feast of the Nativity 2016
On this glorious Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, we hear from the Holy
Scriptures and the beautiful hymns of our services that sacred story of how
Christ was born of the Virgin Mary and as an infant was wrapped in
swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. We contemplate the miraculous and
joyous appearance of the angels proclaiming to the shepherds the good news:
For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). We marvel at the inspiration of the wise men
as they traveled from distant lands to offer gifts and reverence to the
newborn King.
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical for the Feast of the Nativity (12/25/2015)
On this blessed Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
I greet you in the grace, joy and peace that accompany this unique event.
We celebrate our Lord’s holy Incarnation as a miraculous revelation of
God’s grace, and through faith we see the path to redemption, restoration,
and life without end. Our hearts are filled with joy, for our hope is
renewed in the fulfillment of His divine promise to save us and be with us.
We also experience the peace of God, which passes all understanding
(Philippians 4:7), as our hearts and minds are filled with the transforming
presence of Christ.
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical for the Feast of the Nativity (12/25/2014)
The Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ is a revelation of truth. Today,
the brilliance of divine wisdom, the glory of the Lord, and the hope of the
Gospel of salvation are revealed. The ancient promise made to Adam and Eve,
to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to so many others is fulfilled.
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical for the Feast of the Nativity of Christ (12/25/2013)
It is into the midst of the plight of humanity and these challenges that we
carry the message of this Feast: For unto us a Child is born and unto us a
Son is given! We share a Gospel of hope and promise. Christ has become man,
and this unique gift to us has become the spiritual foundation for our
offering to others in need. In gratitude to Him, in our compassion for our
fellow human beings, and as a witness of the greatest gift of all, we offer
to those who have lost everything, who carry the burden of despair, who
suffer under conditions they cannot control or change, who have been
victims of the abuse of others. They need to hear and see that God has
given Himself to them, that His grace is revealed through Christ so that
they might have hope and true life.
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical for the Nativity of Christ (12/25/2012)
Our celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ is filled with joyful proclamations of the fulfillment of His
promises for redemption and new life. “Today the Virgin gives birth to Him
who is above all being.” “Today God has come upon the earth, and man gone
up to heaven.” “Today He who knows no beginning now begins to be, and the
Word is made flesh.”
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical for the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord (12/25/2011)
When we hear and contemplate the beautiful story of our Lord’s Nativity,
our hearts are filled with tremendous joy. In this marvelous event of God
becoming man, He revealed His great love for us and the divine plan to
restore our communion with Him. Through His Incarnation, Christ offered
Himself for our total renewal and completed this gift of grace in the Cross
and Resurrection. Through His birth, our Lord entered into our humanity,
giving us a deeper understanding of our relationship with our Creator and
offering us a greater experience of life and being.
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical for the Feast of the Nativity of Christ (12/25/2010)
On this glorious Feast of the Nativity of Christ we celebrate a truly
wondrous event in which God, in His infinite and marvelous grace, became
man bringing us enduring hope, newness of life, and eternal salvation. The
holy birth in Bethlehem of our Savior occurred at a specific time, but His
Incarnation and its significance for our redemption are timeless.
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical on the Nativity of Christ (12/25/2009)
On this holy feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, we gather in
joyous celebration of the One who gives us rebirth and new life. We offer
praise to God for His abundant grace and for His divine plan for our
redemption and salvation.
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical for the Nativity of Christ (12/25/2008)
On this most joyous day, our Holy Orthodox Church celebrates the birth of
Jesus Christ and the fundamentally life-affirming and awesome consequences
that flowed from this miraculous event. The birth of Jesus Christ was
nothing less than the entry of salvation into our world. It was at that
singular defining moment in history, a moment of cosmic significance, that
God the Word became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ, and began
to dwell among us.
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical for The Nativity of Christ (12/25/2007)
On this glorious day of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord God and
Savior Jesus Christ we celebrate the truly historical, universal, and
eternal event of His Incarnation. It is historical, for at the divinely
appointed time He entered our human history by being conceived and formed
in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and was born of her in a cave in Bethlehem.
It is universal because the Son of God, the divine Logos of Creation, took
upon himself human flesh and blood so that He might redeem us and all of
the universe from the burden of sin and death. His Incarnation and birth
has eternal significance because through His life, we are offered life, not
just a mortal and earthly life, but unending life. "For God so loved the
world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). The gift of the Lord and the
gift of life are the greatest offerings presented to humankind. God the
Father gave his Son, and the Son gave Himself so that we might be restored
to the life and communion for which we were created.
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical for the Nativity of Christ (12/25/2006)
On this very holy day of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, I greet you in the love and peace that was revealed to all of
humanity through the Incarnation and sacred birth of the Son of God. Today
we commemorate a unique event that has both eternal significance for our
salvation and relevance to the needs and challenges of our contemporary
world.
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical for the Feast of the Nativity (12/25/2005)
On this glorious celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord, I
greet you with love in the joy of the Good News that was received on that
blessed and holy night by the shepherds of Bethlehem. After announcing the
birth of the Son of God, the heavenly hosts filled the dark sky with light,
rejoicing and proclaiming, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on
earth peace, good will among men" (Luke 2:14).
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical for The Nativity of Christ (12/25/2004)
I greet you on the joyous occasion of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ, an event of cosmic proportions that marked the
very entry of salvation into our world. The significance of this event
rests in the awesome truth that our God, in His perfect love for us, chose
to enter our world not as an adult clothed with earthly authority, but as
"a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger". It is truly
incredible to contemplate such a tender and humble image in view of the
incomprehensible might and majesty of God.
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical for the Feast of the Nativity (12/25/2003)
We greet once again the arrival of the Feast of the Nativity of Christ with
feelings of indescribable joy and deep awe. The birth of Jesus Christ was
an event of universal proportions and ageless relevance. In considering the
birth of Jesus, we ponder the infinite love of our Incarnate God the Word,
who for us and for our salvation “became flesh and dwelt among us, full of
grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Read More »
Read More »
Encyclical On The Feast Of The Nativity Of Our Lord And Savior Jesus Christ (12/25/2002)
I greet you on the joyous occasion of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ, a miraculous event which took place two millennia
ago, imparting an indelible effect upon our human race and upon all
creation. For on that holy and magnificent day in Bethlehem, God in His
perfect love for us condescended to take on human flesh; the Virgin Mary
gave birth to the Incarnate Logos; and the entry of salvation into our
world was revealed in the fullness of time unto all humanity.
Read More »
Read More »
Christmas Message to the faithful (12/25/2000)
We are called to be the Christmas star. We who have basked in the healing
rays of the Sun of Righteousness, who have tasted the joy of His
Kingdom--we are called to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), leading
those around us to the knowledge of our Incarnate Lord.
Read More »
Read More »
Christmas Encyclical (12/25/1999)
On the bright and joyous Feast of the Nativity according to the flesh of
our Lord Jesus Christ, we worship and praise and glorify the God who hears
and answers prayer. "In the fullness of time," the Scriptures say (Gal.
4:4), the Creator of the world responded in love to the prayers of all
people: the people of ancient Israel longed for a deliverer; the Magi of
the East sought a king; the poor of the earth cried out for a benefactor;
the ill and infirm prayed for a healer; the entire human race longed for a
Saviour-God. And on this night of the Nativity some two thousand years ago,
God answered their prayers and their intense longing by giving them His
Son, a Son whose name according to the prophecy of Isaiah would be
Emmanuel, which means "God with us."
Read More »
Read More »