The Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ or Christmas
shows God’s humble and merciful love for all humankind. The Son of the
boundless and immortal God becomes a mortal human being, in order to
give eternal life to humans.
At the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ
in Bethlehem, the angels in heaven glorified God and called humans to
live on earth in peace and goodwill. The shepherds from Bethlehem
joyfully received Infant Jesus, and the Magi from the East brought Him
gifts of great price as to a King: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
That
is why children and young people herald today about the Nativity of the
Lord, as angels did once, through beautiful songs, called carols, while
priests and deacons, like the shepherds in Bethlehem, preach the
Nativity of the Lord by carrying His icon to people’s homes, and while
all merciful and noble-hearted people, like the Magi from the East,
offer gifts to children and all needy persons.
Therefore, the
Feast of the Nativity of the Lord calls us to offer to people we
encounter love from Christ’s love, peace and joy, light and hope,
especially to the sick and lonely, to the poor and helpless people.
Furthermore,
the feast of Christmas calls us to remember, through prayer and signs
of appreciation, the Romanians around the borders of Romania and from
the Romanian diaspora. Let us urge all Romanians living in faraway
countries and are missing their Country and Nation to come back home.
Let
us also pray during these days for those who suffer because of war,
persecutions and violence in different parts of the world, so that
Christ – the Lord of Peace help them not to lose the hope of peace and
salvation.
On the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the New Year 2017, and of the Theophany of the Lord, we address to you wishes of good health and salvation, peace and joy, along with the traditional greeting: Many years to come!
† DANIEL
Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church