ARCHIEPISCOPAL ENCYCLICAL: FEAST OF CHRISTMAS (gr-en)

Greek-English

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America 

Archiepiscopal Encyclical: Feast of Christmas

Prot. No. 225/2020

Encyclical on the Feast of Christmas

December 25, 2020

Τὶ σοι προσενέγκωμεν Χριστέ, ὅτι ὤφθης ἐπὶ γῆς ὡς ἄνθρωπος δι' ἡμᾶς; (Στιχηρόν Ἰδιόμελον)

What shall we offer You, O Christ, You Who have appeared on earth as human for our sake? (Special Sticheron)

To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Distinguished Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Day, Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox Family in America,

Beloved Brethren in the Lord,

In this darkest time of the year, we have have arrived at the turn of time, when the brightest Star that ever shone arises in our hearts to guide us to the Cave in the City of David. We have all faced so very much this past year, and the little Child of Bethlehem calls to each of us to come unto Him and witness His vulnerability for our sake. He descended from Heaven to be incarnate within the womb of a young Virgin, and entrusted Himself to an old man whose mind was full of doubts. We too, have our innocence and our doubts, just like Mary and Joseph. But as they were faithful to the words of the Angel, God still speaks to us and tells us that He is our God, and His mercy endures forever.

This Christmas, one that is full of challenges and difficulties, of despair and even loss, let us remember Mary and Joseph and their journey to Bethlehem of Judea. They went to be obedient to the law of Caesar, but they witnessed the birth of Grace and Truth (John 1:14). They were deprived of shelter, but they made a home with the creatures of the earth and entertained the Magi of the East. They saw wonder in the eyes of the Shepherds and head the echoes of the songs of Angels. Theirs was a time of gifts in the midst of humble paucity.

As we arrive at the Cave and behold the One Who condescended to be laid in a Manger, let us contemplate our own journey of faith, and this time of the gifts that we may bring. The hymn above continues: “Each of Your creations that You fashioned offers thanks to You: the Angels, their hymn; the heavens, a Star; the Shepherds, their wonder; the Magi, their gifts; the earth, the Cave; the desert, the Manger; and we offer the Virgin Mother. O God before all ages, have mercy upon us!”

My Beloved Christians, even in the midst of this pandemic, we can offer ourselves to God with the same love and devotion that the Ever-Virgin Mary offered herself. When we offer Her in praise, we are in fact offering ourselves, because we are of the same flesh and bone as she, full human beings that are called to bring forth God in the world. As you celebrate this Christmas of 2020, I pray the Lord will shine in your hearts as did the Star in the sky, and guide you to a blessed and prosperous New Year.

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

† ELPIDOPHOROS

Archbishop of America 

 

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΟΡΘΟΔΟΞΗΣ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΗΣ ΑΜΕΡΙΚΗΣ

ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΙΚΗ ΕΓΚΥΚΛΙΟΣ

Ἀριθ. Πρωτ. 225/2020

Ποιμαντορικὴ Ἐγκύκλιος Χριστουγέννων

25 Δεκεμβρίου 2020

«Τί σοι προσενέγκωμεν Χριστέ, ὅτι ὤφθης ἐπὶ γῆς ὡς ἄνθρωπος δι᾽ ἡμᾶς;» 

(Στιχηρὸν ἰδιόμελον τοῦ ἑσπερινοῦ τῆς ἑορτῆς τῶν Χριστουγέννων).

Πρὸς τοὺς Σεβασμιωτάτους καὶ Θεοφιλεστάτους Ἀρχιερεῖς, τοὺς Εὐλαβεστάτους Ἱερεῖς καὶ Διακόνους, τοὺς Μοναχοὺς καὶ τὶς Μοναχές, τοὺς Προέδρους καὶ τὰ Μέλη τῶν Κοινοτικῶν Συμβουλίων, τοὺς Ἐντιμολογιωτάτους Ἄρχοντες τοῦ Οἰκουμενικοῦ Πατριαρχείου, τὰ Ἡμερήσια καὶ Ἀπογευματινὰ Σχολεῖα, τὶς Φιλοπτώχους Ἀδελφότητες, τὴν Νεολαία, τὶς Ἑλληνορθόδοξες Ὀργανώσεις καὶ ὁλόκληρο τὸ Χριστεπώνυμο πλήρωμα τῆς Ἱερᾶς Ἀρχιεπισκοπῆς Ἀμερικῆς.

Προσφιλεῖς ἀδελφοὶ καὶ ἀδελφὲς ἐν Χριστῷ,

Μέσα στὸ σκοτάδι τῆς φετινῆς χρονιᾶς, ἔφτασε τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ χρόνου καὶ ὁ λαμπρότερος ἀστέρας τῆς ἀνθρώπινης ἱστορίας φωτίζει ξανὰ τὶς καρδιές μας, ὁδηγώντας μας στὸ σπήλαιο τῆς πόλης τοῦ Δαβίδ. Ἀντιμετωπίσαμε μεγάλες δυσκολίες αὐτὴ τὴ χρονιά, ἀλλὰ σήμερα τὸ βρέφος τῆς Βηθλεὲμ μᾶς καλεῖ νὰ ἐπισκεφθοῦμε τὸ παγωμένο καὶ σκοτεινὸ σπήλαιο, νὰ γίνουμε συναντιλήπτορες καὶ συνοδοιπόροι στὶς δυσκολίες ποὺ τὸ ἴδιο ἀντιμετώπισε γιὰ τὴ σωτηρία μας. Κατέβη ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ ἐνανθρώπησε μέσα στὴ μήτρα τῆς νεαρῆς παρθένου Μαρίας, παραδίδοντας τὸν ἑαυτό του στὰ χέρια τοῦ Ἰωσήφ, ἀνθρώπου γεμάτου ἀπορίες γιὰ τὸ θαυμαστὸ αὐτὸ γεγονὸς τῆς γεννήσεως. Ἔτσι καὶ ἐμεῖς, ὅπως ἡ Μαρία καὶ ὁ Ἰωσήφ, μὲ ἀφελότητα καρδίας, ἂς ξεπεράσουμε τὶς ὅποιες ἀμφιβολίες μας καὶ ἂς πιστέψουμε στὰ λόγια τοῦ ἀγγέλου, ποὺ μᾶς βεβαιώνει «ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν καὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα».

Αὐτὰ τὰ Χριστούγεννα τῆς πανδημίας ἀντιμετωπίζουμε μεγάλες προκλήσεις καὶ προβλήματα, μὲ οἰκονομικὰ ἀδιέξοδα καὶ ἐνίοτε καὶ ἀπώλειες ἀγαπημένων προσώπων, ἀλλὰ ἂς θυμηθοῦμε τὴ Μαρία καὶ τὸν Ἰωσήφ στὸ ταξίδι τους γιὰ τὴ Βηθλεὲμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας. Ὑπάκουσαν στὴν ἐντολὴ τοῦ Καίσαρα καὶ ἔγιναν οἱ συντελεστὲς τοῦ θαύματος: «Καὶ ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας» (Ἰωάν. 1:14). Στερήθηκαν καταλλήλου καταλύματος ἀλλὰ βρῆκαν τὴ θαλπωρὴ στὴ φάτνη μὲ τὰ ἄλογα ζώα τῆς γῆς, προσκυνούμενοι ἀπὸ Μάγους ἐξ Ἀνατολῶν. Γεύθηκαν τὸ θαῦμα τῆς ἐπισκέψεως τῶν ποιμένων καὶ τῆς δοξολογίας τῶν ἀγγέλων. Τί θαυμάσια δῶρα ἀλήθεια, μέσα στὴν ἀπόλυτη ταπείνωση, μέσα στὴν ἔλλειψη τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀγαθῶν!

Προσκυνώντας τὸ θεῖο βρέφος στὴν ταπεινὴ φάτνη τῶν ζώων, ἂς ὁλοκληρώσουμε αὐτὸ τὸ ταξίδι τῆς πίστεως προσφέροντας καὶ ἑμεῖς τὸ ταπεινό μας δῶρο ὡς εὐχαριστία. Τὸ ἰδιόμελο τοῦ ἑσπερινοῦ τῆς ἑορτῆς συνεχίζει: «ἕκαστον γὰρ τῶν ὑπὸ σοῦ γενομένων κτισμάτων, τὴν εὐχαριστίαν σοι προσάγει· οἱ Ἄγγελοι τὸν ὕμνον, οἱ οὐρανοὶ τὸν Ἀστέρα, οἱ Μάγοι τὰ δῶρα, οἱ Ποιμένες τὸ θαῦμα, ἡ γῆ τὸ σπήλαιον, ἡ ἔρημος τὴν φάτνην· ἡμεῖς δὲ Μητέρα Παρθένον. Ὁ πρὸ αἰώνων Θεὸς ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς».

Ἀγαπητοί μου χριστιανοί, ἀκόμη καὶ μέσα στὶς πολλαπλὲς δυσκολίες τῆς πανδημίας, τὸ δῶρο ποὺ μποροῦμε νὰ προσφέρουμε εἶναι ὁ ἴδιος μας ὁ ἑαυτός: μιμούμενοι τὴν ἀγάπη καὶ τὴν ἀφοσίωση μὲ τὴν ὁποία ἡ ἀειπάρθενος Μαρία προσέφερε τὸν ἑαυτό της στὸ Θεό. Ἐμεῖς προσφέρουμε Μητέρα Παρθένον, διότι ἔχουμε τὴν ἴδια φύση μὲ αὐτή, τὴν ἀνθρώπινη φύση, τὴν ὁποία προσλαμβάνει ὁ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ γίνεται ἄνθρωπος, ἐρχόμενος στὸν κόσμο. Ἑορτάζοντας τὰ Χριστούγεννα τοῦ 2020, εὔχομαι τὸ φῶς τοῦ Κυρίου νὰ λάμψει στὶς καρδιές σας, σὰν τὸ φῶς τοῦ ἀστέρα τῆς Βηθλεὲμ στὸν χριστουγεννιάτικο οὐρανό, ὁδηγώντας σας σὲ ἕνα εὐλογημένο καὶ εὐτυχὲς νέο ἔτος.  

Χριστὸς γεννᾶται, δοξάσατε.

† ὁ Ἀμερικῆς Ἐλπιδοφόρος