Christmas Message by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to all the faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church.
All of you, my dear brothers and sisters, I heartily congratulate you on the great and radiant holiday of the Nativity of Christ! Happy New Year!
For two millennia, from generation to generation, the good news has been passed on about an unusual Baby, Who was born not in the royal chambers and not in rich palaces, but in the wretched Bethlehem cave. His name is Jesus.
This is how the earthly life of the Beginningless God begins. The Invisible becomes visible, the All-powerful becomes defenseless, the Omnipotent becomes vulnerable.
What is the purpose of this humiliation, through which God strips Himself of omnipotent power and clothed himself with human weakness? The Lord descends to earth to take a person to heaven. He is born to save people from enslavement to sin and its consequences - death, to open the gates of the paradise lost by the ancestors at the dawn of history, and to grant eternal life to all.
After the coming into the world of the Savior, His Gospel sermon, the feat of the Cross and the glorious Resurrection, we all got the opportunity to become our own, and not alien to God, as the Apostle Paul writes about this. Moreover, we are all called to be children of God, relatives and close to each other by grace sent down from above.
How can this be achieved? The answer is given to us by the Church, its centuries-old experience. The Church testifies that through participation in the Sacraments, every believer already here on earth becomes a partaker of the Divine life, gets the opportunity to become stronger than sin and any temptations, fears, anxieties and despair. And today I urge all of you not to neglect this priceless gift that the Son of God brought to earth. Visit temples, proceed to the Sacraments, do deeds of love and mercy. Do not doubt: this is the true guarantee of spiritual and physical health, an inexhaustible source of strength and inspiration, including in order to serve God and others.
Christmas is a great celebration of love and hope. Truly, the light of Christ illuminates every person who comes into the world, as the Word of God itself tells us. This dispels the darkness of ignorance, warms hearts, filling them with love and gratitude, instills confidence that the Lord is always with us, that it is He who is our refuge and strength.
Addressing all of you, I would like to wish that in the coming year the hope of the mercy of God illuminates the life path of each of you, that there is peace and harmony in families, and love reigns in hearts. May the blessing of the Lord be with you, affirming in love, goodness and helping in deeds done for the benefit of your native country, for the joy of not only your neighbors, but also those far away - everyone who needs your support and human participation.
Happy holiday, my dears! Merry Christmas! Be healthy and protected by God!
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