The Nativity of our Savior Jesus Christ dawns upon us each
year to remind us of God's infinite mercy and love for His entire Creation, and
to call us to reflect again on the sublime Mystery of the Divine Incarnation,
without which our salvation would not be possible.
Christmas should constitute, for all of us, an occasion of
spiritual renewal, a moment of meditation on our life, acts, behavior, and on
our commitment to live in Christ.
Peace and joy was poured upon earth at the moment the Divine
Child appeared in a humble cave. The pure-hearted, humble shepherds were the
persons who received Him, not the world's powerful leaders.
Christmas is an invitation, for all of us, to contemplate on
the heavenly message and to strive for peace, which is not, unfortunately,
attainable nowadays, in the cradle of the Good News, in the land of the
Incarnation, and in many regions of our suffering, crucified world.
Images of massacre and destruction are shown and diffused
every day, as well as images of the violation of the dignity of the human being
for whom the Glorified Son consented to dwell among us, in order to restore our
affiliation to the Father, to enable us to sit with Him on the Day of Judgment.
We pray Our Lord, during this honorable season of Christmas,
the New Year and Theophany, to grant us peace and stability, praising God and
acclaiming with the Angels:
"Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace,
goodwill to men.
Ignatius IV
Patriarch of
www.antiochian.org