But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, o redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
(Galatians 4: 4-5)
Your Graces, arch-pastors of our Holy Church,
Righteous priests and deacons,
Reverend monastics,
Right-faithful Christians,
“Come, let us rejoice in the Lord; let us proclaim the present mystery by which the partition has been broken and the flaming sword withheld. Now the Cherubim shall let us all come to the Tree of Life. As for me, I am returning to the bliss of Paradise from which I had been banished by disobedience”. (Stichera of the Nativity of the Lord).
When the fullness of time had come, the heavens united with earth, and the angels announced the shepherds in Bethlehem that the Saviour and Son of God is born today, “Incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary” (The Creed).
The joy communicated by the angels overwhelms today the entire Christianity: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”. (Luke 2: 11).
By the mystery of His Nativity, the Son of God replenishes human souls not only with joy, but also with love, holy and pure, cast from the glory of the Holy Trinity over human nature, fallen, overthrown, and afflicted by the sin of disobedience.
On the day of the Nativity of the Saviour Infant, the Kingdom of God descends over people, healing them from the wound of sin. That is why, we should spiritually rejoice today in the Lord, as holy Apostle Paul says, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost”. (Romans 14: 17).
The Word of God became flesh to prepare us, human, to become the heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom and partakers of the eternal goods, following His word and life example.
And He is preparing us for this heavenly inheritance, calling us to a life within the Church and Holy Communion.
Every place of worship where the Eucharistic communion is celebrated is a cave where the Saviour and Redeemer of our souls is expected to come, while by participating in the Holy Liturgy, each of us becomes a witness of the Nativity and Resurrection of Christ.
Let us witness Him with all our being, and not betray Him and His Gospel.
The Feast of the Nativity of Christ is a great gift for the humanity, for He who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14: 6), enters this world darkened by sin, takes up on his shoulders the stray sheep, leading it on the Road of Truth and offering it “the Life of the Age to come” (The Creed).
In a secularized and selfish world, in a haughty and cold world, only the Infant Christ born in a humble cave of Bethlehem can warm our souls, giving us the power to forgive our neighbour, help those around us, love them, and not pay with evil for evil, “but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12: 21).
Righteous fathers of our Holy Altars,
In these holy days filled with spiritual fragrance of the heavenly feast, my thought of a spiritual father of our Church and nation are directed towards the leaders and the people, towards the fathers and youth, elderly, and needy, towards those in detention, and towards every soul that is forlorn and overwhelmed, in need of the mercy and help of the Incarnate God: “Let us stand aright, let us stand with fear, let us attend, guarding in the right the commands of God!”.
Having visited at the end of this year the Holy Land and the Cave of Bethlehem, together with a big group of pilgrims, priests, and arch-pastors, I uttered humble prayers to our Heavenly King, for the right-faithful people of Moldova, within and abroad the country, for us all to live in peace and love, in the faith and confession of our God.
Many happy and blessed returns!
With arch-pastoral and parental blessings,
† VLADIMIR,
METROPOLITAN OF CHISINAU AND ALL MOLDOVA
Nativity of the Lord,
Year of Salvation 2019/2020
Chisinau