1956 Christmas Message to the Western European and Eastern Flock
By St. John Maximovitch
By St. John Maximovitch
“Let heaven be glad and earth rejoice. Our God is born from the Virgin Maiden."
The Son of God came down to earth. The Creator came to His creation and settled in a miserable cave.
He does not seek wealth and fame, but lay down in a manger in the midst of two animals. He brought to earth not material wealth, but grants heavenly eternal treasures.
He was born not in a great city full of the vanity of life, but where people paid more attention to the Wisdom of God, manifested in His creation, and felt the voice of God more strongly in their hearts and consciences.
The Son of God became a man in order to save man who fell into sin from death and unite him with God.
The Born Child now accepts all, rich and poor, sages and those without reason; poor shepherds and noble magi-kings.
But not many came to Him, and even fewer remained with Him after His birth.
The majority did not want to give up their usual affairs and their habitual way of life, while others, like Herod, even sought to kill the Infant, fearing to lose the earthly blessings he had.
What would happen if now the Son of God came to earth again, came not as the Judge of the world, as He would come a second time, but as a humble Infant?
Would the current rulers of the world worship Him?
Would many go to see the One lying in the manger?
Would those who taste the good things of life be ready to leave them for the sake of the truth He speaks?
The stars that shone on the night of Bethlehem are now above us.
Will we be with those who most value well-being and earthly joy?
Let us follow the Magi, let us hasten with the shepherds, bow to Christ the Child, bringing as a gift the desire to live according to His Divine will, and with the angels we will sing: “Glory to God in the highest.” For us, for our sake, the Young Child, the Eternal God was born!
Christ is born!
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.