wfn.org | GOAA Archbishop's Christmas Encyclical

[George Conklin <gconklin@igc.org>]

> GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AMERICA
> 8-10 East 79th St. New York, NY 10075-0106
> Tel: (212) 570-3530 Fax: (212) 774-0237
> Web: http://www.goarch.org  - Email: communications@goarch.org

> Contact: PRESS OFFICE
> Stavros Papagermanos
> pressoffice@goarch.org

> Archbishop's Christmas  Encyclical

> Protocol 101/08

> December 25, 2008

> The Nativity of Christ

> And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
> Full of grace and truth;(John 1:14)

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 Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On this most joyous day, our Holy Orthodox Church celebrates 
the birth of Jesus Christ and the fundamentally life-affirming and 
awesome consequences that flowed from this miraculous event.  The 
birth of Jesus Christ was nothing less than the entry of salvation 
into our world.  It was at that singular defining moment in history, 
a moment of cosmic significance, that God the Word became a human 
being in the person of Jesus Christ, and began to dwell among 
us.  This is what is meant by the above-cited passage from the Gospel 
of John, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

That the Almighty God freely chose to become a human being, 
in every manner like us except for sin, is a concept that is unique 
and central to our Christian faith.  It is, in fact, a quite radical 
concept:  because God became a human being, we have been offered the 
ability to appreciate anew the exalted status of what it means to be 
a true human being.  Equally radical was the divine and saving plan 
behind the manner by which God chose to enter our world and our human 
condition.  Even though it was within His power, our God did not 
enter our world clothed as an earthly monarch seeking to acquire 
worldly dominion and control over those who might be called 
subjects.  Rather, He came as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), Whose 
desire was to restore all human beings to a relationship with God 
permanently bonded by love, to herald the coming of a heavenly 
Kingdom, and to loose all human beings from the bonds of death.  And 
this is what is meant by those familiar and beautiful words of Saint 
John, the Evangelist, which we truly take to heart on this most 
magnificent day: For God so loved the world that He gave His only 
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal 
life (John 3:16).

> My beloved Christians,

These words are especially important on this day of Christmas since 
we are living at a time when in our world we are experiencing heavy 
levels of anxiety due to many ordeals.  Some of these ordeals include 
the present state of our global economy, the rising of unemployment, 
the problems related to the use of energy, the health of our 
environment, and the continuing presence of terrorism and civil 
unrest.  In the face of such tremendous stress, we take comfort that 
our loving and Almighty God Himself took on all kinds of 
ordeals.  Indeed, the newborn Christ took on all the evils, sins, and 
pains of the entire humanity, and He transformed these ordeals into 
hope, strength, peace and resurrection.  Therefore, even in the midst 
of difficulty, we experience the joy of hope and love that we spread 
abundantly to others.

On this day I extend to all of you my fervent prayers that the 
divine light of our Incarnate God and Savior Jesus Christ, Who is 
born to us on this day, may shine forever in your hearts and homes as 
a brilliant beacon of hope, joy, and love throughout this Christmas 
season, and indeed on every day of this New Year 2009 now at hand; 
and may His infinite mercy, protection, and peace be with you always.

> With paternal love in Christ,

> + DEMETRIOS

> Archbishop of America