« CHRISTMAS MESSAGE OF E L I S E Y, ARCHBISHOP OF SOUROZH »
06-01-2014 CHRISTMAS MESSAGE OF
E L I S E Y
ARCHBISHOP OF SOUROZH
TO THE PASTORS AND ALL FAITHFUL CHILDREN
OF THE DIOCESE OF SOUROZH
OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
Dearly beloved in the Lord, honourable pastors
and God-loving laypeople,
dear brothers and sisters!
Our Saviour from on high has visited us - thus the Church hymns the mystical event that was accomplished in history two thousand years ago and is being accomplished today as the miracle of the meeting of man and God. The world ceases to be pale and gloomy, it acquires colours and beauty. The chaotic whirling of the passions is transformed into the harmony of goodness. Meaninglessness and the fear connected with it disappears. Everything is filled with the presence of the Divine Wisdom. Christ is born!
The divine Artist enters the world, beautifying human souls and inscribing Himself, the Word of God, on the canvas of the world, as in the book of life. There comes into the world a Man, perfect, sinless, eternal, the Creator of a new good and a new meaning in this world.
It is impossible for man to live without hope, without searching for God. Attentive to the saving tidings that the Light of wisdom has arisen upon the world, let us seek this divine Light. We believe that this star shines forth upon all, for each in his own way, but for all, one and the same: the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God. The light of this Star, penetrating into pure hearts, restores our spiritual vision. Christ the Word of Truth, received by us with faith, restores our spiritual hearing. Christ Our Saviour fulfils the ancient prophecy, And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness (Is. 29, 18).
We acknowledge that God is Our Lord. We accept His Lordship with joy and faithfulness, for His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (Mt. 11, 30). We believe that God revealed Himself through the birth of His Son from the Most Pure Virgin Mary, His Mother. God has revealed Himself to us in that we ourselves have received life, being born into this world. Our own birth and the teeming life of the whole of nature bear witness that God is with us (Mt. 1, 23).
Being, however, deeply drawn into the abyss of the vain world by our sins, we cease to feel the presence of God, we lose the meaning of our existence and our faith grows weak. Let us therefore seek our Saviour as did the Magi, the wise men of whom we hear in the gospel, who followed the star in order to worship the Lord Who was born in Bethlehem. Let us seek truth, let us strive towards the light! Let us recognise that we do indeed thirst for God! In this salvific quest we shall turn our spiritual attention to the ‘cave’ of our soul. Having become spiritually sober, we shall enter with repentant trepidation into the yawning darkness and emptiness of our soul. Like the shepherds in the gospel story we shall find in that stable among the beasts the stream of purity and life that flows from the newborn God-child lying in the manger.
May the reverent awe of that mystical encounter change us and transform both us and our relationships with people!
Dear brothers and sisters, the year that has just begun will mark 100 years since the birth of the spiritual father and great archpastor of our diocese, Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom). We shall lift up our prayers for him and remember the wonderful meetings with him and his words: we must accept carefully, thoughtfully and completely all the relationships that are ours; for each relationship defines a situation that can unfold into a miracle - the miracle of a meeting with God.
May the joyous amazement at this miracle now become the content of our prayer to the Living God. May this prayer awake in our hearts a song of glorification to the newborn Lord: And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation (Is. 25, 9).
Dear fathers and all faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church living in the British Isles and Ireland! I warmly greet you with the Great Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and I call upon all of you His divine blessing!
+ ELISEY
ARCHISHOP OF SOUROZH
The Nativity of Christ 2013/14
London