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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!

I warmly greet you with the great feast of the birth in the flesh of the Son of God, Who has revealed to the world His mercy and salvation!

The invisible and Almighty God has not only revealed Himself to the world but has been born into it as a human being, in all respects like us, except without sin. Heaven has come down to earth, and the heavenly world on high has found a refuge in our earthly world. The good will of the Creator has found its accord in the free will of the human being.

Now we are setting out on the path that leads to the great mystery of creation. A star of hope, similar to that which showed the way to Bethlehem, where the Saviour of the world was born, accompanies us on our laborious earthly journey.

The mystery of the reality of the world is opened to us in the recognition of the secret desire which is the foundation of life. Coming into contact with the reality of the spiritual world, we discover with joyful amazement that since birth we have always had an inner striving towards God, as the source of the light of life. Happy is he who has seen that the value of life is not limited by the shaky values of temporary earthly prosperity. God gives us His inexhaustible and life-creating energy - the power of His divine love.

Born in a poor cave, the Son of God became infinitely near to us. He can always reveal Himself to us in the depths of our heart. Any human soul, even the weakest, can become a refuge for the God-Child. God is born in the human heart; He warms it with His divine love and illumines it with His divine significance.

In His humility the Lord does not force anyone to serve Him, but gives us the possibility of exercising our free will.  We ourselves have to choose whether we shall open the doors of our heart to Christ, or whether we shall be occupied with ourselves without God.

May the joy of meeting the God-child Jesus bring us nearer to the truth that has arisen upon the world as the light of knowledge, and that warms our hearts with the heat of divine love. May this joy draw us closer one to another and establish among us a mystical unity in the striving to live according to the life of God Who is born in our hearts.

I most sincerely greet all the children of the Russian Orthodox Church living in the British Isles on the occasion of the Nativity of Christ, this great and glorious celebration of the appearance of God to the world of men. In our prayers we wish one another that the New Year that has begun will be blessed for all of us and filled with peace and joy!

This year marks the 300^th anniversary of the consecration of the first church of the Russian Orthodox Church in London, which was the beginning of the spreading in Britain and Ireland of Orthodox Christianity according to the Russian tradition. I call upon our compatriots and all whose church life has its origin in the Russian Church to mark this significant date by the strengthening of our unity. With deep gratitude I greet all those who endeavour to preserve the Orthodox traditions which we have inherited from our predecessors and spiritual teachers.

May Our Incarnate Lord Jesus Christ strengthen each of us in all the ways of our life! May the glory of God illumine our spiritual journey to the manger of the Christ-Child Who is born and may it enrich us with divine gifts!

+ ELISEY

ARCHISHOP OF SOUROZH

The Nativity of Christ 2015/16

London