"The Redeemer embraced the harsh truth of human life, facing, still infant, the misery, the persecution, the exile. The message is crucial for all of us who want to follow in Jesus' footsteps: Calm endurance to the various sorrows that appear in our path, in deprivations, in hardships, in sorrows. Calm resistance to unexpected hostility, the slanders, the persecutions. Calm endurance in the hard roads of exile ", points out, including, in his Christmas message to the Archbishop of Tirana, Anarchy of Durres and all of Albania.
Such as, in fact, emphasizes: "Many believe in the historian Jesus Christ alone, a person of the past. They do not believe in the eternally present Lord. The Christian faith insists that Christ is always with us, not only in the hours of sorrow and peace but also in the days of sorrow, of doubt, of cowardice, of concern and trials, that in our time the unprecedented pandemic is spreading. The awareness of the presence of the Lord Jesus inspires, comforts, strengthens the certainty that God will eventually intervene at the right time, when and as He judges ".
End, emphasizes that “the most beautiful Christmas present, my brothers and sisters, for ourselves and those around us, is to strengthen the belief that God is the truth, of love and strength is with us ". And he wishes: “Let the Incarnate Son and Word of God Guide Our Thoughts and Actions, to face the small and big problems of our lives, with calm endurance.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with unwavering health and an unbroken awareness of His presence ".
The message of Archbishop Anastasios in detail:
"And thus was the birth of Jesus Christ" ( Matthew. 1:18)
During these festive days, various thoughts are usually repeated, messages and comments around peace, the love, joy and hope. They are not missing, of course, and some who prefer to disconnect these concepts from their core Christmas core and vaguely call them "holiday seasonal wishes". Nevertheless, the shedding of light from the redemptive Event of the coming of the Redeemer to humanity spreads to our afflicted earth.
From the multitude of the rays of the Sun of Justice, two acquire special topicality in our time: the calm endurance of the central characters in the biblical narrative about the Nativity and especially the core of the meaning of Christmas.
The special conditions, in which the Son and Word of God came into our world, they were not comfortable. A few days before His birth, His mother had embarked on a arduous journey from Nazareth of Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea. Arriving there did not open for’ them a cozy house. The indifference of the inhabitants was icy. Even at the inn "they are not a place to stay". They took refuge in the stable "and carried him away and laid him in the manger" (Luke. 2:7). From the first moment Jesus Christ denied the luxury of this world. It was not long before Herod's manic outburst appeared, which caused the flight to foreign countries, in Egypt. All, Nevertheless, these unexpected difficulties and dangerous conditions were dealt with with a calm endurance, full of patience, endurance, serenity.
The Redeemer embraced the harsh truth of human life, facing, still infant, the misery, the persecution, the exile. The message is crucial for all of us who want to follow in Jesus' footsteps: Calm endurance to the various sorrows that appear in our path, in deprivations, in hardships, in sorrows. Calm resistance to unexpected hostility, the slanders, the persecutions. Calm endurance in the hard roads of exile. This does not mean passivity. In carrying out His redemptive mission, the "meek and lowly" Jesus resisted unrighteousness and idolatry. He stigmatized hypocrisy and deceit, always with calm endurance. Even in the most extreme situations, in the horrible Passions.
The glorious celebration of Christmas lays the foundation for this endurance. It strengthens the certainty that with the coming of the Redeemer we are not alone, that the Son and Word of God came to stay with us. "Emmanuel" is one of His main names, that is, "God meth’ our". Traces from the search for the Transcendental, of the Supreme Power of the universe, found in different cultures. This, Nevertheless, What makes the Christian message unique is that the pre-eternal God himself became man.
Two basic paternal phrases summarize the meaning of the feast: "It simply came to our notice then, "Let us be deified" emphasizes Saint Athanasios and the Great Basil underlines: The Son of God came to earth "to restore all mankind to themselves". The infinite God took on human nature, to lead us to the maximum of development and completion, in grace deification. The union of the divine and human nature in Christ gave humanity a new dynamic and elevated it in the light of uncreated divine energies., which His love radiates.
In this joyful festival, the Church calls us not only to praise the Coming, but also to strengthen our faith in His constant presence, in the history of the world -and ours-, with heartfelt prayer and our participation in the life-giving Divine Eucharist.
Many believe in the historical Jesus Christ alone, a person of the past. They do not believe in the eternally present Lord. The Christian faith insists that Christ is always with us, not only in the hours of sorrow and peace but also in the days of sorrow, of doubt, of cowardice, of concern and trials, that in our time the unprecedented pandemic is spreading. The awareness of the presence of the Lord Jesus inspires, comforts, strengthens the certainty that God will eventually intervene at the right time, when and as He judges.
Nevertheless, those of us who believe are not enough to feel that we are not alone. We must make sure that the divine presence is felt in our environment - through speech, projects, the testimony of our lives.
The most beautiful Christmas present, my brothers and sisters, for ourselves and those around us, is to strengthen the belief that God is the truth, of love and strength is with us. May the Incarnate Son and Word of God Guide Our Thoughts and Actions, to face the small and big problems of our lives, with calm endurance.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year with unwavering health and an unbroken awareness of His presence.