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New Year MESSAGE  2009  By HE Ambrosios Metropolitan of Korea

NEW YEAR’S MESSAGE 2010

By HE Metropolitan Ambrosios of Korea

My beloved,

    The coming of the New Year is always a time of joy, of wishful expectations and hope for a better tomorrow on a personal, social as well as universal level.

    For us Orthodox Christians, who are members of the Korean Orthodox Church, this New Year carries a special significance, as we celebrate the 110th anniversary of Orthodox Witness in Korea.

    This joyful anniversary is undoubtedly a historical event of great importance.  Firstly, it is an opportunity for us all to express our deepest thanks to the Triune God for the miracle of the founding of the Orthodox Church here in Korea and for its uninterrupted existence, despite the harsh and difficult situations it was faced with throughout this time. And secondly, it is also a time of grateful remembrance of all those who, according to St. Paul, “preached the word of God” (Heb. 13:7) to the hearts of the people during the last a hundred and ten years.

    This anniversary, of course, does not call for superficial and fruitless celebrations. On the contrary, it is an opportunity for serious consideration as well as sincere self-criticism. Consideration of the past from which we can learn many lessons so as to deal more successfully with the present and the future of our Orthodox witness in Korea, and self-criticism for what each and everyone can do as a member of our Orthodox Korean Church.

    Let us, therefore, reflect on the precious experience of all those who have worked with zeal and sacrificial love in evangelizing our Korean brothers to the present. And, learning from the mistakes that were made in the past, let us continue our journey with faith, love, unity and a feeling of offering for the further spreading and development of our Orthodox Church as it completes its first decade of its second centenary.

             May the New Year 2010 be a blessed one for all of you.

            + Metropolitan Ambrosios of Korea

 

  St. Paul Orthodox Press
 www.orthodoxincheon.or.kr