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CHRISTMAS  MESSAGE  2009  By HE Ambrosios Metropolitan of Korea

My beloved,

    Christmas is here once again! But, unfortunately, for great many people Christmas is nothing but a secular event, a golden opportunity to make some extra money, to consume material goods and to enjoy various kinds of entertainment. One may wonder, is this really what the true meaning of Christmas is all about?  And what does this holy Feast actually mean for you and me, my brothers.  Have we, too, perhaps been influenced by wordly conceptions of how to celebrate Christmas? And, have we, too, reduced this important Christian Feast to the exchanging of gifts and good-will greetings? Is it possible that we may be celebrating Christmas without Christ?

    Though challenging these questions may be, they are of great importance to our spiritual well-being.  Let us, therefore, give them our full consideration.  For those of us who are believers and followers of Jesus Christ, our Church invites us to celebrate Christmas in an entirely different manner. That is, we are called upon to experience our Lord’s Birth as a totally unique event that concerns our personal Salvation.  We are called upon to firmly and strongly believe that Jesus Christ is “the Savior of the world (John 4:42) and “the Savior of all men (1 Tim. 4:10). Jesus came to earth to deliver us from the bonds of sin and death. He was born  in order to restore our fallen human nature, so that “our old self” (Rom. 6:6) may die within us and a new life in Christ may be born, away from any selfishness, animosities, pettiness and bigotry. And so, to witness to everyone around us, however inadequately,  the true meaning of  Christmas, which is not going on a shopping spree, neither exchanging gifts, nor the multi-colored lights in the streets, or the decorated trees outside of homes and stores. Christmas is something much more unique, mystical and profound. It is the rebirth of humanity through the redeeming work of the Incarnate Son of God.

My beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord,

    Let us all fill our hearts with feelings of gratitude and bringing our thanks to Christ our Lord, Who came in the likeness of man (Phil. 2:7), let us sing together with all the Orthodox Faithful all over the world the beautiful Christmas hymn: Our Lord has visited us from on high, from the farthest East. We had been in the shadow of darkness, but now we have found the Light of truth.

    On behalf of His Eminence Sotirios, Metropolitan of Pisidia, the Korean Clergy, the Deacons and the Nuns of our Metropolis, we all extend to you and to your families our heartfelt wishes on the Nativity of our Lord.  May “the great God and savior Jesus Christ” (Tit. 3:4) grant you good health, a long life and abundance of spiritual riches.

Have a blessed Christmas!

With much honor and love in the Incarnate Lord,

+ The Metropolitan of Korea Ambrosios

 

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