Christ is Born, let us glorify Him!
Christ from heaven, let us go out to meet Him!
My Beloved, the Blessed Children of the Holy Church,
“Behold, all things have become new” (2 Co 5:17)
I am pleased to congratulate you all on the Feast of the Holy Nativity and wish you all a
blessed and joyful feast.
The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ was a new beginning for humanity. By the birth of
Christ, human history was divided between history before His birth and history after His
Birth.
Christ has come as a Light into the world, as Scripture testifies: “That was the true
Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the
world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.” (Jn 1:9–10) and “I have
come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.”
(Jn 12:46).
The world was abiding in darkness, the darkness of death, sin, and corruption. Man,
who inherited sin, was unable to attain the life of holiness and righteousness, for he lost
the divine grace that was given to him when God created him in His image. The image was
distorted and man lost his light, because he separated himself from God Who is the source
of light, life and righteousness. He became like a lamp that was extinguished, because it
was disconnected from electricity. St. Paul explained the situation saying, “They have all
turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no,
not one” (Ro 3:12) and “[F]or all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Ro 3:23).
Man was unable to be justified, neither by good deeds nor by the works of the Law. He
needed the righteousness of Christ, as St. Paul explained, “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed” (Ro 3:24–25).
Man’s justification and salvation is attained through our Lord’s act of redemption on the Cross, and without the Incarnation, there would not have been redemption. Thus, the purpose of the Incarnation was the redemption and salvation of mankind.
Man, who was under the power of sin, which “reigned in death” (Ro 5:21), because he was separated from God, but Christ delivered man through the redemption on the Cross, for Christ abolished sin by sacrificing Himself on the Cross. As St. Paul spoke concerning Christ our High Priest, “But now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb 9:26).
Christ is the Priest and the Sacrifice, the Redeemer and the Ransom, “not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb 9:12).
The Son of God was incarnate and took our human nature with a rational soul to destroy death by His death. “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death
were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Heb 2:14–15).
In his annunciation to the shepherds, the angel said, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I
bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this
day in the city of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord” (Lk 2:10–11).
Also, the angel who appeared to Joseph in a dream said, “Joseph, son of David, do not
be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save
His people from their sins” (Mt 1:20–21). In the Creed, we proclaim our faith concerning
Christ “Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate
of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man.”
The Son of God, the Word, “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the
Cross” (Php 2:7–8).
It was not possible for the Son of God, the Word, to become obedient to the point of
death, even the death of the Cross, without humbling Himself and coming in the likeness
of man with a rational soul to free us from the bondage of death, sin, and corruption,
thereby transforming us into a new creation in Himself. As St. Paul explained, “Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things
have become new” (2 Co 5:17).
We pray that God may grant us the joy of His Nativity Feast and make our hearts a pure manger for the Lord to be born in.
We pray for the peace of the Holy Church and the whole world.
We pray for our beloved father and shepherd, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II.
We pray for all those who are suffering and in pain that the Lord may grant them the
joy of His holy Nativity.
We pray for the soul of the blessed Deacon Barnaba El Masry and for the souls of all
those who departed this world that the Lord may repose their souls in the Paradise of Joy
and console their families.
Happy Nativity Feast.
Wishing you many happy returns.
Metropolitan Serapion
