Patriarch Elijah’s message for Eastern Christmas 2014 /+ video/
Christ is born! Let us glorify Him!
This Christmas greeting expresses the truth that Christ not only was born in Bethlehem but is born ever anew. He is born again in the souls of those who receive Him by faith as their Saviour and give Him all their past, all their sins.
Saint Jerome had a vision in a cave in Bethlehem: the Holy Saviour appeared to him as a defenceless child. He revealed to him the glory which was in store for him after death if he would remain faithful to Him. Jerome asked in amazement: “What can I give You in return?” He thought of his translations of the Holy Scripture in several languages, which he had been working on for over 20 years. “I’ll give You my work. And I’ll give You all I have. I’ll give You my health, my skills and my life.” The Saviour said to him: “Jerome, you have it all from Me.” “So what can I give You?” he asked sadly. The Saviour said to him: “Jerome, give Me your sin! That’s why I came as a defenceless child. I paid for your sin with My blood when I died on the cross.”
Today Jesus comes to each of you and says: “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in and be with you and you with Me. Vladimir, Andrew, Olga… give Me your past, give Me your sin. That’s why I came.” As a sign that you now open the door of your heart and receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour, make a sign of the cross. Now Jesus has come through your faith. Making a sign of the cross, you have also renewed your baptism. The angels said to the shepherds: “To you is born this day the Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.” This good news is also for you. To you is born this day the Saviour! From this day forward to the last day of your life, begin every morning with this sign of the cross. Make a sign of the cross at the end of the day also.
Through your faith and through the sign of the cross the mystery of faith will be fulfilled every day: “Christ is born!”
On 8 January 2013, Kievan Russia was consecrated to the Most Holy Mother of God in the Kiev lavra of the Caves. It was the beginning of the jubilee year – the anniversary of Baptism. Tomorrow, 8 January 2014, the feast of the Most Holy Mother of God, is the close of this jubilee year when we commemorated that through baptism Saint Vladimir and representatives of the nation accepted Christ and the law of God.
This jubilee year was a year of spiritual battle. Perun was symbolically thrown into the Dnieper and the symbols of euroideology were burnt in Kiev. In this jubilee year, the enemies of Ukraine and people deceived by them failed to integrate the nation with the system of euro Sodom. Representatives of three nations – Ukraine, Russia and Belarus – renewed their Baptism in the Dnieper. In this jubilee year, God worked a series of miracles.
The words of Christ are true even today: “Vladimir, Andrew, Olga, give Me your sin. That’s why I came. I want to save you and through you I want to save Kievan Russia.”
Christ is born! Today and every day in your life!
Download: Patriarch Elijah’s message for Eastern Christmas 2014
