CHRISTMAS PASTORALS

"The greatest mystery in time"

Below is the Nativity message of the Permanent Conference of Ukrainian Orthodox Bishops Beyond the Borders of Ukraine.

"The Only-Begotten Son of God, begotten in eternity of the Father without a mother, was born in time of a Mother without a father. That first begetting is an unfathomable mystery of the Holy Trinity in Eternity and this second birth is an unfathomable mystery of God's power and love for mankind in time. The greatest mystery in time corresponds to the greatest mystery in eternity." - Bishop Nikolai in "The Prologue from Ochrid"

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ - clergy and laity - living in the Faith beyond the borders of Ukraine:
Christ is born! Let us glorify Him!

It is impossible for our simple minds to imagine the "greatest mystery in eternity" as the Heavenly Hosts surround God's Throne. We can imagine the beauty, joy and peace of their glorious "hosannas" filling the skies above us as they stand in praise before that Throne. Much of our rich Christmas carol tradition is an attempt to relate the power of that mystery, however inadequately.

The Nativity of our Lord - the Incarnation and the "greatest mystery in time" - leaves us in awe of our Heavenly Father's Love for us in sending His Only-Begotten Son to assume our humanity. The vision of the Christ-Child, born of the Virgin and lying in the cave is one, which changed the course of human history for all time. "God is with us..." is a familiar hymn of the Nativity season and these words, now and forever, are a profound message of human hope, warmth, dignity and beauty. They declare exactly what we long to hear during this holy season. In the Nativity at Bethlehem, Divinity whispers to each individual heart: "I love you!" And though we are part of a mighty chorus of believers singing along with the Heavenly Hosts in the spirit of Christmas joy, the Lord hears us one at a time as we respond in love.

At some deep level of our being - the direct result of our Baptism and Chrismation - we do comprehend the meaning of the Nativity Tropar - that "...Christ our God has shone the Light of Wisdom upon the world." This is evidenced by the way our lives seem to change during this season each and every year. Something within - through the guidance of the Holy Spirit - awakens a new respect and love for one another along with those feelings of hope, warmth, dignity and beauty. Something tells us that just as "the greatest mystery in time corresponds to the greatest mystery in eternity," our lives also must correspond to the life and teachings of our Lord. Our sincere archpastoral prayer is that each of us will choose to live in the Light of Wisdom throughout the year rather than wallow in the darkness.

There are those today who say: "Remember, the magic of Christmas lies in your heart." We say, rather, that the miracle of Christmas lies in the manger - in the humility of the Christ-Child - Who elevates our humanity to levels beyond our present comprehension and becomes our only hope for salvation. There is no "magic" - there is only God, Who is Love.

We greet you all in this season of hope - all of you entrusted to our spiritual care, and we most especially greet our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, who experience a season of hope unparalleled in the Ukrainian nation's history. We especially pray for divine guidance upon them all - most especially upon those who shall eventually be placed in leadership positions by the will of our God-loving people.

May we all live our lives filled with that hope and the Light of Wisdom, which shines brightly not from the star over Bethlehem, but from the Christ-Child lying in the manger of our hearts. We, along with our brethren in Ukraine and throughout the world, must shed that light into the lives of all around us. This is our mission. This is our life.

Each and every one of you is in our prayers during these Holy Days and we ask to be remembered in yours.

Christ is born! Let us glorify Him!

Ý WASYLY, metropolitan, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

Ý CONSTANTINE, metropolitan, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. and Diaspora

Ý JOHN, archbishop, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

Ý ANTONY, archbishop, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A.

Ý VSEVOLOD, archbishop, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A.

Ý IOAN, archbishop, Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Diaspora

Ý YURIJ, archbishop, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

Ý JEREMIAH, bishop, Ukrainian Orthodox Eparchy in South America

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 2, 2005, No. 1, Vol. LXXIII

| Home Page |