January 7th
CHRIST IS BORN!
I sincerely greet You All, God-beloved Brothers and Sisters, with the Holy Feasts of Nativity and Theophany of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, and the New Year!
With the coming of the Infant Christ, the world had received the hope of salvation, which the Old-Testament Israel had long been waiting for. Upon the covenant of the Holy Trinity, the Hope came down to this sinful world, and this joyful event alone had pointed to mankind a way to reconcilement with God.
The Infant Christ does not arrive at a royal palace but at a poor man’s cave. He does not show up before the rules of the earth but before ordinary shepherds.
Each year, He sets an example for us, unworthy men, to help us accept with our souls and hopefully conceive the mystery of God’s incarnation, which is the evidence of power and majesty of God’s love towards men.
On this Holy Night, how can we, unworthy children of God, gracefully join in this festive event? How can we accept the incomprehensible Act of God in our poor hearts?
To meet the Savior, we must work hard on ourselves!
To resemble the shepherds of Bethlehem, we must clean up our acts, fight against our sins. We must help those in need, forgive others for their sins, wipe out hate and hostility from our hearts, stop condemning others, and show compassion towards those who suffer. And to love all – because there is so little love in this world!
Our world is full of modern challenges. We are called to forget about our souls and to only focus on satisfying everyday needs. We care too much about wellbeing, our desire to be attractive and famous in this spoiled world has replaced our memory of the immortal soul. This is the unfortunate reality.
On these festive days, the Holy Church, as a loving mother, is calling those who consider themselves her children to remember our souls, to look into our heart and fill it with peace and love towards others. Only when we start opening our hearts to good deeds and the truth of Christ, we would be able to accept the One who is Born today in the crib.
Let the Lord’s Blessing and Mercy revealed in Bethlehem be with You All through your whole life!!!
With Love in Christ, ever yours Rev. Fr. Ioann