Bishop Anastassy's Nativity Epistle

"Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2, 14)

These wonderful angelic words we hear very often in the services of the Orthodox Church on the feast of Christ's Nativity. The holy angels, descending to earth, announced to the people of peace on earth and good will towards men. The peace of which the holy angels sang is the peace of God with the human race, peace of heaven and earth. This is the granting of the forgiveness of sins to the human race through our Lord Jesus Christ, who became man and suffered for our salvation.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, himself, during His work on the earth preached about peace. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you" (John 14, 27). But why is it that the peace brought by Christ the Saviour to the people on earth does not work in us? That is because we, ourselves, do not allow room for it in our souls, we do not accept it with our lives. God's peace, brought to us by our incarnate Saviour Lord Jesus Christ can only be mastered by us through a true faith in Him, a pure heart, love and humility, a pure soul, a clean God-pleasing life and prayer. So, let us pray the King of peace, our Lord Jesus Christ, to fill us with a grace-filled spiritual peace, not only here on the earth but also in the life eternal.

I wholeheartedly congratulate all of you, children of our Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in the homeland and in the diaspora, with the Great feast of Christ's Nativity and wish all of you a peaceful and prosperous life lived in piety and purity. Amen

+Bishop Anastassy