Nativity Epistle of His Grace Vladimir, Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America

Official documents

Beloved of our Lord, fathers, brothers and sisters!

Greetings with the great and joyous feast of the Nativity of Christ!

This day Christ is born in Bethlehem of the Virgin……. (lauds of Matins)

Commemorating this great day, the Church offers us a litany of songs that witness the Divine Miracle of the virgin birth-giving of the Theotokos. This act is beyond human comprehension. This is especially evident in the Kontakion of the feast "Today a Virgin…..".

"Today the Virgin gives birth to Him who is above all being…The Pure Virgin gives birth yet remains a virgin." How is this so? This never before occurred - this was unheard of. To whom does She give birth? To Him who is above all being - the Child who existed before her, before the creation of the world. How is it possible to bear the one who existed before all time? The human mind cannot perceive this, yet this wonder occurred.

"And the earth offers a cave to the unapproachable one…..". Our lord is the unapproachable light, and as the holy Apostle says, " For our God is a consuming fire"(Heb. 12,29), Who "touches the hills and they smoke" (Ps. 103,32). Here, our Lord, the divine Fire comes to earth and chooses for his abode a cave and a manger, and although He is the all consuming Fire , neither cave nor manger are burned, and the uncontainable and unapproachable lays within them.

"The angels and the shepherds sing praises…..". When the Angel appeared in Bethlehem and proclaimed "great joy," immediately there also were hosts of Heavenly powers, who as in Eden, began to sing praises with man, with the magi to the new born Lord. For the first time since Adam's banishment from paradise, the Angels and man together sing praises. Heaven and earth together glorify the God-child Christ.

"Wise men journey with the star….". As the Savior of the world was born, an extraordinary light appeared in the heavens, and the Magi understanding an extraordinary one was born, traveled in search of him in order to bow before Him. The star moved, and the Magi followed it, directing them to the new born Lord.

What purpose is there in so many miracles accompanying the birth of Christ? The purpose being, that in His Birth, the pre-eternal one bowed the heights of Heaven to earth in order to save mankind. Our Lord surrounded His Birth with these miracles so that every person, each nation could recognize Him as their Savior and Redeemer, the true Messiah.

The holy Church calls each of us this day to "sing unto the Lord the entire world and with joy chant all ye people." If we have true faith in our hearts and offer with the Magi gifts from ourselves; faith and hope in our Lord and love to Him and one another, then regardless of any temptations in our lives no-one shall take from us the joy of the Birth of Christ.

With the help of God, brothers and sisters, let us strengthen our faith and our stand in the holy Church Abroad. Let us defend our holy Orthodox faith from attack, moreover from heresy such as ecumenism and Sergianism. As our holy fathers direct us, "defense of the faith is higher than all miracles and saving beyond all prayer and vigil."

Let us sing in these holy days the glory of our Lord who came to save us - and He will grant us all these joys not only in this life but in the life to come. Amen.

+ Archbishop Vladimir

Nativity, 2011