PASTORAL LETTER FOR THE FEAST OF THE LORD’S NATIVITY 2023

† NICOLAE

by the mercies of God

Archbishop of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the United States of America and

Metropolitan of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas

To our beloved Clergy and Orthodox Christians,

grace, peace and joy from Christ the Lord, and from us a hierarchical blessing.

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace,

goodwill among men!” (Luke 2:14).

Most Reverend Fathers, Beloved Faithful,

The angels’ proclamation constitutes the most appropriate glad tidings for us to share with one another the joy and peace brought by the Savior’s Nativity. And it is right that we Christians should share this with our world, troubled by discord and war between brothers and peoples. God’s descent to earth, the Incarnation of the Son of God, is the message that can bring this world back to understanding, peace, and joy.

St. Luke the Evangelist describes the event of the joy-filled proclamation of the angel to the shepherds: “...while they were there (in Bethlehem), the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid” (Luke 2:6-9). St. Nikolai Velirimovich assures us that great is the glory of God that shines on the angels and the just; and these, being mortal men, were made worthy to see the light of the glory of God,[1] in the vision of the Prophet Ezekiel: “I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So when I saw it, I fell on my face” (Ezekiel 1:27-28). But the glory of God revealed at the nativity of Christ is in no way a cause for concern. Instead, the angel of the Lord brought them the good tidings of the Incarnation of the Savior of the world: “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). The Archangel greets the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation with the greeting Rejoice, and the angel proclaims to the shepherds great joy. When the magi saw the star above the cave they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy (Matthew 2:10).

St. Gregory Palamas clarifies for us what is this great joy for all people: “listen to the angelic song to the end and understand, for it says: Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men! God... comes now in the flesh, granting His peace to men and reconciling them with the Most High Father... But what does it mean that God’s goodwill is added to peace? ... Goodwill is the will of God well-pleasing of itself, original and perfectly complete. Just as God has called many sons, but only One is the Son in which He is well pleased (Mathew 3:17), He also has often granted His peace, but only one is the peace which has with it also His goodwill: that which through the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ was given as completely perfect and unchanged to all peoples and to all those who want it.[2]

As we see, St. Gregory shows us God’s plan for the salvation of the world through the incarnation of His Son. The revelation of the glory of God is not frightening for the shepherds, but brings the joy of the message of salvation. The salvation proclaimed refers in the first place to man’s reconciliation with God, to the proclamation of God’s goodwill, the revelation of God’s desire to bring man back into communion with Him. In this presentation of the proclamation of the Savior’s Nativity, that of St. Luke the Evangelist, we also discover a call to understand how God works with man. The message of the Nativity brings joy, and the joy is followed by doxology, by words of prayer and of glory that man addresses to God for the gift of salvation. And that doxology itself becomes a source of peace among men.

St. Nikolai Velirimovich reinforces this when he says, “when people joyfully give first place to glorifying God in the highest, this brings peace on earth and both of these become a source of goodwill among men.  The Lord Jesus came to earth precisely so that the earth would lift up God’s glory in the highest and thus there would be peace and goodwill among men.”[3] After Adam’s sin and his estrangement from God, only the righteous of the Old Testament, like Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were able to glorify God in the highest, to have peace and goodwill among themselves. At the Savior’s Nativity goodwill and peace among men are announced to us. And these, according to St. Gregory Palamas, completely perfectly and unchanged and to all those who desire it.

We find the conclusion of these words also from St. Gregory Palamas: “Let us preserve this peace, brothers! For we have received this as an inheritance from the One now born our Savior, who has given us the spirit of adoption through which we are made heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.[4] Let us therefore be at peace with God, doing that which is well pleasing to Him,[5] becoming wise, proclaiming the truth, fulfilling righteousness, steadfast in prayer and supplication,[6] praising and singing spiritual songs in our hearts,[7] not only with our lips. Let us be at peace with ourselves... Let us be at peace with one another, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, just as Christ has forgiven us,[8] showing mercy on one another just as Christ through His love for us had mercy on us and descended to us for us.”[9]

This hesychast father shows us in these words the Christian’s path toward salvation through achieving reconciliation with God and our neighbor. Such a Christian can proclaim in these days the joy and peace that come from the glad tidings of the Nativity of the Savior. Today’s troubled world is waiting for us to proclaim peace, to bring joy and hope to those who have suffered and are still suffering on account of war. My thought at this glorious feast is precisely that of invoking heavenly peace upon hearts that are bereft of love and unity, and full of the thorns of hatred and other sins.

I pray that God will descend and bless every priest and believer, every parish and monastery of our Archdiocese. May He bring each of us His Peace; may He grant us the joy of proclaiming the Birth of the heavenly Child.

I embrace you with brotherly love in Christ the Lord, and may you celebrate the holy festivals of Christmas, the New Year, and Theophany with health, peace, and spiritual joys!

Your brother in prayer to God,

† Metropolitan NICOLAE

            Chicago, the Feast of the Lord’s Nativity, 2023

[1]  Sf. Nicolae Velimirovici, Predici, Editura Ileana, București, p. 35.

[2] Omilia 58 la Nașterea Domnului, în Sfântul Grigorie Palama, Omilii, volumul 3, Editura Doxologia, Iași, 2021, p. 189-190.

[3] Sf. Nicolae Velimirovici, Predici, Editura Ileana, București, p. 37.

[4] Romani 8,17.

[5] Cf. Filipeni 4, 18.

[6] Fapte 1, 14.

[7] Efeseni 5, 9.

[8] Coloseni 3, 13.

[9] Omilia 58 la Nașterea Domnului, în Sfântul Grigorie Palama, Omilii, volumul 3, Editura Doxologia, Iași, 2021, p. 190-191.