Glory to Thee O Lord! Yet again have we have reached the bright days of the Nativity of Christ! This feast is one of the great twelve feasts—it has five days of forefeast and six days of afterfeast, and in the divine service books it is called the three-day Pascha.

Because of the greatness of the event commemorated, this feast is celebrated more solemnly than all the feasts with the exception of Pascha. St. John Chrysostom calls the day of the Nativity of Christ the most honorable and important of all feasts, the “mother of all feasts”.

The first tidings of this magnificent event in the life of the Earth, the birth of Christ the Savior, were received by the Bethlehem shepherds from the angels. The angel appeared to them in the quiet of night, and proclaimed to all the living: Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord (Luke2:10-11).

My dear ones! Let us also attend to the word of God’s angel. Do not fear! The light of knowledge is shown to the world. Do not fear! Joy has come down to the world. Christ is born. Christ God came to the world that those who are faithful to Him and love Him would fear nothing, and conquer all fear through Him. Do not fear! Receive with faith and love the newborn Christ, and be born in Him, and grow to the measure of age of the children of God, the heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Fear not, little children of God! Our path is true and our lives have been born in Christ—and shouldn’t we then believe in God’s promise?… I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (Matt. 28:20).

I greet you all, all my family in Christ! Those near and far, known and unknown do I greet with the all-encompassing joy of the Nativity of Christ!

Christ is born and God is with us!

Amen!

Archimandrite John (Krestiankin)