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Published by the
Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of
America,
December 25, 2004
Archpastoral Reflections - December 2004 |
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Living in
Holiness
December 25, the Feast of the Nativity of our
Lord, is one of the holiest days of the year. On
this day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ,
the Holy One of God. In our hymns we acknowledge
the sanctity of this great event, a moment in time
and history when heaven and earth were united,
when light shone in the darkness, when the
pre-eternal God became a newborn child. Christ
entered fully into our humanity, so that through
His incarnation, death, and resurrection, our
lives could be restored to holiness. Through faith
in Him we could know and experience a level of
living and being that reveals an inner communion
with God and His transforming presence that
sanctifies our minds, hearts and bodies.
God created us to be holy as He is holy. He calls
us to live holy lives; and the life of holiness
has always been a part of His divine plan for our
salvation. In His covenant with the Israelites, He
called them out from the nations of the world to
be a holy witness of the truth “For I am the Lord
your God, sanctify yourselves, therefore, and be
holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44). Through
following the divine commandments, they would
reveal to the world the goodness, righteousness,
holiness, and love of the one, true God.
The significance of holiness in our relationship
with God was also affirmed in the incarnation of
our Lord. Prior to His birth, Zechariah, the
father of John the Baptist, prophesied concerning
the coming of Christ, “God has shown the mercy
promised to our ancestors, and has remembered His
holy covenant … that we might serve Him without
fear, in holiness and righteousness all the days
of our lives” (Luke 1:72-73).
In the person of Jesus Christ the holiness of God
dispelled the darkness of deceptions and
falsehoods with the light of truth that offered
hope and peace. In the midst of spiritual
blindness and ignorance, our Lord brought the
knowledge of salvation to all humankind. By
sharing in our humanity He has shown us that
through grace and faith we can be the holy people
God created us to be.
It is this witness of holiness that is so needed
in our world today. People are becoming more and
more disconnected with the truth of God. Many are
conforming their lives and aspirations to desires
that are rooted in ignorance of who Christ is,
what He has done for us, and what we can become
through Him. They cannot hear the call to live
holy lives in the midst of so many distortions of
truth, misconceptions, vain ideas, and meaningless
entertainments. They need to be shown the way to
life and salvation They need to find truth and the
knowledge of the grace of God that will transform
their lives and fill their hearts and minds with
peace.
As Orthodox Christians and people of genuine
faith, you are called by God to offer a witness of
holiness. You are exhorted to “present your bodies
as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to
God,” to not be conformed to the world, “but to be
transformed by the renewing of your minds,” so
that you may know the good, acceptable, and
perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2). As the
presence of Christ transforms your lives, you will
be living in holiness; and your hearts and minds
will be filled with the truth. Further, the
sanctity of your life, words, actions, worship,
and faith will guide others into holiness, truth
and eternal life.
As you celebrate the Holy Nativity of our Lord,
and Savior Jesus Christ, may you also contemplate
the holiness of His glorious incarnation and its
significance for your lives. The sanctity of His
birth led the angels to rejoice, amazed the
shepherds and the people of Bethlehem, and guided
the wise men from distant lands to worship Him.
You do not know how many people will find Christ
and will know truth and the way to salvation
through the holiness of your life. On this great
feast of the Church and on each and every day of
your life may you offer yourselves in the service
of our Holy God, and may you commit yourselves to
living in holiness.
May you have a blessed Feast of the Nativity and a
joyous and healthy New Year.
+DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America
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