"But when the fullness of the time was come,
God sent forth his Son" (Gal. 4: 4)

  It is as if the words of the Apostles about the endtimes are being heard today when we listen to current events and what is happening around us and in the world in general. There is much talk about peace, but all are rattling sabers. There is talk about the war on terrorism, yet terrorism reigns all the more over the world. There is talk of disarmament, yet more and more weapons of war are being prepared and so-called shields that would protect us. There is no peace.

  The Christ-Child comes to us, announced by prophets, to establish peace in the world, proclaimed in the angel’s greetings: Peace to you, I bring you good tidings of great joy. Today is born Christ the Saviour. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace!

  What is today’s Christmas message? To re-examine ourselves; to not judge others; to help where we can; to love our neighbour as ourselves.

  It has always been, brothers and sisters, easier for man to condemn others, than to deal with his own actions. Today, more than ever, preoccupied with ourselves, we are forgetting about God and those around us. How many times out of our hearts have errupted poisonous biting remarks of impatience, malicious joy, sarcasm? And how many times have we tried to force the world into being something that suits us?

  For many today the flame of faith and love has been extinguished for all but one’s self. Why is it like that? It is because we do not feel the presence of the One who for us people, and for our salvation, comes down from heaven. He inspires all of us and waits at the end of the road.

  On us there lies a great responsibility for how in the midst of indifference toward faith we can preserve faith, how by personal example we can reveal to others the beauty of life in God. Christ, sending His disciples into the world, said, "I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." (Matt.10:16)

  Recently I heard from one Christian woman this statement: "Wisdom and consideration, deprived of innocence turn into distrust. But innocence without wisdom becomes naivite." Whether or not we too are on the edge of one of these two extremes, we may ask ourselves on these days of Christmas.

  We guard our faith from the deceit of this world. We guard ourselves from the tricks that others would try to pass off as harmless childhood fun like Halloween, where we make a mockery of the Image of God in man. For God created us in His image and not that of the devil, of witches, and of some kind of monsters, as this world would impose on us as amusement.

  We guard ourselves from fortunetelling, sorcery, looking at horoscopes, reading teacups, etc. We especially guard ourselves from the western commercialized celebrating of Christmas in which, before this great holiday, the most attention, in keeping with the logic of consumption, is given to food and drink. That, in every way, distracts people from the path of fasting and prayer; from the path of giving glory to God, without whom and without whose blessings all that wouldn’t matter nor serve any purpose.

  If we remember the holiday of the unfortunates, the needy, the sick and we draw closer to them – then we will be followers of Christ’s way and His designation in the mission of our salvation.

  We place our hope in the promised and coming Messiah for He is the one who brings us peace in unrest and hope in hopelessness.

  May the Lord grant us that these days of anxiety and despair be illuminated with His guiding star, that Christ may come into our hearts as into that cave in Bethlehem, and there find warm shelter, and that we find comfort in Him.

Your intercessor before the Newborn Christ-Child,

Bishop of Canada Georgije