In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

Christ is born!

Glorify Him!

Although our Lord's Nativity is full of profound theological significance in every aspect of the event, and though spiritual contemplation is indeed the goal of our life in Christ, our Saviour did not become incarnate so that we might only spiritually contemplate this mystery. God became human in order to affect a change in the lives of every person.Our Lord brought to us the sword of spiritual struggle, a battle against evils spirits and the passions, which separate us from a blessed, joyful life in God. Why is a struggle even necessary? Because the state we find ourselves in is dead, dull, sluggish, carnal, lazy and indifferent to the life of the spirit. Our Lord Jesus Christ said that He is from above and we here below are called by Him to rise up from our cadaverous state and become alive spiritually. This requires effort, forcing ourselves, sweat and blood. St. Paul teaches us to  give blood and receive the spirit.  And Christ in every moment of His life showed us an example of active struggle, even in His very birth which He choose to take place in humble, primitive conditions, a cave for animals, a feed trough, utter poverty. But let us look more closely at this scene and we discover the presence of all embracing love, in the divine infant, His holy parents, the shepards, wise men and the heavenly angels. Love and deep peace shed by God on men of good will. 

Dear brother and sisters  how can we approach and obtain such a blessed state? The Holy Spirit through the Prophet Isaiah says, "Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee. In other words, You will keep perfectly peaceful the one whose mind remains focused on You, because he remains in You. The direction of all our spiritual struggle should be to concentrate all the powers of our soul on Christ. Great sacrifice is required and much effort  for this, but the fruit is perfect peace. Who among us would not want to abide in everlasting perfect peace of soul?

As the world continues to sink deeper and deeper into the mire of ever more multifaceted passions, and the prince of this world grows ever stronger in his control of antichristian forces through godless governments and their leaders, and by means of demonically inspired mass media, let us turn our backs on this nightmare and utterly reject every attempt to draw us away from the Only Begotten Son of God, our Saviour, the infant Christ. The Lord in His gospel commands us to be vigilant. Vigilance is required to remain continually in Christ. May the otherworldly peace of this great feast inspire us in this holy, salvific struggle, to remain steadfast in our devotion to Christ and His divine Church, the only source of salvation.

Amen.

Archimandrite Luke