Christmas Message 2009
“He came to what was his own,
but his own people did not accept him”
(John1: 11)
Dear Brothers and sons and daughters,
The fact of the birth of the Lord Jesus in the flesh , which the Christian world has been celebrating for two thousand and nine years, has a flavor that overpasses all feasts. It is the feast of God who becomes incarnate, a feast of the liberation of humanity from the stain of the original sin in which every human being is born when he comes to the world, the feast of childhood, innocence and hope of a better tomorrow. Yes indeed “the People living in the darkness have seen a great light, on the dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen”.
The Savior in born in the flesh in the silent night, in a small village in Palestine, Betlehem. The angels announced it to shepherds, who were there, glorifying God saying : “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests”(Luke 2: 14). The chosen People has in fact been expecting this Savior for long, imagining him to be a powerful warrior who will overcome his enemies by iron and fire and free the People from its conquerors. But he was different from what they expected. Saint Paul says : “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman , born under the law, to ransom those under the law , so that we might receive adoption” (Gal.4: 4-5) .
The Savior came to give those who believe in him eternal life, as St. John says: “but to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation or by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God” (Jn. 1 : 12) “Rather he emptied himself , taking the form of a slave, coming to human likeness ; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross”(Ph. 2: 7-8). A saint says: “ Time warns us that the birth of Christ the Lord is near and the world in its anxiety speaks about a nearby happening which will renew it. This assures us that we too have to wait for the rising Christ, the new sun” .
Dear brothers and sons and daughters,
Christ the Lord came on earth to teach us to live as loving brothers and not as fighting enemies, to be a help to each other and not at war against each other. Lebanon today is mostly in need for this atmosphere of calm and cooperation among its communities and children.
The social atmosphere has improved, the wave of assassinations has waned down and people, in general, lean towards understanding and keeping away from violence, which brings over only violence. This is a rather important thing which has been wished for since long.
However, faithfulness to the homeland requires that every group of citizens , moreover it is upon every citizen to work for his homeland and not for himself and his selfishness . The best example for us is found in Christ who did not work for himself, but for God, his heavenly father and for all of us. He sacrificed himself for us and accepted to be hanged on the cross and die on it to redeem all people , give us all a lesson about how to sacrifice for the other.
Pope Benedict XVI said : “On the Infant Jesus’ birth among us, he should not find us negligent or busy decorating our houses with lights. Let’s rather prepare in our minds and families a suitable home where he will feel he is accepted among us with faith and love” .
Let’s come to this feast with the feeling of deep faith and thanks to God for the graces he has bestowed upon us in our life so that what the Lord said about his People does not apply to us when he said: “He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him” .
With these feelings, I present you, dear sons and daughters , the warmest wishes and best congratulations, asking God to make of this feast a season of good and blessing upon you all. We cannot forget the families which have suffered the loss of one of their members, they do not find him in the family circle on the occasion of this glorious feast. I ask him Almighty many returns for you, being in the best and most peaceful mind.
Bkerke , on 23 December 2009
Cardinal Nasrallah-Peter Sfeir
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East
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