"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us"/ Archbishop Joan, message on the eve of Christmas

2025-12-24 11:54:00, Aktualitet CNA

"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us"/ Archbishop Joan, message

The Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, His Beatitude Joani, has conveyed a message to all believers on the eve of Christmas.

"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us," is how Archbishop Joan begins his message, emphasizing that now more than ever the world needs the light of Christ.

His Beatitude, John gives the important message that a life without the presence of God becomes miserable, turns into a life without love, without joy, without light, a life in darkness.

The Archbishop emphasizes that only His presence can illuminate our hearts and souls and can give life light and joy.

"Christ is the light in the darkness and His teaching is a lamp for our journey in this life," emphasizes Archbishop Joan.

His Beatitude John says that in order to spiritually celebrate the Nativity of Christ, we must take care during these festive days to experience more deeply the holiness and greatness of this divine gift, and this can be accomplished by cleansing our hearts from all evil and filling them with love and humility towards all people, especially those in need, poverty, illness, despair and loneliness.

Message from the Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and all Albania, His Grace †Joani

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn.1:14)

To the clergy and the hopeful people,

Dear children in God,

The

These words summarize and express the meaning of the Christmas holiday in the deepest and most perfect way. If we will focus on understanding the significance of this great mystery, in which the Son and Word of the Father was incarnated and became man, then we will be able to participate in the celebration and spiritual joy and feel within ourselves the transforming power of experiencing this event. The Incarnation is not simply a miracle or a mystery worthy of admiration; it is the greatest gift that could be given to humanity. The Son and Word of God becomes incarnate and sits next to human suffering, touches the distortion of our nature to correct it, revealing to us the depth of compassion and profound humility, which arises from His infinite love for the whole world. Saint Athanasius the Great expresses this shocking truth in a concise way: The Son of God became man, that we might become gods.

As we continue to prepare for the celebration of Christmas, it helps us to remember that this great feast is not about the birth of a teacher, prophet, or lawgiver. The eternal God intervenes in history and becomes man, without ceasing to be fully God, to bring us into His holiness, to make us partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4), to heal, restore, and fulfill our fallen and deformed humanity. Through the presence of His divine energy, Christ, the God-man, activates, empowers, and animates our human nature and unites us with God, something no teacher, prophet, or lawgiver could ever do.

of secondment

Christmas invites us to join in the call of the angels, so that we too may praise Him with them: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men (Lk. 2:14). But the announcement of the Birth of Christ did not come in the same way to everyone: an angel came to the humble shepherds, because their hearts were humble and open. The wise men of the East, who were thirsty for knowledge, were given a star and again an angel to guide them. But to the proud and cunning rulers, the news did not bring joy, but fear, darkness and rejection, and they wanted to kill the newborn baby. The event is offered to all, but it bears fruit only in those who have desire, humility and good intentions. He came to his own and his own did not accept him; but to all who received him... he gave the right to become children of God – writes Saint John (Jn. 1:11-12).

For every person who seeks inner peace, truth and wholeness, the joyful and luminous feast of Christmas comes as a ray of hope, consolation and peace. In one of his sermons, Saint John Gojarti says: What then can be equal to these good news? God on earth, man in Heaven; and all united… and reconciliation was made between God and our nature… death was destroyed, paradise was opened, the curse was erased, sin was removed from the way, error was banished, truth returned, the word of godliness was sown everywhere and flourished in its growth, the society of Heaven was transferred to earth, or rather, things on earth were connected with those in Heaven (Sermon on Christmas).

III

Dear brothers and sisters! We must joyfully proclaim this good news and testify with zeal and without tiring that God now dwells among us. A true witness saves lives - says the wise Solomon (Prov. 16:6). It is the duty of every Christian to spread and share this light with the whole world, because only by sharing it with others can the light be preserved and grow, otherwise it will fade and eventually disappear. Now, more than ever, the world needs the light of Christ. It is necessary, because a life without the presence of God becomes miserable, turns into a life without love, without joy, without light: a life in darkness. Only His presence can illuminate our hearts and souls and can give our lives light and joy. He is the light in our darkness and His teaching, says the psalmist, is a lamp for our journey in this life.

To celebrate the Nativity of Christ spiritually, let us take care during these festive days to experience more deeply the holiness and greatness of this divine gift. We can do this by cleansing our hearts from all evil and filling them with love and humility towards all people, especially those in need – in poverty, in sickness, in despair and in loneliness. The Lord identifies Himself with people in need, telling us: For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me... Truly I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me (Mt. 25:35-40). Only by doing these things will Christmas have true meaning and everything in us will be illuminated by the Word made flesh./ CNA