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On the eve of Christmas, the strong message of Archbishop Anastas Janullatos

2024-12-22 10:47:00, Aktualitet CNA

Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania, Anastas Janullatos, on the eve of Christmas, conveyed a strong message to all believers and Albanians.

Archbishop Janullastos points out that in many areas hatred and violence are raging, but Christian believers who remain faithful to the one who appeared in the flesh, the Prince of Peace, must always persevere, with all their spiritual and physical strength, wherever and as much as possible. they can.

"My brothers, I remind you: There is nothing more beautiful than to love, even if you get tired, no matter how much you suffer. There is nothing more wonderful than to love, "in Christ" to truly love. "God is love. He that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him" (1 Jn. 4:16). Merry Christmas! May the New Year 2025 be with peace and hope!", underlines Janullatos in his message.

The full message of Archbishop Anastas Janullatos

The Incarnation of the Word of God, that is: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn. 1:14), continues to remain a main truth and a stable axis of thought and life of all Christian believers.

As we firmly affirm in the Creed, we believe in Jesus Christ, "the Son of God, the only begotten, who was begotten of the Father before all ages... Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was made flesh by to the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became a man".

According to the wonderful expression of Athanasius the Great, "He became incarnate, that we may be deified." Christmas reveals to us two phases of the Divine Plan: First, the arrival of the Son and Word of God in the history of humanity; secondly, the purpose of the coming, which is the deification of man according to grace.

It also reveals to us that the way of love is the only way to make this goal possible. The incarnate Christ, the true "Prince of Peace," did not "appear in the flesh" as a ruler with human power, knowledge, and authority.

The infinite and unapproachable God took full human nature, emphasizing man's immense worth. What gives value to every human being is not his origin, race, knowledge or abilities, but the fact that he is human. The definition of "in the flesh" includes everything material and spiritual that makes up man. In the Person of Christ, the divine nature and the human nature make room for each other without being alienated. We are dealing with an Event which is the foundation of Christian revelation, which supports every Christian value and proposition.

Christmas joyfully proclaims that "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (Jn. 3:16). It even proclaims that the incarnate Son of God reveals the mystery of the Triadic God.

This great Lord's celebration of the Nativity of God illuminates the heart with calmness, consolation, THE AUTOCEPHALIC ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ALBANIA CHRISTMAS 2024 † Anastasi Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania To the clergy and the believing people My son dear to God, "God has appear in the flesh" (1 Tim. 3:16) "Behold, Christ is born, praise him; Behold, Christ is coming to the sky, come out and wait!" 2 † Αnastasi Archbishop of Tirana, Durrës and All Albania With heartfelt love in Christ Jesus, optimism and generosity.

But above all, it reveals that God is love. Christian love is not an undefined emotional outburst, but an attitude of life, which is expressed in everyday life. It is a divine light that illuminates the whole being. Its rays were defined expressively by the apostle Pavli: "Love is generous, it seeks the good."

Love has no face. Love is not boastful, does not boast, does not act unseemly, does not seek its own gain, is not offended, does not think evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails (1 Cor. 13:4-7).

The Creator and Lord of the universe is not an energy, a wisdom, an impersonal power that you approach through the thinking faculties of the brain. He is a personal God who loves and reveals himself to man, who is in a constant relationship with him. A relationship that elevates the whole human being. God, on whom we have depended our lives, did not abandon humanity, which is plagued by selfishness and enmity. He continues to be Emmanuel, "God is with us", giving life meaning and fulfillment. Through humility, which is always combined with love, it opposes pride, the permanent root of all evil, greed, aggressiveness, murderous conflicts, destructive collisions.

In our harsh and special age, where hatred and violence are raging in many areas, let us Christians, who are faithful to him who appeared in the flesh, the Prince of Peace, always persevere with all our spiritual strength and bodily, wherever and as much as we can. The Church is not limited to just a few reflections; it celebrates these events doxologically and explains them through hymns. "Behold, Christ is born, praise him. Behold, Christ is coming to heaven, come out and wait. Here is Christ above the world, get up!". In these days of celebration, we who are believers should rise to a life of praise and love.

My brothers, I remind you: There is nothing more beautiful than to love, even if you get tired, no matter how much you suffer. There is nothing more wonderful than to love, "in Christ" to truly love. "God is love. He that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him" (1 Jn. 4:16). Merry Christmas! May the New Year 2025 be with peace and hope!/ CNA