Make merry, O Bethlehem! You are the King of Judah’s princes. Christ, the Shepher of Israel, Who rides on the shoulders of the cherubim, has come forth from you for all to see. He has raised us from death to life, and reigns over all! (Nativity Canon, Ode 3)
Christ is Born! Truly He is Born!
With the Angels who sing glory to God, we greet you dear brothers and sisters w another glorious celebration of our Lord’s Nativity. Today He has shone forth order to unite earth with the heavens, so that His divine love for man could tot the heart of every person to walk this earth. He brings to us the peace and joy of His heave Kingdom through the most tender expression of that love for mankind, His birth from Ever- Virgin Mary the Mother of God in the quiet manger of Bethlehem. He fulfills His pro ise to come to the world to save us from eternal torment and death. O, what joy! O, what gl ness! Let us spiritually make merry and rejoice, for the Lord is come! Let us approach Him humility as He comes to us, only desiring to unite with us and grant us salvation.
Unfortunately, in the world in which we live, we do not often hear the sound of pea neither near nor far. We hear of the suffering of that holy city of Bethlehem, with bombs a destruction encroaching upon it, which once made merry. The small cave, which was not Ic ago filled with the sound of joy from pilgrims, is quieted with emptiness. We mourn the los: so many lives lost and pray for those suffering. May the Lord soon restore peace, so that may once again live in and visit the holy sites from the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Chr strengthening us in our faith and love for the God-Man.
Let us continue to lift up our prayers for our suffering people in our own Serbian H Land, Kosovo and Metohija, where the sound of peace long has not been heard. Let us pray our brothers and sisters who are still suffering and at war in Ukraine and other parts of world, so that our Christian love will have no boundaries and the mercy of God will sh upon all of us.
May our most merciful Savior, the Christ-Child, grant peace to our world and to all of so that He may be born in our hearts, and we may ever serve Him from now unto eternity.
Truly Christ is Born! Happy New Year 2024!
+ LONGIN
Bishop of New Gracanica and Midwestern America
