Athanasius Yohan I Metropolitan’s Christmas Message 2022

Barekmor! In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. May the grace and the mercies of our Lord be with us now and always.
The portion of Scripture we heard from the New Testament, the Gospels rather is from the Gospel of John chapter 1: verse one through 14.

So, for a few minutes of our talk on Christmas based on Saint John Chapter one, verses one through 14. The statement you heard that the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. You may recall the other statement – His name shall be called Emmanuel – it means God with us, perpetually, always, non-stop. He’s in front of us, behind us, beside us, in us, above us, over us. Never, never you are alone. Christmas.

But a couple of things to consider. When you read in those statements – in Him was life. And the life was the light of men. So we have the scripture that says those who sat in darkness saw light.

To make it even more clear, just take a second and think about how much hurt, pain, misunderstanding, agony, anger, bitterness, pain, fear that you entertain. Oh, if you’re asking Metropolitan you are exempted from all that? No, we all are humans. But then asking the question – why we live with all that? The answer we will say, “I know some reason but I don’t know. Well, mostly I don’t know”.

Our life is constantly held captive in the prison of utter darkness, without freedom and positive energy and hope. Because we can’t let go of all the negativism, all the criticisms or whatever else or failures that you live with. In him was life and that life becomes a light of men. Because we do not see the way God sees things. We are in darkness. From the cross, Christ said this statement, “Father, Father, forgive them”. Reason? – ‘they don’t know what they’re doing’. So, if I can understand all the people I’m dealing with in their journey of life where they are in this pilgrimage, they are saying things, doing things, evaluating things, making decisions based on where they are. But if they could be where they should be, they will make difference, different decisions. So having Christ, Christmas always with us becomes always, always, everywhere light.

For us to think when there is reason for anger, there is peace. When there is reason to lash back, there’s calmness. When there is anger, there is quietness. When there should be loud screaming, there is silence. There is a time to prove and fight and be arrogant and proud; then, there is humility. It happens because Christ, His life. Changes us. So, Christmas celebration it’s a one time wonderful reminder which we need, but for us, may it be a perpetual thing because it’s not one time, it is always. He is.

And then. The second thing we look here. The one that is talking about this person – John the Baptist. People thought he was a big man, but he made sure people understood it was not him. The question is this. If Almighty, the creator God, descend on Earth. It’s a funny thing. Strange thing that he will need somebody’s help. To talk to other people who he is. That’s what we read here, the forerunner. And Christ is still wishing and longing for you, for me, for all of us to become John the Baptist, willing to point people to him he is the one. Go to Him. He is the answer.

I need to close here. With just a few more words, that might be a help in the light of what we’re saying. When Christmas is not a one-time event to remember by, (which is good;I t’s a very good thing). But once for the people of God you understand the meaning of Sacramental life. It is a Christmas joyous and partaking of Christ life on an ever-increasing measure and reality. And the more we understand that – as light dispels darkness, without us knowing we’ll begin to see things more clearly and find our way. And light gives us understanding of things we had never had any clue about – because we say, “oh, Lord, help”. And He is near to help.

And when we do not know which way to go, pause. And He will whisper, “This is the way. You walk in it.” And when life comes to an end, nothing ends. It has been a journey with Him. Because He became a man, was born here to take our hand and walk with us like a Good Shepherd. Carry us along and when life come to an end, He won’t dump us and say, “Well, you are no good anymore”. No, He will carry us with Him to be with Him forever.

So, how do we experience Christmas? Not as a lot of people do with giving gifts and receiving gifts. It’s all to do with business and merchandise and making money. And like in the United States, they say 60 or 70% of the whole year’s profit, income the business people make is during the Christmas time. Jesus should never become something to sell and make money on. He came to change humanity. And He is the only hope.

And one of the practical things that we, as Orthodox people of God, we promote, (which I didn’t start, your metropolitan didn’t start this prayer rope – as early as I can research it was even from the 1st century) that in order to keep discipline because we are people that need help. In the Old Testament you read plenty of those things that God told them to do. One more thing our fathers told us to do is to use a prayer rope. There’s lots of story about it. Praying this simple prayer, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a Sinner. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me, a Sinner”. There are hundred of them on this road. And then of course you can pray the Kauma and the Lord’s Prayer and all that. And why we promote that very strongly? Because this is something that you carry with you always. The only time I don’t have that with me when I’m taking a shower and then I have one on my hand. The only time I take it off when I’m taking a shower because I use that for prayer. What is prayer? It is simply acknowledging His presence always. You’ll be surprised how Christmas can become today, every day, always – by being His, as you enter and do it.

Then I would also ask you that you will do what you can to express the meaning of Christmas, which is the visible expression of God’s love. And humanity at large may not possibly understand that. And that’s the reason I’m so proud of you. Many of you, Sisters of Compassion and women’s fellowship, and the people here and the church are large, often you find opportunity to get food and clothes and things like that and go to the poor and the needy and distribute it and give it to them and talk to them and being friends to them. Go into the hospitals, and wherever you can, because Jesus said I was in those conditions, I was in prison. I was naked. I was hungry. But you came to me.

And today the world is looking to experience Christ, the true Christmas. And you and I are the agents to do that. And let’s embrace the life of John the Baptist to be a witness for Him during this Christmas, and every day that we have here on Earth.

We are the Christmas for others. May the Lord bless us.