Christmas message,
2000
STYLIANOS
By the grace of God Archbishop of Australia
To all the Clergy and devout faithful of our Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese
Dear brother Concelebrants and beloved children in Christ
who is born,
"Come all faithful, let us behold where Christ was
born
Let us then follow wherever the star shall lead
us!"
These two verses taken from the morning service of
Christmas form more than a question or sign of wonder, more
than an affirmation or teaching. As a calling and mission,
they simultaneously declare that which is both given and
sought after. Just as it always occurs in the critical
moments when the human person comes into a direct
relationship with God, and is obliged to give responsible
account of all that one has received, as well as of all that
one owes.
Consequently, the phrase 'Where Christ was born" and
"wherever the star leads" - which we should on no account
consider to be rhetorical devices - constitute the constant
terms of orientation for the Christian, amidst the
perpetually instability of history, which are not bound by
geography or locality.
The words "where" and 'Wherever" used here do not express
- and cannot express - the "place" but rather the "manner",
according to the endearing language of the Fathers.
The fact that Christ was born geographically in Bethlehem
of the House of David and from the tribe of Judah, is not
the most decisive aspect of the divine Incarnation.
The inexpressible mystery "which was kept secret since
the world began" (Rom. 16:25) consists in the how and why of
the Incarnation of the Lord, which has to do with the entire
human race, since God "desires all people to be saved and to
come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4).
With the simple but joyful words "come let us behold", we
are invited again today to hear how the Saviour of the world
was born. And having acknowledged the "benefaction", we are
to follow "wherever the star leads us".
Only in this way does the declaration we make during our
Baptism "into Christ" acquire meaning. Only then does it
become sincere and binding for each member of the Church and
for the entire Eucharistic gathering:
"We confess the Grace
we proclaim the mercy
we do not hide the benefaction"
In the one undivided Person of Christ the God-Man, God
was "revealed in the flesh", not in "appearance" only, but
by becoming "in all things like us, without sin", and yet
remaining as unchanging and perfect God, without
interruption. This is precisely what ensures the deification
of the human "according to grace". And "deification" of
course is not blasphemous or scandalous, as others have
accused in the past. Deification is the undivided and
unconfused co-existence of the divine and human, in
accordance with the will of the loving God, until the end of
the ages, and beyond, into the eternity of divine love.
However, in order for this not to sound like "pious
desires" or "romantic wishes" to those who are of little
faith, let us explain specifically what is meant by the
Incarnation of God uniting both God and humankind
"unconfusedly" and "indivisibly" in the person of
Christ.
Here, "unconfusedly" means that any kind of uplifting or
perfection of the human person does not occur by the power
of one's own self, but through the mercy and grace of God,
who made the human being susceptible to perfection. When one
remembers this fundamental truth, A is impossible to be led
to the hubris of "narcissism", which inevitably leads
to the idolisation and demonisation of the human person.
Being both created and fallen, human nature will always be
in need of the love of God, a love that is uncreated and
infinite, which for this reason is given at all times as a
free gift and is called "grace". If we forget this, even for
a moment, we then confuse the divine and the human, thereby
actively preaching the worst form of heresy, and causing the
most criminal schism. Similarly, the adverb "indivisibly"
used here is equally significant. It declares the firm
assurance that God incarnate is no longer separated from His
God-like creation, namely the human person, having the
God-Man as the constant point of orientation.
The divine and human form of Christ was raised "once and
for all" in history as a "balance of justice". And He was
raised not only so as to "restore" the upset balance due to
human disobedience, but also to "reshape" the "stained" icon
of God in human beings on a new basis (in the blood of the
New Testament).
The mystery, which is both divine and human, which the
Church, as the Body of Christ, maintains and perpetuates
throughout history, is the brightest vision and the most
sacred feat for those who have not denied it. The greatest
crimes in the history of humanity were unfortunately not
carried out by people who did not know or acknowledge the
incarnated God. They were carried out by His very own people
who denied Him. The words of St John the Evangelist remain
an eternal and bitter "accusation" of Christians of all
time:
"He came to His own, and His own did not receive
Him.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to
become children of
God" (John 1:11-12)
As the anniversary of 2000 years of historic Christianity
draws to a close in a few days, all Christians without
exception must confess with contrition the failure, which
was to some extent common. This is a failure which was not
unforeseen, or which arose due to external factors. Rather,
it was programmatic and guided, which is precisely why it
was also a conscious betrayal. Not only was the blood "of
the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world' betrayed
(Rev. 13:8), but with it the blood of all the Martyrs and
Confessors, the ascetics and "every just spirit perfected in
the faith".
Neither the message of repentance nor the missions, the
monasticism and all forms of suffering over 20 centuries
were able to overturn the barbarity of the general decline
of Christians, from the time they turned from being
persecuted to the persecutors, not only of others but also
of their very selves.
Mainly during the second Christian millennium, Christians
of both east and west - but primarily those of the west -
displayed a scandalous and shameful disdain for the two
major dogmas of Christianity, which are also its
quintessence: the dogma concerning the Holy Trinity, and the
dogma concerning the Hypostatic Union of the incarnate
Lord.
Indeed, it is true that these two dogmas dominate, as
cornerstones, in Orthodox worship, with the use of both the
triple and double sets of candies held by the presiding
hierarch. Yet, where is the practical, that is to say the
moral, reflection of this in our daily action and lives?
Both the mystery of the Trinitarian God, and the mystery of
the two natures of Christ, proclaim two fiery truths for
human life and society:
Firstly, that divine life, being an unbroken continuity
and eternity, signifies indivisible unity, peace, communion
and blessedness of persons, and all of these are nourished
and maintained only through mutual, unselfish love. And
secondly, that mutual love presupposes mutual respect
between the persons. Thus we have the identity of the
essence, and the diversity of persons, the two basic truths
of God.
However, how did we as Christians realise the "communion
of persons"? How did we respect and honour the unrepeatable
otherness of each person?
A comparison with the ancient heretics on these topics of
life or death will show us to be worse than them. The
anti-Trinitarians, the Christomachoi, the Pneumatomachoi,
the Pelagians, the Monophysites, the Iconoclasts and others,
fought the truth on mainly a theoretical level. We
Christians however of the 2nd millennium hastily exiled and
dethroned God from His own Creation, secularising nature and
history. Therefore, the icon of God, the unique human
person, became demoted and degraded into an individual, into
a dull number. Only economic wellbeing was considered to be
progress and development, as if people were nothing more
than flesh and appetite. The right of all to have
participation and communion in all the gifts of God has been
replaced by "who can grab and consume the most".
It was not the Asians or the Africans who imposed
capitalism, fascism, communism and the ecological
catastrophe of the planet. It was the Europeans and
Americans, baptised unfortunately into Christ. It was they
who conducted both World Wars. It was they who divided
earth's inhabitants into citizens of the first world, while
prospering and squandering in revelry. Into citizens of the
second world, who hastily try more every day to be like the
first group, and even surpass them if possible. And into
citizens of the third world, the most tragic victims of
hunger, sickness and illiteracy.
There is no need to say more on this. The media, which
normally present world catastrophes and tragedies as "news",
inform us constantly. No one therefore has the excuse of
"not seeing" or "not hearing".
Let us pray with repentance, and let us work with
humility for a more just, honest and loving world. The third
Christian millennium, which commences in several days,
should not repeat the crimes of the second. Nor
should the Christians design it in such an unchristian
manner.
To the God of Love; who became human, suffered and was
glorified for our sakes, be all honour and worship unto all
ages. Amen.
With fervent prayers for all of you.
Archbishop STYLIANOS
Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in
Australia
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