As the Holy Days of Christmas approach, our Church calls us to turn our attention to the mystery of the Nativity of Christ, which brings light, hope, and renewal to the human heart. In a time full of challenges and contradictions, the message of Bethlehem reminds us of the true purpose of life and the value of humanity, as revealed in the Divine Infant who is born “in humility.”
Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, through his reflections on the Birth of Christ, invites us to rediscover the essence of our humanity, the power of love, and the hope that flows from the God-Man. The following message is not merely a greeting; it is an invitation to surrender to peace, joy, and the divine presence, which make every life complete and every community vibrant.
With open hearts and spirits of expectation, let us welcome the light of Christmas through the words of Archbishop Ieronymos.
Read below the message of Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece:
My beloved brothers and children in the Lord,
“The Word became flesh, and the Virgin bore God incarnate.”
A new humanity emerged from the humble cave and the lowly swaddling clothes of Bethlehem. Humanity came to know the truth: “the true human being…was revealed by the Savior.” This truth has often been reflected in the moral horizon of our world, consciously or unconsciously, sometimes in reference to the divine source, other times in secularized forms. Contradictions are present in history, and multifaceted falsehood, sometimes very painful, often seems to prevail. Unfortunately, discussions about human alienation have become commonplace.
We live in such a complex reality, overwhelmed by countless challenges, facing negative and threatening circumstances on one hand, and beautiful expectations on the other. Questions about humanity arise, and the central, intense question remains: Who is the human being?
Let us turn our thoughts to the Infant of Bethlehem, the archetype of humanity who enters history. What does He have to tell us?
He is the One who always reminds us of the angelic hymn of glory, received as the source of peace, which we wish to extend “on earth” to the ends of humanity.
He is the voluntary and ultimate poverty of the Divine Infant, which has inspired millions of people over the course of history to endure even martyrdom. He offers a radical answer to the human desire for power that torments us at every level.
He is the God-Man, the One who “reconciles all things in Himself,” in whom there is no division, fulfilling the deep longing of existence for the unity of all things. In the unity of Christ, there is no confusion; the richness of individual gifts is not lost. The beauty of natural differences and diversity is preserved, as is the sacred power of life and the gift of new life.
Christ is the true human being, who, mystically offered, becomes for each one of us “another self.” It is precisely Christ who becomes the foundation of our conscience. And it is a living conscience that makes our lives truly human—the only breath that distinguishes us from the contemporary machines and algorithms that seek to imitate us.
My beloved brothers and children in the Lord,
The feast of the Birth of Christ is also the feast of the true human being. Christ, who voluntarily came among mortals as an equal, as we sing in the Orthros of the Feast, establishes the God-centered humanism that we so deeply need. Our Tradition proclaims it solemnly: “Nothing…is as sacred as man, with which God communed in His creation.”
Christ is born—glorify Him!
THE ARCHBISHOP
† Ieronymos II of Athens
Translated by Ioanna Georgakopoulou
