Fr. Phil's Christmas Letter, 25 December 2022

December 25 - Nativity of Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ

Brothers and Sisters,

Christ is born!

Glorify Him!

"He came to his own but his own did not receive him,

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave

the power to become children of God...(John 1:11-12).

With these words St. John the Evangelist sums up our life in Christ. More and more people in our world do not "receive" Him.

They cast doubts on Christ's divinity, they say He was a "great moral teacher," like the Buddha or another religious figure like Mohammed (may God have mercy on him). Others discount His existence or simply do not believe in the Gospels. Many of these folks say they are "spiritual, but not religious." What does "spiritual, but not religious" mean? Generally, it means that each person decides on their beliefs, "speaks their own truths," and feels free to do as they want. They are accountable to no one.

But to we who receive Him, He is for us our Mediator, Lord, Savior, Angel of Great Counsel, Mighty God and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

By His most merciful coming He unites us to the life of the Holy Trinity, He makes us partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4) we are called to be, not just forgiven sinners, but "partakers of the divine nature". He invites us to cooperate with Him to bring the life of God more and more into our world.

St. Athanasios the Great, sometime Bishop of Alexandria (4th century), wrote that "God became man so that man could become God". We cannot become God in His essence (His "Godness") but we can become like God in his "energies," that is His attributes, like mercy, compassion, goodness, love, empathy and so many other things God is for us.

Christ came to convert the world, when He was born in the cave at Bethlehem. He was born for us and our salvation. Salvation is union with God.

This Christmass and through the coming year let us seek out, recognize, and act on becoming partakers of the divine nature.

Our world will be better for it and so will each one of us.

Before Your birth, O Lord,

The hosts of angels already perceived the mystery.

They were struck with wonder and trembled,

For You who adorned the heavens with stars

Now is well-pleased to be born as a baby.

You hold the ends of the earth in Your hands,

But now You are born in a manger of unspeaking beasts.

Yet all these things fulfilled Your saving plan,

By which Your compassion was revealed to us.