His Eminence Metropolitan Teofan of Moldavia and Bukovina calls on the faithful in his Christmas Pastoral Letter to cultivate unity, patience and responsibility towards one another.
His Eminence reflected on the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God as the foundation of Christian life and as the source of a way of living marked by unity, love and care for others.
“The Son of God becomes man for us and for our salvation, to grant us a new life, which is in fact the very life of God Himself,” Metropolitan Teofan emphasised, citing the Church’s confession of faith.
Participation in the life of the Church
Starting from this reality, the hierarch explained that the true joy of Christmas is experienced through concrete participation in the life of the Church, primarily through the Holy Mysteries, which unite the human person with Christ and bring about inner transformation.
“The new life that a person receives through the Holy Mysteries transfigures him, so that he himself becomes a sign of God’s presence for those around him,” the Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bukovina noted.
Perseverance in prayer
In a world that is hurried and often deprived of inner peace, Metropolitan Teofan calls the faithful to persevere in prayer, which he describes as a living, personal bond with God.
“Prayer places us in a personal and living relationship with God, who descends into our soul and transforms us into a temple of the Holy Spirit,” he noted.
The Metropolitan also highlights the importance of daily life free from sin, the commitment to a pure way of living and openness of heart to the work of the Holy Spirit, who renews the human person from within. Christian life, he explains, is not merely moral fulfilment, but a calling to holiness and likeness to Christ.
In conclusion, Metropolitan Teofan urges the faithful to receive the feast of the Nativity of the Lord with gratitude and joy, praying that Christ, born in the manger of Bethlehem, “may also be born and grow in our hearts.”
Photo: Doxologia.ro / Claudiu Pantea
