Archbishop Atanasie of Great Britain and Northern Ireland issued a message at the beginning of the new Church Year, emphasising that “at the threshold between two liturgical years, the Church places before us the same person: the Most Holy Mother of God”.
His Eminence noted that we are accustomed to measuring time by what begins and what ends.
“God, however, sees time differently. He does not count the years, but the fruit of grace in the human heart. Therefore, the beginning of the Church Year is marked not by an event dazzling in the eyes of the world, but by the birth of an immaculate child in the humble home of the Holy and Righteous Ancestors of God Joachim and Anna.”
“In the birth of the Most Holy Virgin, God quietly begins a new history — God quietly begins the renewal of creation. The eyes of the world see a child born to righteous parents in their old age; the eyes of faith glimpse the preparation of the living dwelling place of the Word,” the Archbishop of Great Britain and Northern Ireland added.
The hidden work of our Saviour Jesus Christ
Archbishop Atanasie said that the entire history of salvation reveals a mysterious principle in the way God works: He prepares over a long period what He will reveal to the world in the fullness of time.
“God does not work in haste, nor does He seek the splendour of spectacular beginnings. He works in secret, and when the time comes, what seemed insignificant is revealed as the beginning of a new history. Before the Cross, God prepares the Incarnation, and before the Incarnation, He prepares the Virgin Mary.”
The Archbishop explained that God works in the same way in people’s lives:
“Grace neither compels nor hastens anything. It works patiently, like a seed hidden in the earth, growing in secret until the time comes for it to bear fruit.”
The human calling
Archbishop Atanasie emphasised that the entire calling of the human person is encompassed between the Nativity and the Dormition of the Mother of God.
“In the person of the Most Holy Mother of God, we see what every human being is called to become: a creature transfigured by grace, in whom earthly life does not end with death, but opens towards eternal communion with God.”
“Perhaps this is one of the most beautiful lessons offered to us by the beginning of the new Church Year. In a hurried world that seeks immediate results and measures everything by efficiency and success, God reveals to us the patience of His love,” His Eminence added.
The Archbishop of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concluded his message with an exhortation:
“As we cross the threshold of a new Church Year, let us ask ourselves not only what we wish to accomplish in the months ahead, but above all where our lives are heading.”
Photo: roarch.org.uk
