Christ came to restore self-confidence of man, - Head of the UGCC on feast of Nativity of Our Lord

In his homily, His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized that Christmas is a holiday of tenderness, God's closeness to man, a holiday of special joy, because through this holiday we feel how God trusts a man.

The shepherds were the first to receive the news of Christ's birth in Bethlehem. The angel said to them: "Do not be afraid, for I bring you great joy." Later, according to the Gospel, a whole army of heavenly angels was singing: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests”.

The Head of the Church emphasized that the word about peace, which we are especially praying for this Christmas, is a sense of the Christmas Gospel. "Everyone has been endowed with God's favor since their inception. God's favor is God's trust in man. And it is the fullness of this trust in man, the faith of God in his creation that Christmas reveals to us”, the Major Archbishop said.

According to him, God trusts a man to such an extent that he himself becomes a man. He wants to experience personally all the strengths and weaknesses of human life, its joys and sorrows, troubles, fate of a man in a world filled with sin, untruth and malice. Heavenly Father gives into man's hands the most precious thing he has, his only begotten Son. And today we see how He, as a defenseless little child, rests in human hands.

The Father and Head of the UGCC expressed hope that the Christmas light which now illuminates Ukraine and the world will help to dispel the darkness of general distrust that covers modern humanity. Today, people are increasingly claiming that they do not trust anyone or anything: neither the state, nor the Church, not even each other. And the pandemic has only created growing distrust. "This distrust begins to divide us, to defend ourselves against each other. Distrust destroys our families, communities, states, and modern humanity”, the Head of the Church affirmed.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized that on Christmas, the feast of faith, Christ came to rebuild man's confidence in himself.

 The Head of the UGCC then congratulated all the faithful on Christmas - the feast of light amidst darkness of night, prospects amid fear.

"Today I send the Christmas gospel of light, hope, peace and joy to all of you. I sincerely congratulate all those who could not gather in the church today, those who are far from their family, home, from those they trust. We tell you all: Rejoice, for Christ is born!”

"Today we send our Christmas greetings to the occupied Donbas and Crimea. We pray for our Ukrainians, brothers and sisters in Kazakhstan, who are experiencing these terrifying moments in the history of this nation and state.

The Head of the UGCC also congratulated all patients who celebrate Christmas in a hospital bed and medical staff and urged them not to be afraid because God gives all necessary means and knowledge in treatment and safety measurements.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav also congratulated the Ukrainian soldiers who celebrate Christmas on the front line in the cold trenches, and migrant workers from abroad and wished everyone blessed Christmas and happy New Year.

The UGCC Department for Information