The Christmas Message (1998)
(Of His Beatitude Nasrallah-Peter Cardinal Sfeir,
Patriarch of Antioch and All the East)

« Do not fear, the angel said to them » (Lk 2,10)

The feast of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus in the flesh dispels fear, disseminates joy and spreads peace. That is what the angel proclaimed, on his birthday, when he appeared to the shepherds and said to them: “Do not fear. Listen: I am bringing you good news of great joy, which is in store for the whole nation. A Savior, who is the Lord Messias, was born to you today in David’s town.”

« Do not fear:  » these are words the whole world badly needs to hear for all that it contains is frightening. How will it not fear, when, in all of its regions East and West, there are flare-ups, conflicts, terrorism and threats of using new nuclear weapons, let alone the recent scientific inventions accompanied by a possible manipulation of human genes which may lead to what cannot be imagined by man’s intelligence. Thus, we see Human kind, which is already on the threshold of the twenty first century, notice that, while it is on the way of development and progress, is, in fact, retrogressing. For material progress does not dispel fear unless it is accompanied by a progress in going into the depth of the faith in God, an abiding by moral and ethical rules, and by controlling instincts and implosions by the sound judgment of reason enlightened by true faith.

That is why Christ the Lord has come down to earth. He, who is the  « Word of Life », has become flesh alike other human beings, except sin. So « we have seen him with our own eyes, and have embraced him with our own hands,» according to what John the Apostle says in his first epistle (Jn 1,1,) in order to remind men that they are not masters of their own souls, allowed to use them as they wish, but they are related to God who is their origin and their end. From him they have come and to him they shall return. Therefore, they have to abide by his teachings and commandments.

" Do not fear » for the feast of the Nativity of Christ imparts joy to souls, a joy resulting from the fact that man is not left alone, such a planet that has gone outside its right course and is running astray in the vast firmament. God who « formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life » (Gen 2,7) established rules for him, handed him commandments and, after he failed into disobedience, promised him a savior. God fulfilled his promise and sent his only son, Jesus Christ, to open up for him the road that leads him to his Heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus knew all the situations known by man in this world, such as hunger, thirst, cold, poverty, sadness, compassion, contempt, suffering, crucifixion and death. But, being both man and God, he rose from among the dead in order to have man rise with him from his earth sleep. Man’s belief that God became flesh and dwelled with him a period of time, then left him in order to return to his Heavenly Father after having established the Church to accomplish his mission and lead him to where he settled to the right of his Heavenly Father, undoubtedly imparts to man’s heart quietness and joy, which is the joy of the believer who knows that, living or dead, he is in God’s shelter, according to what the Apostle Paul said: « If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's » (ROM 8,14).

« Do not fear,» for the feast of the Nativity of the Lord in the flesh disseminates joy in hearts. He, alone, can bring to us the peace we seek for. That is why he said: « Peace is my legacy to you: my own peace is my gift to you. My giving to you is not like the world's way of giving. Do not let your heart be troubled! Do not let your heart despair ! »(Jn 14 ,27). Also, the Apostolic Post-Synodal Exhortation has shown that the origin of the peace of the whole Church faithful and their hope « rests, indeed, upon Christ, God"s Word incarnate, who died and rose, and is mysteriously present among them and with them, on the roads of the world. On these roads, he is also their good shepherd, their true light and God's power among them » (N° 27). The Eastern Fathers have also sung the Nativity of Christ the Lord, especially St Ephrem the Syriac who has left on Christmas verses abundant in tender religious feelings, such as his saying « All days have received the good gifts from the treasure of your glorious Day, and all feasts have been beautified and adorned by the riches of this Feast » (Nativity Hymns 4, 19-20) .

Also, Jesus of Nazareth, who had the humblest birth a man can ever have, transformed the face of the earth, not by power and strength, but by gentleness, mildness and sacrificing love until a death on the cross, in order to spread peace among people. A writer said about hill: « This  Jesus of Nazareth, without money and arms, conquered more millions than Alexander Caesar, and Napoleon; without science and learning, He shed more light on things human and divine than all philosophers and scholars combined: without the eloquence of schools, He spoke such words of life as were never spoken before or since, and produced effects which lie beyond the reach of orator or poet; without writing a single line, He set more pens in motion, and furnished themes for more sermons, orations ,discussions, learned volumes works of art, and songs of praise than the whole army of great men of ancient and modern times.»(Grant R. Jeffrey, The Signature of God, p.80). He is, indeed, God and man whose birth in the flesh is celebrated every year by the faithful who ask for these memorial blessings and take from it a provision of joy, hope and peace.

Dear Brothers and Sons: In the light of this glorious feast of the Nativity, we open, this year, a new page in the nation’s life, which bears we hope, the changes the citizens aspire to and we used to mention, on different occasions, on behalf of many of them. A good number of those wishes have been expressed, lately, in the official speeches. We hope they will materialize in not a long period. It is useless to mention them again here.

Yet, there is a wish dear to all of us, that is to work at realizing the national entente, so that all Lebanese who were sent, or went away return to the Country in order to contribute, with their capacities and means to rebuild its ruined sectors, restore its cracked social institutions buildings and rectify its citizen’s crooked morality. That will not be achieved unless all of the Lebanese feel that Lebanon is their Country in which the most prominent among them is the sincerest in serving it and the fastest in sacrificing for it, and that human rights of all kinds are protected under its sky and the doors to freedom are wide open to them, in a way that no citizen will be arrested because he spoke up his mind, and will not be condemned because he expressed an opinion contrary to that of those in power.

We hope that, despite all obstacles, the peace process will progress in the region, so that Lebanon, with its neighboring countries, will enjoy it, recover its independence, have its army extend its sovereignty over all of its territories within its internationally recognized boarders, see its only flag flap in its sky, and be able to bear the responsibility of its decisions stemming from its People’s free will.

We invite you to pray so that God gives us and our region a just, global and lasting peace, and to live solidarity among you, having the comfortably off help the needy. We ask the incarnate God to make these Nativity feasts for all of you, resident and migrants, seasons of divine graces and success, and grant you many happy and blessed returns.
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