His Holiness the Bulgarian Patriarch and Metropolitan of Sofia Daniil delivered an address on the occasion of the Nativity of Christ, which was published on the website of the Bulgarian Patriarchate.
"Beloved children of our holy church, silent in prayer, gathered around the warm home hearth on Christmas night, our hearts are filled with great joy at the fulfillment of the promise given many centuries ago to our forefathers about the birth of the Savior. We are experiencing this great event, which became the beginning of the renewal and salvation of man and all creation. Great is the mystery of piety: God appeared in the flesh, was testified to by the Spirit, appeared to Angels, was preached to the nations. Truly, a great mystery!", says His Holiness in the address.
Patriarch Daniel notes that the eternal, beginningless, inaccessible, but infinitely loving God descended to earth and became Man. "The Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, was born as a Man from the Holy Spirit and the Most Pure Virgin Mary. He was born as a Man with a human soul, a human body, a human mind, a human will and a human life. This great miracle, this great mystery stands higher even than the creation of the world itself".
Together with the angelic hosts, from the depths of our souls we also exclaim: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!".
"Glory to God, who does not abandon us. Glory to God, who never forgets us. Glory to God, who became Man, to deliver us from sin, corruption and death. Glory to God, who humbled himself, diminished, humiliated and limited himself, to elevate, exalt, free and save man. Glory to God, who brought us His heavenly Peace! In today's times of wars, uncertainty and fear for the future, our only hope and comfort is the Lord Jesus Christ. For we have His promise: I am with you always, to the end of the world. Glory to God, who teaches us to have goodwill among ourselves - the goodwill to help each other. The goodwill to serve God and our neighbor. The goodwill to repent of our sins, to forgive one another. The goodwill to overcome loneliness through spiritual communion in Christ. The goodwill to overcome sadness and hopelessness through fervent prayer, trust in God's providence and participation in the life of the holy Church. The goodwill to help from the heart and selflessly our brothers and sisters who suffer, are ill, go through various difficulties and deprivations. The goodwill to set aside our personal interest and selfish aspirations for the sake of our neighbors and God. The good will to have unity in His holy name," says the Bulgarian Patriarch Daniil in his address.
"Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, on Christmas Eve, on the eve of the Nativity of Christ, we clearly see the future that God has foreseen for us - to be with us, now and forever! And God is with us - such is His unchanging good will. Therefore, in the Church of Christ, no one is alone. Christ is with us always and unfailingly. But let us also be with Him - with our Lord God and Savior. The Orthodox faith does not leave man to his own strength, but gives him meaning and purpose, gives him strength and courage, so that with God's help he can overcome every difficulty, every adversity, every temptation.
May the Nativity of Christ be the beginning of a profound, gracious change in our way of thinking and living, in our relationships with God and our neighbors! "Let us, with living faith, with God-imitating humility, with sincere repentance and with deeds of love of God and love of humanity, make our hearts a manger, so that the God-infant Lord Jesus Christ may be born in them and we may have life in His name!", with these words His Holiness addresses the Bulgarian people. And he wishes: Merry Christmas and a peaceful, gracious and saving New Year.