The message of Patriarch of Alexandria for the Christmas

Fellow members, since holidays are approaching i would like to share a message, that i found intersting to post. Please keep in mind that the original message is in Greek. The message was posted here : Original

Here is the translation :

Message of Patriarch Alexandria, Theodoros B΄, for the Christmas:

“My Dear brothers and children en Kyrio peripothita,

Two millenia ago, God revealed His unlimited compassion to man : "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.(John 3:16)" The Son and Word of God κενώθηκε, took the form of servant.

He was borned as human and was humiliated as a human. He accepted humanity, despite the ετερότητα. He became The One via mankind reunited with God.

The hospitality of man from the God in his person Jesus Christ, was elected as model of hospitality in our relation with oneother. This hospitality means kenosi of our self and unconditional acceptance of others. This hospitality is not limited only in the members of our own community. Ο Ενανθρωπήσας Jesus calls us to love even our enemies and to pray for them.

He choose a "foreigner", the samaritan, to show the need of fullfilment the commandment to love thy neighbour. He extended His hospitality to all who were in need of compassion. He offered His hospitality to those who they had been pushed on the fringe of society. He Himself faced the weakness of humans to be understood. He Himself often experienced the rejection and sought the hospitality.

Most beloved brothers, the example of Jesus Crist who embraced the rejected, offered hospitality to foreigners and accepted the others, let it be a source of inspiration for our own social behaviour to all that are in need of hospitality. In our days we own to make practise not only as provision of help to others. In our days we own to live the hospitality as an opening to others.

An opening founded on the respect of value of all humans indiscriminately. An opening based on the steadfast faith that the God meets us daily on our peacefull and loving contact with our fellowmen - fellowmen unknown to us, poor and tormented - but also fellowmen national, cultural and religiously foreigners to us.

The acceptance of others is the proof of genuine hospitality. The acceptance of others is the realisation of command “love thy neighbour as thy self”. The acceptance of others can change the others, as it may change also us.

This is the message that I send to you from Africa, the land where the God speaks to us via the others in order to teach us and transform us - the land where the God uses us in order to transform the others.

Happy Holidays.

Peace