Christmas Papal Message - His Holiness Pope Shenuda

My Beloved Children in the lands of immigration, Clergy, Laity.

It gives me joy to congratulate you on the glorious feast of nativity
and with the start of the New Year. We pray that it is blessed and
joyful in the life of each of us.

The birth of the Lord is full of deep spiritual contemplations; we
hope that they may be a lesson to us all, having its effect and
results.

 Firstly, he came down to us, to visit us, reconcile us and save us.
One of the fathers the saints said: "With sin there was contention
between man and his creator, and since man could not ascend to God
and reconcile with Him, God came down to man." Yes, He came down and
continues to knock on the door of the human heart so it may open for
Him.

 In His coming down, He "made Himself of no reputation, taking the
form of a bondservant∑∑∑.and being found in appearance as a
man∑∑∑."(Philippians 2: 7,8) He did not desire to frighten us with
His divinity, but attracted us with Him humility. He also attracted
us with His love, as He went about doing good. And this is another
lesson for us.

 In his nativity, He was born in an amazing simplicity; He did not
come down upon the wings of the Cherubim, engulfed by a choir of
angels. Instead HE was born from a poor orphan virgin, who was in the
care of a simple carpenter. His birth was in a manger, on a day not
known to anyone, but was proclaimed to some shepherds, and then
visited by three Magi representing the estranged Gentiles∑∑..It is a
mixture of simplicity and humility, which was a third lesson for us
to be far from outer appearances.

 The Lord Christ lived an alienated childhood far from being famous.
A part of this childhood was threatened by the sword of Herod, and in
a part of this childhood, He was a stranger in the land of Egypt,
although He blessed it. As for His youth days, we do not know
anything about it. And the little that the Jews gave Him was "the
carpenter's son."( Mathew 13: 55)

 When He started His ministry, He lived for more than three years
without a position of leadership in the Jewish community. The little
that He was known by among His beloved was "Teacher." He did not
possess a house for the ministry, He did not even have a place to lay
His head (Luke 9:58). HE sometimes preached from the mountain, or in
the wilderness, or the fields, or upon the sea shore∑∑∑∑∑∑∑..

 His strength was in His personality and not in any appearance that
surrounded m; loved by the people and envied by the leaders, but He
was a source of love to all, being compassionate upon everyone in
need every sick person and upon those tormented by evil spirits.

 He had disciplined who wee also simple; and E filled their heart
with love, filled their minds with knowledge, granted them His Holy
spirit, and also granted them gifts.

 This is The Christ whom we celebrate His Birth, and we are proud
that His Name has been called upon us. Blessed is the day of His
birth and may we also celebrate His characteristics as well.

Finally, be all well and healthy in the Lord, absolved from His Holy
Spirit.

Pope Shenouda III
Pope of Alexandria and
Patriarch of the See of St. Mark
Feast of Nativity 2008

Source:

http://st-takla.org/News/Coptic-Papal-Messages/Christmas-Papal-Message-for-2008.html