It is Christmas Eve. The members of each Christian family gather together at home around the festive table in anticipation of the holy feast Christmas. Today we meet with Bishop Antonii - Metropolitan of Western and Central Europe. We talk with him about the peace and the silence of the holy night and how Christians should follow the Christmas light:
“We are on the eve of one of the brightest Christian feasts - the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus brings us eternal peace. We live in times when his peace is necessary for every human soul. We need his love which unites all of us. We need his humbleness. Jesus Christ teaches us to be humble, because God is humble. He incarnated in Jesus and descended to Earth, so that we can go to Him. The blessed will of our heavenly father and his incarnation into his son helps all of us become children of God. So, the birth of our Savior is a holiday and a new beginning. It opens the heaven doors and allows us to meet God. ”
How can we get rid of vanity and become better people?
“We should follow the example of the Holy Infant and turn our back to vanity in our everyday life, because we live in a world filled with passion, temptations, delights and earthly possessions. However, no prize can fill the spiritual vacuum, if we do not meet Jesus, especially on Christmas.”
We live in a very insecure world, where Christians, Muslims and people from other religions are exposed at the risk of terrorist attacks by radical Islamists.
“The Christians have been subject to persecution and lynching since the beginning of Christianity. The lack of love in Jesus explains what happens nowadays. The Orthodox Church is very tolerant and respects the right of people to choose their religion. It does not condemn those who choose to walk on a different road. The Church condemns violence across the globe. One of the God's Commandments reads Thou Shalt Not Kill! Nobody has the right to take human lives, because God is the only source of life. Jesus and our faith in God is what unite us. May we all turn our backs to vanity and to the political differences on Christmas Eve! We must stay united, because we are stronger, when we are together. Jesus came to Earth, in order to announce God's peace and make us all peace-makers.”
English version: Kostadin Atanasov
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