Archbishop Seraphim of Chicago and Detroit (+ 1987)

Nativity Epistle of His Eminence Archbishop Seraphim of Chicago and Detroit, 1980

From the Editors: In continuing to celebrate the days of the Nativity, and at the same time embarking on the 75th anniversary of Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, NY, we offer our readers the Nativity Epistle of 1980 of Archbishop Seraphim (Ivanov, +1987) of blessed memory. He was confirmed by Archbishop Vitaly (Maximenko, +1960) as the Superior of the Monastery in 1946, when the young Vladyka Seraphim and his brethren from the monastery in Ladomirovo, in the Carpathian Mountains, came to North America. Archbishop Vitaly, the former Prior of Pochaev Lavra, breathed into the monks the spirit of St Job as they took to publishing work. In 1948, Vladyka Vitaly headed the brotherhood himself as its abbot.

Dear Friends and Compatriots!

So again we are at the threshold of great joy, but also of great responsibility. Let us rejoice that God is with us again, and sensitive Christian hearts already feel His holy proximity.

Are there many such sensitive hearts among us today? In our Russian diaspora there are, alas, fewer and fewer such Christians. The Church is the House of God, but it does not draw us in. We do not feel like praying, there is no need for it; only if serious illness strikes.

We do not teach our children enough reverence for God, and the bright holiday of the Nativity of the God-Child Christ we reduce--to the Christmas tree, to the exchange of gifts and to earthly pleasures: feasting, drinking and so on.

It saddens me to say this to you during these holy days, friends and brethren. But what can we do? This is reality!

True, in our suffering Homeland, Russia, the dawn of spiritual awakening seems to have been ignited. May God grant that it grow to a bright flame! Here in the West, only the blind do not see that the spiritual darkness is increasing and is almost opaque. They say that this is only in the big cities, but that in the countryside, people are kinder and more spiritual. Maybe so!

Yet our fellow Russians almost all live in the great cities, and they consume this darkness. Let us awaken, brethren, let us show everyone, especially during these blessed days, that we wish to be good Orthodox Christians. Let us try to be shining examples for our brethren of other faiths.

The coming New Year beckons us to this as well. This year will have more Lenten days than others. The fast of SS Peter and Paul will last almost six weeks; that is, it will almost equal Advent in duration. The Annunciation will not shine, as almost always, during Great Lent, but will be lost in the Paschal light.

This is all important, and edifying! Everything is calling us to lift ourselves spiritually to the best of our abilities! Let us raise our hearts on high, to the heavens, especially during these most-blessed days of the Nativity of Christ!

Let us sing together with the Church:

"O my soul, magnify God Who was born incarnate of the Virgin!" "Christ came from Heaven, welcome Him!" Let us meet Him in holiness and in worthiness!

+ Archbishop Seraphim