“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.”
(Luke 2:11)
Your Eminences and Your Graces,
Most Reverend and Reverend ministers of the Holy Altars,
Venerable abbesses, monks and nuns,
Orthodox Christians, sons and daughters of the Orthodox Church of Moldova,
With holy joy I address this word of comfort and hope to you on this radiant Feast of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Feast of the Nativity is not merely a remembrance of a historical event, but the very mystery of our salvation, the coming of God into the world. The Son of God becomes Man in order to raise mankind from the darkness of sin and to restore him to the lost dignity of being a child of God.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) — this is the mystery of divine love, which surpasses all human understanding. The Child born in the cave of Bethlehem is true God and true Man. He comes into the world not in glory and power, but in humility and silence, to show us that the path to the Kingdom passes through humility, obedience and love.
“The Uncontainable becomes contained, the Invisible allows Himself to be seen, the Beginningless is born,” says Saint John Chrysostom. Therefore, this Feast is not merely an occasion for rich meals and gifts, but a call to spiritual rebirth. Christ is born in the world so that He may also be born in our hearts.
Right-faithful Christians,
The Nativity of the Lord is also a call for peace. The angels sang: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men!” (Luke 2:14). In a world troubled by misunderstandings, wars and unrest, Christ shows us that true peace does not come from weapons or treaties, but from a heart reconciled with God and with one’s neighbour. Let us receive the Infant Christ as the Lord of peace and bring His light into our homes, our families, our communities and, not least, into our Church itself. Let us reflect deeply on the importance of remaining united around the Church of Christ, especially in these difficult times. And on this Feast of the Nativity of the Lord, let us pray that Christ may bring forth in our hearts the light of faith, the peace of love and the strength of unity. Let us remain steadfast in the One, Holy, Universal and Apostolic Church, preserving the bond of peace and brotherly love. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself prayed: “Shat they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us” (John 17:21). Let us therefore be united in faith and service, so that through us the world may know that God is love and that Christ is truly among us.
My beloved spiritual sons and daughters,
Let us celebrate the Nativity of the Lord with pure joy, with prayer and with charity. Let us attend the Church, participate in the Divine Liturgy, partake of the Body and Blood of the Lord, reconcile with those who have wronged us, and extend a helping hand to those in need and suffering. Only in this way will the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ be filled with grace and blessing.
Our paternal thought turns with special love and blessing towards the sons and daughters of our Church who live far from the borders of the homeland, in the diaspora. We bear you in our prayers, knowing that although you are far away bodily, you remain close through faith and through longing for the ancestral hearth. Wherever you may be, be lights and witnesses of the joy of the Nativity of the Lord; preserve with holiness the Orthodox Faith, the language and the traditions inherited from your parents, so that through you too the light of Christ and the beauty of our faithful people may be made manifest. And if homesickness weighs upon you, come at least for the Holy Feasts — to partake of the peace of the Church, of the joy of the carols and of the love of your dear ones, so that you may once again feel that Christ is born also in our hearts, here, at home.
May the light of the Star of Bethlehem guide your steps on the path of salvation, and may the peace and joy of the Nativity of the Infant Jesus fill your hearts and your homes!
With paternal love and archpastoral blessing, I wish you all health, wisdom, prayers accepted by the Good God, and spiritual fulfilment in the New Year to come.
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
With blessing in the Lord,
† VLADIMIR
Metropolitan of Chișinău and All Moldova
The Nativity of the Lord,
The Year of Salvation 2025/2026,
Chișinău