ХРИСТОСЪ РАЖДАЕТСЯ! СЛАВЬТЕ ЕГО!
Ваши Преосвященства, досточтимые отцы и возлюбленные во Христѣ!Вступая въ радостное время Рождества, мы должны отложить попеченія сего міра и помнить, что Іисусъ Христосъ пришелъ въ міръ примирить Божество съ тварью. Когда Ангельскія Воинства явились во славѣ пастухамъ, стерегшимъ стада своя въ нощи, ангелы прославили Бога, возвѣщая: „Слава въ вышнихъ Богу, и на землѣ миръ, въ человѣцѣхъ благоволеніе!" (Лук. 2:14). Само Небо открываетъ намъ причину, по которой Богъ сталъ человѣкомъ – Божество возжелало примиренія съ человѣкомъ. Мы зримъ крайнее смиреніе Божіе въ семъ примиреніи, когда Онъ воплотился въ плоть, которую Самъ сотворилъ, дабы человѣкъ могъ познать и узрѣть Свѣтъ Божественный. Однако наша склонность ко грѣху не позволяетъ намъ цѣнить или признавать Божественное смиреніе, явленное 2000 лѣтъ назадъ. Посему мы погрязаемъ въ „попеченіяхъ міра сего" и повторяемъ одни и тѣ же ошибки снова и снова.Сто лѣтъ назадъ, въ 1925 году, міръ находился въ смятеніи и безпорядкѣ, какъ и нынѣ. Политическія идеологіи повсемѣстно разжигали пламя войны и насилія по всему міру. Крайнее богатство и гедонизмъ сосуществовали съ нищетою и суровостью, и все же Православная Вѣра оставалась непоколебимой въ лицѣ такихъ святыхъ, какъ святитель Тихонъ Московскій, святитель Іона Ханькоускій и тысячи Новомучениковъ и Исповѣдниковъ Россійскихъ, пребывавшихъ какъ на родинѣ, такъ и въ изгнаніи. Тотъ же Свѣтъ, который воссіялъ въ Виѳлеемѣ, жилъ и умножался въ сердцахъ сихъ безчисленныхъ, явленныхъ и сокровенныхъ свѣтильниковъ въ тѣ смутныя и темныя годы и пребываетъ съ нами донынѣ.Святитель Тихонъ въ 1903 году написалъ своей пастве вневременное наставленіе: „Христосъ Спаситель сказалъ, что, зажегши свѣчу, не ставятъ ея подъ спудомъ, но на свѣчникѣ, чтобы свѣтила всѣмъ (Матѳ. 5:15). Не для того возженъ свѣтъ Православной Вѣры, чтобы свѣтить малому кружку людей." По мѣрѣ того, какъ Православная Вѣра продолжаетъ расти и распространяться, мы зримъ нынѣ, какъ и сто лѣтъ назадъ, гоненія на Церковь: на Украинѣ захватываются храмы и монастыри, пастыри канонической Церкви подвергаются гоненію; здѣсь же, въ Америкѣ, наша собственная Зарубежная Церковь подвергается клеветѣ и ложнымъ обвиненіямъ. Однако, какъ свѣтильникъ свѣтитъ ярче во тьмѣ, такъ и мы должны тѣмъ болѣе свидѣтельствовать о Христѣ среди окружающей насъ тьмы. Христосъ не оставитъ Свою Церковь, и „врата адова не одолѣютъ" Святую Матерь Церковь (Матѳ. 16:18).Въ сіи святые дни Рождества Христова будемъ ревностно взращивать свѣтъ Христовъ въсердцахъ нашихъ. Въ семъ году, какъ и въ годъ преставленія святителя Тихона – 1925, міръ пытается угасить свѣтъ Православія – сначала явно, а потомъ и въ сердцахъ нашихъ. Да не поколеблетъ насъ суета сего міра, но будемъ твердо держаться того, что Христосъ не оставитъ Свою Церковь и Свой народъ. Да просвѣтитъ Господь, родившійся въ вертепѣ Виѳлеемскомъ, сердца наши Своимъ Божественнымъ Свѣтомъ и да укрѣпитъ насъ, дабы мы могли сказать съ истиннымъ сердечнымъ убѣжденіемъ:+ КИРИЛЛЪАрхіепископъ Санъ Францисскій и Западно-Американскій25 декабря 2025 г. / 7 января 2026 г.To the Clergy, Monastics and Laity of the Western American Diocese! As we enter into the joyous season of Nativity, we must put aside the
distractions of this world and remember that Jesus Christ came into the world to reconcile Divinity with creation. When the Heavenly Angelic Hosts revealed themselves in glory to the shepherds in the fields, the angels glorified God by proclaiming, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace and goodwill towards man!" (Luke 2:14). Heaven itself confesses the reason God became man – the Divine and the celestial wish to reconcile with man. We see God’s extreme humility in this reconciliation taking upon Himself the flesh, which He created, so that man can experience and know the Light of the Divine. However, our inclination towards sin does not allow us to value, or recognize, the Divine humility that occurred 2000 years ago. Therefore, we are mired in the "cares of this world" and repeat one and the same mistakes over and over again.
One hundred years ago, in 1925, the world was in turmoil and instability just as we are now. Political ideologies were rampantly fanning the fires of war and violence throughout the world. Extreme wealth and hedonism were coexisting with poverty and austerity, and yet, the Orthodox Faith remained steadfast with such saints as St. Tikhon of Moscow, St. Jonah of Hankou and the thousands of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia who were both in the homeland and in the diaspora. That same Light that shone forth in Bethlehem lived, and proliferated, in the hearts of these countless, known and unknown, luminaries in those tumultuous dark years and was passed onto our own time.
Saint Tikhon, in 1903, wrote to his flock a timeless instruction: "Christ the Saviour has said that, having lit a candle, one does not place it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that it may give light to all (Matthew 5:15). The light of the Orthodox Faith was not kindled that it might shine only upon a small circle of people." As the Orthodox Faith continues to grow and spread, we behold now, as one hundred years ago,
persecutions against the Church: in Ukraine, churches and monasteries are seized, the pastors of canonical Orthodoxy are persecuted; while here in America, our own Church Abroad is slandered and falsely accused. Yet, as a lamp shines more brightly in the darkness, so must we bear witness all the more to Christ amidst the darkness which surrounds us. Christ shall not forsake His Church, and the "gates of hell shall not prevail"
against Holy Mother Church (Matthew 16:18).
In these holy days of the Nativity of Christ, let us be zealous in nurturing the light of Christ in our
hearts. This year, as in the year of St. Tikhon's repose – 1925, the world attempts to snuff out the light of Orthodoxy first publicly and then in our hearts. Let us not be shaken by the mercurial distractions of this world, but hold fast to the fact that Christ shall not forsake His Church and His people. May the Lord, Who was born in the cave of Bethlehem, enlighten our hearts with His Divine Light and strengthen us so that we
can say with true heartfelt conviction:
CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM!
