My beloved the Benevolent                        January 2025

Grace and peace, Wishing you all goodness and blessings!

I am pleased to congratulate you all on the Nativity of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, which we will celebrate on Tuesday, the 29^th of Kiahk, January 7^th, wishing you a happy and blessed feast.

As we celebrate the Nativity Feast, we remember St. Paul’s words, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8: 9

Our celebration of the Nativity feast is a celebration of the mystery of the Incarnation. Saint Paul explained the Incarnation in his letter to the Philippians, “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:6-8.

The Church praises God and glorifies His humility and acceptance to take on our human nature in order to grant us divine graces as mentioned in the response of the midnight praises of Friday’s Theotokia: “He took what is ours, and gave us what is His, we praise Him, glorify Him and exalt His name”, as the Church affirms in the Thursday’s Theotokia midnight praise, “He is still God, He came and became the Son of Man, but He is the true God, He came and saved us.”

+ The mystery of the Incarnation is the mystery of God’s love for us, as Saint Paul says:

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5: 8 The mystery of the Incarnation is the mystery of God’s search for sinners, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what which was lost.” Luke 19: 10

+ In His incarnation on earth, Jesus Christ offered a practical example of caring for sinners, the needy, and all those who have no one to remember them.

+ The Nativity message for us is to imitate our Good Lord in caring for those in need.

+ Christ gave great honor to the needy when He called them His little brethren speaking about the importance of serving the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned; He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” Matthew 25:40 Jesus Christ also lived the life of a poor man. He was born in a manger and was raised in the house of Joseph the carpenter; He said regarding Himself, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Matthew 8:20 Christ, Who is the giver of all from His goodness, accepted to be served by some financially, “many others who provided for Him from their substances.” Luke 8:3

+ Christ invited us to care about storing up treasures for ourselves in heaven and called us to give, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:38 He who gives receives many blessings in this life and the eternal life.

+Acceptable giving is giving with joy, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9: 7

My Beloved

As we celebrate the Nativity feast and the New Year, we must remember our brethren in need and remember: “He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 2 Corinthians 9: 6 The needs of our brethren are increasing every day with the economic crisis and rising prices.

Many of the families of our beloved brethren are unable to meet their basic needs, let alone if a family member gets sick or the family experiences any kind of hardship.

I do not need to explain to you how our needy brethren in our beloved Egypt are suffering, but I call upon you to sow blessings and give generously to support needy families and meet their needs so that we may receive the blessings of giving without grudging or distress, but rather with joy, imitating the example of our good Lord who became poor while He is rich so we can be rich.

May the Lord bless your gifts to support Santa Veren Charity programs with many happy returns.

Metropolitan Serapion