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Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest Aurel Perca, in his Pastoral Letter for Christmas, says that we are solemnly celebrating an event that has no equal in the history of mankind and we have reason to welcome the Birth of the Lord with solemnity and joy in the light.
"Thus, we solemnly celebrate an event that has no equal in human history. For only once did it happen that God became man and dwelt among us. Only once and only once did God humble himself, taking the form of a servant, and become like us in everything except sin. Only once and only once did heaven touch earth so powerfully and so directly (...) So we have reason to celebrate Christmas with solemnity and joy in the light, together with angels and shepherds, in the rhythm in which our hearts beat more sensitively and powerfully in the face of such an event," says the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest, agerpres reports.
At Christmas, notes Archbishop Perca, we cannot just stop at the beautiful traditions of carols, trees decorated with lights, representations of the birth of Jesus in the cribs of churches or in our homes, to say that we celebrate, but we ask ourselves once again the fascinating question that St Anselm of Canterbury asked himself in a little treatise: "Why did God become man?".
"As we bow to Christ's poor manger, we see God enriching us with His poverty: God became man so that man could become a child of God. As we chant and sing carols in our churches and with our families, we are actually confessing our belief in God's love for man and our conviction that this is the way that will lead us to Him. When we look at the Nativity scene, at the poverty of that night in Bethlehem, at the conditions of derision aimed at human dignity in which the Lord came into the world, it becomes clear to us how much God cares for man, how great our dignity is and how much He loves us! At Christmas we relive in faith the mystery of this divine love. It gives meaning to our lives, fills us with confidence and peace, makes us feel happy and secure, like beloved children of our Father who is in heaven," the Archbishop exhorts.
He wishes all the faithful a joyful, cheerful, hopeful and optimistic Christmas, and a happy and blessed New Year 2024.
