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Božicna poslanica patrijarha srpskog gospodina Pavla

Nasilnici ce se postideti

"... Zaista, velika je tajna pobožnosti: Bog se javi u telu, opravda se u Duhu, pokaza se Andelima, propovedi se neznaboscima, verova se u svetu, vaznese se u slavi" (I Tim. 3, 16)

Ove reci apostola Pavla najpotpunije oslikavaju svu lepotu božicne radosti u kojoj smo mi, draga deco duhovna, istinski ucesnici velike tajne Božjeg silaska s Neba na Zemlju i covekovog uznosenja sa Zemlje na Nebo i sedenja sa desne strane Oca. A to je, u sustini, bogosinovstvo svakoga coveka koji to poželi delatnom verom. Sin Božji je dosao da nas pozove u neprolazno Carstvo Božje i uvede nas u stvarnost vecnog života, buduci da je On, Gospod nas, uvek Put, Istina i Život (Jn 14, 5).

Dogadjaj Hristovog Rodenja od Djeve Marije sabira sva nadanja i iscekivanja ljudska kroz vekove koji mu prethode, kao i veru svih kasnijih vekova do danas, i trajace kroza sve vekove do vecnosti. To je "punoca vremena" (sr. Gal. 4, 4), jer su Bog i covek u Licnosti Hrista Spasitelja sjedinjeni. Bog se radja kao covek ne prestajuci biti Bog, kako bi covek mogao postati "Bog po blagodati", ne prestajuci biti covek. Radujuci se radoscu neprolaznom i neopisivom zbog velikih darova ljubavi Božje, upitajmo se mi, verujuci hriscani, koji smo pozvani i poslani u svet da budemo "so zemlji i svetlost svetu" (sr. Mat. 5, 13-14), da li smo i koliko smo zaista odgovorni u svojoj bogodarovanoj slobodi. Nije dobro izgovarati se drugim i uvidjati njegove greske, jer osudjivanje - nije put vere. Cesto je to prepreka na životnom putu i pretežak teret za onoga ko tako postupa. Zato se vama obracamo, sinovi i kceri Crkve Hristove, "ne kao da gospodarimo verom vasom nego kao pomagaci vase radosti" (sr. II Kor. 1, 24). Kolenopreklono vas molimo: pokažite ljubav nelicemernu jedni prema drugima i prema svima ljudima - "dobro ciniti da nam ne dosadi" (Gal. 6, 9). Potrudimo se da ispunimo svetootacku pouku: "Svaki hriscanin treba da bude takav covek da ga se Bog nikad ne postidi". Možemo mi to, blagocestivi narode Božji: samo ako se malo potrudimo, uspecemo u dobrom delu blagocestive vere. Mnogo je danas sebicnih ljudi koji misle da sve mogu sami. Mnogo je lažno "velikih" ljudi i naroda i svako misli da bas on može da promeni sliku sveta. Zato, imajmo veru pravednog Josifa, prostodusnost i gostoljublje vitlejemskih pastira, mudrost mudraca sa Istoka koji su, vodeni zvezdom, prineli darove Hristu, ne uplasivsi se Iroda.

Verujmo verom starozavetnih proroka i pravednika i budimo, zajedno sa svetim apostolima, istrajni u svedocenju velike Tajne vere, znajuci da osim Hrista "nema drugog imena pod nebom, danog ljudima, kojim treba da se spasemo" (Dela ap. 4, 12). Ovo znanje u veri ne sputava nas u ljubavi prema svima. Naprotiv, ono nas pokrece napred i otvara za svakoga coveka, bez obzira na to ko je on, kako se moli i da li se moli. Jer, "Bog ne gleda ko je ko nego mu je u svakom narodu mio onaj ko tvori pravdu" (Dela ap. 10, 35). Nasa vera da je Hristos Spasitelj sveta i coveka cini nas spremnima i sposobnima da uvek služimo boljitku i spasenju sveta. Sin Božji, nas radi, i nasega spasenja radi, postao je covek, služeci nama i nasem spasenju. Tako je svako od nas prizvan da služi boljitku života i spasenju svih i svega. Kako bi sve bilo bolje i drugacije kada bismo mi hriscani delatno razumeli smisao služenja "vecih" onim "manjima"! Život bi bio lepsi, a ovaj svet bolji. Moguce je to - samo je potrebno da svako pobedi sebe, da prevazide sopstvenu sebicnost, da izide iz sopstvenog interesa u žrtveno, nesebicno. Cinili smo bezakonja - prestanimo, i Bog ce oprostiti. Najveci previd cinimo u vezi sa cedomorstvom, jer necemo da priznamo da je to greh ubistva deteta, motivisan sebicnoscu nedostojnih roditelja. To je najgnusnije ubistvo, odbijanje blagoslova Božjeg i uskracivanje prava na život novoj licnosti. Jos nerodeno dete nije bezimeni zametak, fetus; to je covek - dusa živa. Molimo vas, roditelji, ne cinite to vise, ne zatvarajte vrata svojih srca i domova za blagoslov života. Ima mesta za sve i bice hleba za sve.

Setite se onih bezdetnih roditelja koji suznih ociju mole Boga da im podari taj blagoslov! Neka vam materijalne nedace ne budu izgovor za cedomorstvo! Ne uskracujte sebi Božji blagoslov! Znamo da ce neki samozvani zastitnici opet reci kako Crkva uskracuje ljudska prava i slobodu, ali neka znaju da mi opominjemo iz ljubavi, bez omalovažavanja! A njima Bog blagi neka oprosti greh i neka ih prizove u zajednicu ljubavi. Veoma cemo se radovati ako se odazovu. Mnogi narodi vode racuna o svom istorijskom postojanju i vecnom spasenju, a nas, srpski narod, poubijao je, nažalost, svoje nerodjene dece vise nego nasi neprijatelji u svim ratovima zajedno. Želimo da naglasimo da je u nasoj Otadžbini broj umrlih godisnje veci od broja rodenih za dvadeset pet hiljada. Nadamo se da ce ovi podaci pokrenuti mnoge na odgovorno razmisljanje i jos bolje cinjenje. U vrsenju dobrih dela, u prastanju i u molitvi treba da budemo istrajni i da izdržimo do kraja, jer "kad nas psuju, blagosiljamo; kad nas gone, trpimo; kad hule na nas, molimo..." (I Kor. 4, 12-13), znajuci da je "pobeda koja pobeduje svet - vera nasa" (I Jn 5, 4). Pravoslavni Srbi na Kosovu i Metohiji to najbolje osecaju i znaju, kao i mnogi drugi obeskuceni i sa ognjista prognani. Oni nose na telu rane Hristove i pobeduju svoje progonitelje. Mnogi njih ne razumeju, buduci optereceni sobom i svojim strahovima. Oni, poput negdasnjih hriscanskih mucenika i ispovednika, pobeduju one koji misle da mogu stici do cilja nanoseci poraz drugome. Duboko verujemo da ce doci vreme kada ce se nasilnici postideti. Molimo se i za neprijatelje nase da uvide da cinjenje zla ne može doneti dobro nikome. Neka znaju da ce, posle svih poraza kojima ponižavaju druge, na kraju sami sebe poraziti beznadem. I za njih se molimo da pobede sebe i postanu ucesnici onog mira koji Hristos svima daje. Draga deco duhovna, nasa sveta Srpska Svetosavska Crkva nadživela je sve istorijske Golgote i raspeca radoscu vitlejemskih pastira i mudroscu mudraca sa Istoka, i živece vavek, u sabornom jedinstvu sa svim pomesnim Pravoslavnim Crkvama, koje cine Jednu Svetu Crkvu. Svojom sabornoscu ona okuplja vaskoliki srpski rod, na svim kontinentima i u svim državama, i otvorena je za sve dobronamerne ljude. Sabirala je svoja verna ceda kroz sve vekove, iduci uskim putem i gradeci mostove mira i ljubavi medu ljudima i medu narodima.

Znamo dobro za sve nase padove, raskole i podele. Molimo se Gospodu da to prestane jednom zauvek, a sve vas molimo da budete jedno u Gospodu, kako bismo svima pokazali cistu veru i svetu slogu, svu lepotu vere u Boga i vere u coveka Božjeg. To ce biti onda kada prestanemo da se medu sobom delimo na razne nacine, najcesce po bezumlju. Pokusajmo, u radosti božicnoga slavlja, da se izmirimo i saberemo oko kolevke Bogomladenca i da prevazidemo sve nase besmislene podele! Naravno, treba o svemu promisljati, suocavati razlicite stavove i raspravljati, ali to ne sme da bude razlog za medusobnu mržnju ili za mržnju prema bilo kome. Mora da važi pravilo da "onaj ko želi da bude prvi, taj treba svima da služi". Hristos je Svojim životom pokazao sve ovo, a mi hriscani imamo sveti zadatak da i svojim življenjem to potvrdimo. Danas je najpogodniji dan da ispitamo sebe gde smo mi u tom delu i da ispravimo sami sebe i jedni druge kako bi nasa radost bila potpuna i trajna. Svako od nas treba da u licnosti drugoga coveka vidi lice Božje, lice svoga brata i vecnog sabrata. Tada ce srce svakoga od nas istinski biti vitlejemska pecina u kojoj se Hristos uvek iznova rada. I sto vise bude takvih srdaca, svima ce biti bolje i svi cemo biti bolji.

МИР БОЖИЈИ - ХРИСТОС СЕ РОДИ !
ВАИСТИНУ СЕ РОДИ !

Дано у Патријаршији српској у Београду, о Божићу 2005. године.

Ваши молитвеници пред Богомладенцем Христом:

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Викарни Епископ дремвицки,
. местобљуститељ Епархије битољске МАРКО

 

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The Serbian Orthodox Church to her spiritual children at Christmas, 2005

P A V L E

By the grace of God

By the Grace of God Orthodox Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade Karlovci and Serbian Patriarch, with all the Hierarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church to all the clergy, monastics, and all the sons and daughters of our Holy Church: grace, mercy and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, with the joyous Christmas greeting:

PEACE FROM GOD! CHRIST IS BORN!
.

"Great indeed is the mystery of our religion: God is manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory." (I Tim. 3:16)

These words of the Apostle Paul, our dear spiritual children, most fully depict all the beauty of the joy of Christmas in which we truly participate in the great mystery of God descending from Heaven to earth and man's ascending from earth to Heaven and sitting at the right hand of God the Father. This, in essence, is the divine
sonship of everyone who desires it through an active faith. The Son of God came to call us into the everlasting Kingdom of God and to bring us into the reality of eternal life, being that He, our Lord, is always the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:5).

The event of Christ's birth from the Virgin Mary brings together all hopes and longings of mankind throughout the centuries preceding it, as well as the faith of all the centuries that followed it, and it will last throughout all the centuries to eternity. This is the fullness of time (Gal. 4:4), for God and man are united together in the person of Christ. God is born as a man without ceasing to be God, so that man can become "god by grace", without ceasing to be man.

Rejoicing in eternal and indescribable joy because of the great gifts of God's love, let us ask ourselves as believing Christians, called out and sent into the world to be "the salt and light of the earth" (Matthew 5:13-14), are we, and to what degree are we, truly responsible in our God-given freedom. It is not good to make excuses
for ourselves to someone else and yet see his mistakes, for condemning is not the way of faith. Often times this is an obstacle on the road of life and too heavy a yoke for him who acts this way. This is why we turn to you, sons and daughters of Christ's Church, "not as lords over your faith, but as helpers of your joy" (II Cor. 1:24 ). On bended knees we implore you: show love without hypocrisy toward one another and toward all people – "let us not grow weary in well-doing." (Gal. 6:9) Let us work to carry out the lesson of our Holy Fathers: "Every Christian needs to be such a person that God is never ashamed of him." We can fulfill this axiom, noble people of God, but only if we make some effort will we succeed in the good works of our noble faith.

There are many selfish people today who think that they can do everything alone. Many are the false "great" people and nations and, each thinks that he alone can change the world. That is why we need the faith of the righteous Joseph, the simplicity and hospitality of Bethlehem 's shepherds, and the wisdom of the Magi from the East who, guided by the star, brought gifts to Christ without fearing King Herod. Let us believe with the faith of the prophets and righteous from the Old Testament, and let us persevere together with the holy apostles in witnessing to the great Mystery of faith, knowing that besides Christ "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12 )

This knowledge in faith does not hinder us in love toward others. On the contrary, it directs us forward and opens us up to every person, regardless of who he is, how he prays, or whether he prays. For "God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." (Act. 10:35) Our faith that Christ is the Savior of the world and mankind, equips and enables us to always serve the improvement and salvation of the world. The Son of God, for us and our salvation, became man and our servant. So each one of us is called to serve for the betterment of life and for the salvation of all and everyone. How much better and different everything would be if we Christians would actively understand the meaning of the "great ones" serving the "little ones"! Life would be more beautiful and the world would be much better. It is possible — but only if each one conquers self-will, renounces his own selfishness, abandons personal self-interest, and exchanges it for a self-sacrificing and unselfish way of life.

We were committing lawless acts – let us stop, and God will forgive. The greatest error we commit is abortion, because we will not admit that it is the sin of murdering a child, motivated by the selfishness of unworthy parents. It is most hideous murder, the refusal of God's blessing and the denial to a new person of the right to life. The unborn child is not a nameless embryo, a fetus; it is a person – a living soul. We implore you, dear parents, not to do this any more; do not close the door of your hearts and homes to the blessing of life. There is enough room and food for all. Remember those childless parents who with tears in their eyes beseech God to bless them with children! Do not let the lack of material possessions be an excuse for abortion. Do not cut yourselves off from God's blessing!

We know that some self-proclaimed defenders of people's rights will say that the Church is limiting freedom and the rights of people, but let it be known that we are counseling with love, without degrading. May God forgive their sin and may He bring them into the communion of love. We will rejoice if they favorably respond. Many nations give heed to their historical existence and eternal salvation, and our Serbian people have killed, regretfully, more unborn children than all our enemies in all wars put together. We would mention that in our homeland the annual number of deaths, more than twenty five thousand, is greater than the number of new births. It is hoped that this statistic will move many to a more responsible way of thinking and to better actions.

In doing good works, in forgiving and in prayer, we need to persist and endure to the end, for "when reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate…" (I Cor. 4:12-13), knowing that "the victory that overcomes the world – (is) our faith." (I John 5:4) Orthodox Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija experience and know this very well, along with all those who have been left homeless, driven by persecution from their homesteads. They bear the wounds of Christ on their bodies and are victorious over their persecutors. Many, because of their self-absorption and fear, do not understand them. They, like the early Christian martyrs and confessors, are victorious over those who think that they can reach their goal by defeating others. We deeply believe that the time will come when the aggressors will be put to shame. We pray for our enemies, that they may see that doing evil cannot bring good results to anyone. May it be known to them that after all debacles which they are inflicting upon others, in the end, they themselves will be defeated with hopelessness. And for them we pray that they may overcome "self" in order to become partakers of the peace which Christ gives.

Dear spiritual children, our holy Serbian Orthodox Church has survived all historical Golgothas and crucifixions by the joy of Bethlehem's shepherds and by the wisdom of the Magi from East, and it will continue to survive forever, in conciliar unity with all the local Orthodox Churches which together comprise One Holy Church. In her fullness (sabornost) she gathers the entire Serbian population, on all continents and in all countries, and is open to all people of good will. She has gathered her faithful children throughout the centuries, walking the narrow path and building bridges of peace and love among people and nations.

We know well our downfalls, schisms and divisions. We pray to God that they cease, forever asking all of you to be one in our Lord, so that we may show others the pure faith and holy unity, all the beauty of faith in God and faith in the man of God. It will happen when we stop creating divisions among ourselves, mostly for foolish reasons. Let us strive, in the joy of the Christmas celebration, to reconcile ourselves and let us gather around the crib of the Divine Infant, overcoming all our senseless divisions!

Of course, it is necessary to think through everything, to encounter different opinions and to discuss things, but this cannot be a reason for hatred either among ourselves or towards anyone. The rule must remain in force which states: "he who would be first, should be servant to all". Christ with His life showed all this, and we Christians have a sacred duty to affirm this life of service. Today is the most appropriate day to reexamine and correct ourselves and others so that our joy can be complete and lasting.

Every one of us needs to see in every other person the image of God, the image of our brother and of our eternal friend. Then will our hearts truly be Bethlehem 's cave in which Christ is continually being born anew. And the more hearts there are like this, the better everything will be and the better we will all be.

PEACE FROM GOD—CHRIST IS BORN!

Given at the Serbian Patriarchate in Belgrade , at Christmas, 2006.

Your intercessors before the divine Christ-Child:

Archbishop of Pec,
Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci and
Serbian Patriarch PAVLE

Metropolitan of Zagreb and Ljubljana JOVAN
Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Coastlands AMPHILOHIJE
Metropolitan of Midwestern America CHRISTOPHER
Metropolitan of Dabro-Bosna NIKOLAJ

Bishop of Sabac-Valjevo LAVRENTIJE
Bishop of Nis IRINEJ
Bishop of Zvornik-Tuzla VASILIJE
Bishop of Srem VASILIJE
Bishop of Banja Luka JEFREM
Bishop of Budim LUKIJAN
Bishop of Canada GEORGIJE
Bishop of Banat NIKANOR
Bishop for America and Canada (New Gracanica Metropolitanate) LONGIN
Bishop of Eastern America MITROPHAN
Bishop of Zica CHRYSOSTOM
Bishop of Backa IRINEJ
Bishop of Great Britain and Scandinavia DOSITEJ
Bishop of Ras and Prizren ARTEMIJE
Retired Bishop of Zahumlje and Hercegovina ATANASIJE
Bishop of Bihac and Petrovac CHRYSOSTOM
Bishop of Osijek and Baranja LUKIJAN
Bishop of Central Europe CONSTANTINE
Bishop of Western Europe LUKA
Bishop of Timok JUSTIN
Bishop of Vranje PAHOMIJE
Bishop of Sumadija JOVAN
Bishop of Slavonia SAVA
Bishop of Branicevo IGNATIJE
Bishop of Milesevo FILARET
Bishop of Dalmatia FOTIJE
Bishop of Budimlje and Niksic JOANIKIJE
Bishop of Zahumlje and Hercegovina GRIGORIJE
Bishop of Valjevo MILUTIN
Bishop of Western America MAXIM
Bishop of Gornji Karlovci GERASIM
Bishop of Australia and New Zealand IRINEJ
Vicar Bishop of Hvostno ATANASIJE
Vicar Bishop of Jegar PORFIRIJE
Vicar Bishop of Lipljan TEODOSIJE
Vicar Bishop of Dioclea JOVAN
Vicar Bishop of Moravica ANTONIJE

THE ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF OCHRID
Archbishop of Ochrid and Metropolitan of Skoplje JOVAN
Bishop of Polos and Kumanovo JOAKIM
Bishop of Bregal and locum tenens of the Diocese of Bitolj MARKO